Sign language for hearing impaired children

The school recruits children at the age of three. During this phase children often have a poor sense of language as their parents do not know how to communicate with them.
At the school the children learn the sign language from three professionals in this field. All three are also deaf.
Hereafter, the children move onto the “American style” sign language as this is what is spoken most in French speaking African countries.
Often the ALS (American style sign language) is replenished by the local sign language of the deaf in Bamako. To teach the children in the class, the teachers use the total communication form. This means that oral speaking, sign language, mime and pictures are used.
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_language