Harrow On-Body Signs
Welcome to the Harrow On-Body Sign (HOBS) Video Page.
HOBS is a communication system that relies on touch. It is particularly beneficial for children and young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and sensory impairments (vision, hearing, or both). HOBS has been created by a dedicated working group that includes the Harrow Children’s Sensory Team (CST), Harrow Speech and Language Therapists, Harrow Special Schools and Hillview nursery, and Portage.
Your child’s specialist will discuss with you which signs to use and how to use them.
We have created a series of 22 videos to demonstrate individual HOBS. Each video models a specific sign. If you would like to discuss any of the videos in more detail, please contact your child’s specialist.
Harrow On-Body Sign Videos
- Hello
- Goodbye
- School
- Home-time
- Shoe on / Shoe off
- Mum
- Dad
- Drink
- Food, Snack, Eat
- Ready… Steady… Go!
- Wash
- More
- Wait
- Toilet
- Going up
- Going down
- Going forwards
- Going backwards
- Going right/left
- Going over a bumpy surface
- Stop
- Finished
Watch all the videos:
Captions to videos
Hello
One person circles their thumb on the other person’s hand while saying ‘Hello’.
Goodbye
One person places their hand under the other person’s hand and then brings both hands up like a high five. They wave their hand from side to side while saying ‘Goodbye’
School
One person pretends to write on the other person’s hand while saying ‘School’.
Home-time
One person brings the other person’s hands together whilst saying ‘Home-time’.
Shoes on/off
One person slides their hands over the other person’s foot whilst saying ‘Shoes on’ or ‘shoes off’.
Mum
One person gentle taps three fingers on the side of the other person’s head whilst saying ‘Mummy’.
Dad
One person hooks two fingers around the other person’s two fingers, tugging them gently downwards (twice) whilst saying ‘Daddy’.
Toilet
One person places two hands just above the other person’s knee whilst saying ‘Toilet’ and slides their hands downwards towards the knees.
Going up
One person moves their hands up the other person’s arms whilst saying ‘up’.
Going down
One person moves their hands down the other person’s arms whilst saying ‘Down’
Going forwards
One person gently pushes their hands behind the other person’s shoulders whilst saying ‘Forwards’
Going backwards
One person gently taps their hand on the other person’s right shoulder and says ‘We are going that way; we are going right’. They then gently tap their hand on the other person’s left shoulder whilst saying ‘We are going that way; we are going left’.
Going right/left
One person gently taps their hand on the other person’s right shoulder and says ‘We are going that way; we are going right’. They then gently tap their hand on the other person’s left shoulder whilst saying ‘We are going that way; we are going left’.
Going over a bumpy surface
One person gently taps their fingers along the other person’s shoulder whilst saying ‘bump’.
Stop
One person gently squeezes the other person’s shoulder whilst saying ‘Stop!’.
Finished
One person gently squeezes their hands on the other person’s shoulders/upper arms, three times, whilst saying ‘Finished, finished, finished’.