Total Communication attempts to provide a child with both spoken and sign languages at the same time. Practically, it means that teachers speak English while they use a signed language. This can also be called "signed and spoken English," "signed supported English," or "signed supported speech." The Kenyan National Association for the Deaf notes that "this approach is still widely used in Kenya."

Simultaneously producing two different languages successfully is very difficult and requires strong fluency in both languages. Many teachers have limited fluency in Kenyan Sign Language, and may sign a different sign system, such as Signed English (SE) or Signed Exact English (SEE). Students who have low levels of hearing and speech may have difficulty following both the signed and spoken languages used by the teacher.

References:

Information from the Kenyan National Association for the Deaf