It is now used mainly in private settings by older adults who attended the only Swedish school for the deaf in Finland (in Porvoo, Swedish: Borgå), which was established in the mid-19th century by Carl Oscar Malm but closed in 1993.

[4] Some 90 persons had it as their native language within Finland in 2014[5] and it is spoken by around 300 people in total.

Since the closure of the deaf school in Borgå in 1993, the future of the language has been uncertain.

[9] Through contacts between Swedish deaf individuals and Finland-Swedish deaf individuals, the Finland-Swedish sign language has borrowed many words from Swedish sign language.

Additionally, the visual phonology with facial expressions follows the sounds of the Swedish language.