During a discussion at the Farnborough service, several students showed interest in starting up a Makaton learning group. Makaton is a method of using speech, signs, and symbols that supports disabled people to communicate. Some students’ families were using Makaton at home, while some students were familiar with it from when they were at school. Many of the staff have been taking Makaton courses and as a result of all the interest, Keyworkers Diane and Sophie were keen to put together some sessions.
The current Makaton group is made up of four students with their keyworkers. Diane and Sophie are making tailored, interactive Makaton sessions for the group, and each session has a theme. They’ve pulled together tactile objects, sound and video to accompany each Makaton sign within the theme. Staff or students make most of the props beforehand from everyday items or craft materials, and these help students experience the meaning of each sign.
For this session on animals, students felt the tentacles of a paper jellyfish brush their arms, touched a rubber washing up glove to feel a dolphin’s skin, stroked fabric similar to horse-fur, and played with a long concertina to get the idea of an elephant’s leg. Sophie really brought a camel to life!
