Makaton
Makaton is a communication tool with speech, signs, and symbols to enable people with disabilities or learning disabilities to communicate. Makaton supports the development of essential communication skills such as attention, listening, comprehension, memory and expressive speech and language.
The name "Makaton" is derived from the names of three members of the original teaching team at
Makaton is a registered trademark of the Makaton Charity, which was established in 2007[5] to replace the original charitable trust, the Makaton Vocabulary Development Project, established in 1983. The original trademark application for Makaton was filed in Britain on 28 August 1979, with registration approved as from that date under trademark registration no. 1119745.[6]
In 2004 the Oxford University Press included Makaton as a common usage word in the Oxford English Dictionary. The entry states: "Makaton, n. Brit. A proprietary name for: a language programme integrating speech, manual signs, and graphic symbols, developed to help people for whom communication is very difficult, esp. those with learning disabilities."[7][citation needed]
Programme
The Makaton Language Programme uses a multimodal approach to teach communication,
Development
Original research was conducted by Margaret Walker in 1972/73,[8] and resulted in the design of the Makaton Core Vocabulary based on functional need. This research was conducted with institutionalised deaf cognitively impaired adults resident at Botleys Park Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey (which closed in 2008). The aim was to enable them to communicate using signs from British Sign Language.[2][9][10] Fourteen deaf and cognitively impaired adults participated in the pilot study, and all were able to learn to use manual signs; improved behaviour was also noted.[2] Shortly after, the Core Vocabulary was revised to include both children and adults with severe communication difficulties (including individuals who could hear), and was used in many schools throughout Britain in order to stimulate communication and language.[2][9][10]
In the early stages of development, Makaton used only speech and manual signs (without symbols).[2] By 1985, work had begun to include graphic symbols in the Makaton Language Programme and a version including graphic symbols was published in 1986.[2] The Core Vocabulary was revised in 1986 to include additional cultural concepts.
The Makaton Vocabulary Development Project was founded in 1976 by Margaret Walker, who worked in a voluntary capacity as director until her retirement in October 2008. The first Makaton training workshop was held in 1976 and supporting resources and further training courses were, and continue, to be developed. In 1983 the Makaton Vocabulary Development Project became a charitable trust, and in 2007 it changed its status to become the Makaton Charity.[2][9]
Use
The Makaton Language Programme is used extensively across Britain and has been adapted for use in different countries; signs from each country's
In 1991 the Makaton Charity produced a video/DVD of children's familiar nursery rhymes, signed, spoken and sung by a well-known children's TV presenter,
On 16 November 2018, comedian Rob Delaney read a book on the BBC's children's channel CBeebies entirely in Makaton and English; he had used Makaton to communicate with his late son Henry, who was rendered unable to talk after a tracheotomy.[12]
References
- ^ OCLC 59817863.
- ^ .
- .
- ^ Sheehy, K; Duffy, H. "Attitudes to Makaton in the ages of integration and inclusion" (PDF). International Journal of Special Education. pp. 91–102. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
- ^ "The Makaton Charity". Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- ^ "MAKATON – UK00001119745". Intellectual Property Office – By number results. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- ^ "Oxford Index Search Results – oi". oxfordindex.oup.com. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ^ Walker, M (1977) Teaching Sign Language to Deaf Mentally Handicapped Adults (A Practical Account and an Experimental Evaluation) in IMS Conference Proceedings 3, Language and the Mentally Handicapped (pp3-25) Kidderminster: British Institute of Mental Handicap
- ^ .
- ^ PMID 6458105.
- ^ Elton, Frances; Squelch, Linda (2009). London and South East Regional Signs. Lexisigns, http://www.lexisigns.co.uk
- ^ Sandhu, Serina (9 October 2020). "Rob Delaney to read CBeebies bedtime story in Makaton, the sign language he learned to communicate with his ill son". i. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
Further reading
- Harrison, D: Virden, F (2011). "Assistant practitioners lead way". British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 5(8),409.
- Hooper, Helen; Walker, Margaret (2002). "Makaton peer tutoring evaluation: 10 years on". British Journal of Learning Disabilities. 30 (1): 38–42. .Hooper,
- Reeves, D (Winter 2011). "Applying choices and possibilities". Speech & Language Therapy in Practice. pp. 4–6. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- Sellars G (November 2006). "Learning to communicate with children with disabilities". PMID 17111943.