Makaton

Winner of the Greater London Training Award

Course profile: Makaton Introductory Workshop – 1-2 days

A one or two day course designed for all support workers who work in the field of Learning Disabilities, especially those working with people who have little or no verbal communication. This workshop provides a comprehensive and enjoyable introduction to working with the Makaton Core Vocabulary. The aim of the course is to familiarize participants with the introductory concepts and the history and development of Makaton.

Learning objectives:

By the end of the course participants should :

have assessed how signs and symbols might be used in the work place, and be confident in speaking and signing with key phrases

have understood BSL and its alphabet, especially with reference to being able to identify themselves and others in the workplace by using sign names

have identified how to use signs and symbols in assessing the needs and wants of clients who use Makaton

have discussed practical issues around communicating with people with learning disabilities in order to address any gaps in service provision

Course content:

What is Makaton?

How did Makaton start?

Where do the signs come from?

What are Makaton symbols?

How widely is Makaton used?

How does Makaton fit in with other signing systems such as BSL?

Why are signs and symbols useful when communicating with people with learning disabilities?

Will the use of Makaton discourage speech?

Training methods:

Tutor presentations Group work Chalk and talk
Video examples OHP Handouts

NOTE : It is recommended that Participant Manuals are purchased to support learning at the training day at a cost of £12.50 each. These contain important information as well as line drawings of all the signs and symbols introduced in the workshop in order to help participants remember them. However if this cost proves prohibitive, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss possible alternative arrangements.

2^{nd floor, 42 Station Rd., Portslade, East Sussex, BN41
1AG

~Tel: 01273 414000 Fax: 01273 422777}^{e mail: admin@normanmark.net
www.normanmark.net}