Search
Contact us 
User forums
Site map
Text size
For tutors
HomeFrequently asked questions
I want to use Makaton. Where do I start?
I know some Makaton. How do I get more vocabulary?
What do I do if I can't afford the materials you produce?
Can Makaton help children and adults with autism to communicate?
Can Makaton be used with children with severe and profound difficulties?
Is Makaton only useful to people with learning difficulties?
How does Makaton relate to British sign language (BSL)?
What is the difference between Makaton and other sign and symbol systems?
I need a symbol (or sign) for a word that is not currently covered by Makaton. What should I do?
Why is there a copyright on Makaton?
My school has a Makaton licence, can I use Makaton symbols on its website?
Can I use the database of signs and symbols on my computer?
Why is it so expensive to become a Makaton tutor/trainer?
Why is there only one Makaton nursery rhymes video/DVD?
Can Makaton be used on signs in public buildings?
Can Makaton be used in countries other than the UK?
Is there any research on the effectiveness of Makaton?
I want to use Makaton. Where do I start?
You should start with the core vocabulary, which provides a small nucleus of basic concepts essential to everyday life.
The best way to learn Makaton is to go on a course or a workshop. This will enable you to learn alongside others; you will get feedback on your signing skills, and you will be able to practise with others who are learning.
Alternatively you may like to consider the Makaton Parent Carer Packs. These were designed for those who can't get to a workshop, and who may prefer to learn in the comfort of home, or with a group of friends.
I know some Makaton. How do I get more vocabulary?
The Makaton resource vocabulary comprises over 7,000 concepts in symbols and signs that can be added as required to the core vocabulary.
There are also a variety of resources to help you use Makaton with early years, children, teenagers, and adults:
Why isn't Makaton free?
The Makaton Charity effectively operates as a cottage industry on a very tight budget. Costs of resources and training reflect the quality of the research and design that goes into them. We plough back into the charity all the income from sales of our resources and training after essential expenses have been deducted. Juggling the different demands made on The Makaton Charity and trying to maintain a balance between meeting users' needs and keeping The Makaton Charity solvent and in a position to continue the development of new resources and training is an enormous challenge which could not be met if we gave Makaton away.
Why isn't Makaton free? (for a fuller answer to this question)
What do I do if I can't afford the materials you produce?
We strive to maintain a high standard in our resources, and have ourselves carried the rising costs of production in order to keep the prices affordable. However, The Makaton Charity is looking into ways to make resources more readily available. It may take a little time to resolve this, but we are committed to finding a way.
Have you tried your local library service? It is possible to get most of our resources through the library network, so give it a try.
Obviously, this doesn't help if you want to have your own copy, but it's a start. Maybe, your employer will help if there's a resource you need for your job.
If you continue to have problems, please let us know as we do look individually at cases of hardship.
Can Makaton help children and adults with autism to communicate?
The Makaton programme can be used with autistic children and adults and is recognised as a useful method of developing communication. It can also be successfully integrated into the TEACCH and PECS programmes. Quite often children prefer to use the symbols first and later develop signs, but there is a considerable amount of evidence that many children on the autistic spectrum can also learn signs and use those effectively, so there is quite a variation amongst this population.
Can Makaton be used with children with severe and profound difficulties?
Yes, but it is very hard work. You should start as young as possible and you will need to sign for a long time before the child will begin to sign back, also their signs may not be very clear in the beginning.
My son has poor motor skills so cannot execute a perfect sign. Is it possible to refine a sign after teaching it?
Make your own signs precisely so that he has a good model to copy but do not attempt to refine his signs as it may discourage him from using them. Over time his signs may become more precise despite his poor motor skills, or if not, in addition to continuing with the signs, add the matching symbols.
Is Makaton only useful to people with learning difficulties?
Makaton is used by people with all sorts of communication difficulties - not just those with learning difficulties but also many with an "acquired" communication difficulty arising from a stroke or a tracheotomy, for example.
How does Makaton relate to British sign language (BSL)?
Makaton is designed to help hearing people with learning and communication difficulties, it is an aid to communication not a language as such. BSL is a language with its own grammar and is used fluently by deaf people.
In the UK, Makaton signing is based on BSL, it takes the signs from BSL. As with spoken languages, where there are regional variations of dialect and accent, there are also variations in the signs that are used throughout the UK. The signs from BSL matched to Makaton have been standardised to those used in the South East/ London region. This standardisation is to avoid confusion for Makaton users if they move around the UK.
Makaton also uses speech alongside signing.
What is the difference between Makaton and other sign and symbol systems?
Sign and symbol systems are used as either alternatives to spoken and written language, or as support where a child or adult has either very limited or little or no effective speech and written skills. There are a variety of sign-only systems and symbol-only systems that provide a means to communicate.
Sign systems provide standardised manual gestures that have either been specifically devised to represent speech or have evolved spontaneously.
Symbol systems provide pictorial representations of speech and written words, specifically devised to represent speech and written words.
The Makaton Programme takes signs from British Sign Language (BSL) and uniquely designed Makaton Symbols, and arranges them to match the spoken and written sequence of English.
Makaton is unique because it combines signs, symbols, and speech to provide multi-modal communication - and has a comprehensive approach to support its use.
I need a symbol (or sign) for a word that is not currently covered by Makaton. What should I do?
We have many signs and symbols which are not yet available in print. Contact us directly so that we can discuss your precise requirements.
Why is there a copyright on Makaton?
The copyright on Makaton resources allows them to be used for the benefit of those who need Makaton, while enabling The Makaton Charity to continue to develop the vocabulary.
The Makaton Charity is a relatively small charity with limited means. The income generated by the charity derives from the licensing and use of the Makaton name and vocabulary. In this way, The Makaton Charity can ensure that funds are generated to enable The Makaton Charity to develop and help the Makaton Programme to reach a wider range of users. Without this income the development of the vocabulary and the service that The Makaton Charity provides to Makaton users would prove extremely difficult and may have to cease.
The Makaton Charity's copyright statement is not designed to be restrictive or to the detriment of those using Makaton as their means of communication. So for example if a centre has purchased the book of symbols and wishes to use it to produce symbol notices to stick around the building ("toilet" on the toilet door), or if a parent produces a communication board for their child, then this is perfectly OK.
Briefly, what you cannot do is produce materials (paper-based, digital/ electronic, web or whatever) which incorporate Makaton symbols or line drawings and give them away or sell them to others. However, if you are producing something which you wish to sell then a licence can be set up which permits you to do so.
Creating resources and using the Makaton trade mark
My school has a Makaton licence, can I use Makaton symbols on its website?
No, you cannot put Makaton graphics on a website without first obtaining permission from The Makaton Charity in writing. The copyright statement in the resources specifically refers to storing or keeping Makaton graphics on computer.
Creating resources and using the Makaton trade mark
Can I use the database of signs and symbols on my computer?
The Makaton databases are compatible with any computer software that can use WMF (Windows Metafile) graphics. The databases can also be used with specialist software such as Writing with Symbols, Clicker, SwitchIt Maker, Board Maker and many others.
There is a version of Writing with Symbols (called WWS2000) which comes ready with the core vocabulary, national curriculum, and animals, transport and vehicles symbols and signs. With WWS2000 you simply type the word to get the appropriate symbol or sign graphic.
If you have any users who can use a concept keyboard, you can use WWS2000 to create the overlays for the keyboard. You can also link concept keyboards and switches so that if the children are able, they can use the computer too.
Why is it so expensive to become a Makaton tutor/trainer?
There are several levels of Makaton tutor training.
There is training to become a Makaton Regional Tutor. Passing the course licenses you to deliver all the Makaton workshops across all disciplines and all areas of disability.
Then there is the training to become a Makaton Local Tutor, which enables you to provide some of the Makaton workshops within your work environment only.
In each case, the training is in two parts and is intensive. So whilst it seems expensive, tutors report back to us that it was value for money and equipped them for the many challenges that face them once they are having to carry out this role.
For those with a learning disability, training to be a Makaton Peer Tutor enables you to provide help and support for your peers, as well as working with your Local or Regional Tutor to train professionals, parents and carers.
Why is there only one Makaton nursery rhymes video/DVD?
The Makaton Nursery Rhymes video/DVD was originally funded by Children In Need, to whom we are very grateful, as it is a very high quality video filmed on location, and was therefore very expensive to produce.
The Makaton Charity would love to be able to produce another, and we have already done much of the work in readiness. However, the cost of producing such a video is prohibitive, and, as a charity we have to raise the money first before we can go ahead.
If you have any ideas about how we can raise the funds, or would like to make a donation, for this project, please let us know.
Can Makaton be used on signs in public buildings?
We have experience of providing signage for public buildings, hospitals, etc. Contact us directly and we'll discuss your precise requirements.
Can Makaton be used in countries other than the UK?
While Makaton was first researched and developed in the UK, the Makaton Core Vocabulary has been adapted for use in over forty countries around the world to reflect cultural differences. Contact The Makaton Charity to see if there is an adaptation ready to suit your needs.
How to adapt Makaton for use in countries other than the UK
Is there any research on the effectiveness of Makaton?
The Makaton Charity has an updated list of research papers conducted during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as some of the papers themselves. If you would like to publish your paper on this website, please get in touch.
