Our relationship has developed hugely

Molly O'Brien Luca Torrens, 4, has global developmental delay, no speech and limited gestures. He currently lives in Italy. He is finishing a nursery school, two years behind age group, and is about to start primary school.

His mother, Sally Torrens, tells his story:

"A relation, who is a geneticist, heard that we were looking into using signs in Italy and strongly recommended Makaton. We started using Italian Sign Language in a very basic way in September 2006 and then made the change to English signs and Makaton in September 2007. Luca was nearly 3 when he was first exposed to signing, and nearly 4 when we changed to Makaton.

"We learned mainly through the Something Special and Dave Benson Phillips Nursery Rhymes DVDs. I've done the distance learning level 1 and 2 Parents and Carers pack, and attended the Foundation Workshop. I find the website forum useful for vocabulary, and the book Learning through Play has given me lots of relevant words.

"I chose to use Makaton with BSL, despite living in Italy, partly due to the amount of accessible materials available.

"I now use a lot of pictures and the signing is used more to support the pictures. Although Luca understands quite a lot of signs, he is not yet able to produce good signs, and uses one sign for many meanings. The pictures help us enormously to clarify what he wants and to give him choices. He is very good at using them!

"Makaton has improved Luca's communication skills enormously. We virtually did not communicate before. He would get angry and then angrier, and we found it all but impossible to calm him down and understand the problem. Now he is able to request items such as food (using mainly pictures but watching and responding to our signing) , particular toys, to repeat activities, and he is generally much calmer.

"Our relationship with him has developed hugely, he comes to see us and gives us hugs, pulls my hair and tugs our clothes, things which he never did before. He has realised that communication exists and finds an array of methods to do it. From bringing us physical objects (remote control) to getting photographs and giving them to us, to using his hands to show that he wants something.

"In my family, I use signing all the time but with a limited vocabulary. I try to ensure that photographs are available and that we use them. My husband uses them in a similar way and our son (aged 3) uses some signs and pictures, but more for his own needs than to help Luca! Luca's Italian family know three or four signs and sometimes use them, they find the photographs a bit strange and still don't use them. My family in England know many signs but don't have much contact with him. Except for Luca's communication assistant at school we don't know anyone else who uses Makaton, however we are introducing its use at his therapy centre, where the therapists seem to have understood that it works!

"Our family life is easier due to the improvements in Luca's behaviour: the stress levels, still high, are lower. We have fun using signs and pictures. Socially people find it strange and few are interested in learning anything. When we get out the photos the reaction is often good natured laughter. People who are close to us have seen that Luca manages very well in this way and so accept it, but most find it daunting and strange. Hopefully with time they'll get used to it.

"The therapy centre insisted on an oral approach which we, in ignorance, used for the first two and a half years. We then started to go private and used a bilingual approach (Italian Sing Language and speech) however this was only used at home. We now use Makaton and use the photographs in a similar way to PECS. I would never recommend a parent of a child with learning disorders to spend the first two and a half years years trying to get them to speak as our experience was that it was a waste of very precious time, Makaton does not exclude speech, does not confuse the child, and helps the child to live happily!

"Makaton has enabled me to help my son. I do not have therapists who are trained in this type of communication to hand, and so far I have had to implement it myself. The materials available have given me the information necessary and the confidence that I can make a difference."

September 2008