The Brickworks Museum in Bursledon has gained Makaton Friendly status, making it the first museum in the south-east to achieve the accolade.

Makaton is changing our lives so much. It's giving my little boy his voice and I'm so happy we discovered it.

I find practitioners are really enthusiastic when they complete the workshops but then when they get back to their setting it just…. stalls. So I developed a follow up training called Makaton In Practice...

'Use it or you lose it' is my new mantra when delivering Makaton training.  I really emphasise the benefits of using Makaton signs straight away  to ensure that it is sustainable and of lasting benefit...

Working in a school and going into adult care I noticed a massive gap in our system. Where are service users able to use their social communicative skills? I had an idea… What if we had a whole a town become Makaton Friendly!”

As a Special Needs teacher, it fills me with delight when a child who is pre-verbal uses a Makaton sign to communicate.  With the effective use of Makaton this is happening more and more in Riverside School. 

‘It’s something different’, ‘a lot of fun’, ‘it’s uplifting’ and’ it makes me happy’... Lots of members say that using signs when we sing helps them learn and remember the words to songs.

Makaton has made a massive difference to Theo’s ability to function as his world grows. Theo has recently started mainstream school and Makaton has given him the ability to manage in this environment.  It enables him to ask for food, a drink or to use the toilet. It gives him a voice...