Once upon  time there was a class of 5 and 6 year old children, all sat around their teacher listening intently. The teacher was reading a popular children’s story book to the children who were fascinated, their imaginations running wild. What was going to happen when she turned the page?

KEEN York offers free interactive sports sessions for children who have SEN. Using Makaton, our children feel more able to express themselves and our volunteers feel better able to communicate instructions, understand complex emotions, and form relationships.

 At Vivo Granville we are very proud to be the first convenience store in the UK to gain a Makaton Friendly Award. We strive to give all our customers an enjoyable shopping experience and believe creating an inclusive environment is necessary to achieve this.

We embarked upon our Makaton adventure in the summer of 2015, when we attended a Taster session with a Makaton Regional Tutor. It soon became clear that there was a lot to learn and we were eager to provide a better service to our visitors with communication difficulties.

The museum had a huge £9.5 million makeover in 2015, and we worked with lots of local community groups to make it a fun, friendly and exciting place to visit. One of the key ideas from our work together was to add Makaton signing and symbols to the museum.

When Sassy Choir members sign, they are singing, talking, and expressing their personalities in addition to their feelings – all with their hands. So with Sassy, you get a double whammy of communication and pleasure!

You can’t easily walk through the doors of the Donkey Assisted Therapy Centre without either being greeted by a donkey braying, or seeing the Makaton symbols and signs leading through the play area, into the riding arena, and out to the sensory trail ride beyond...