Makaton Sign Language

[MaggsS]

I have a 2 year old who was born with a cleft lip and palette.She is a beautiful girl and has been through a lot of surgery.
She has quite bad hearing which has led to speech problems.
She is at the age of tanturms etc and her frustration at not being able to say what she wants is causing her so much frustration.
She loves watching " Mr Tumble" and "Something Special" and I believe the Makaton signing may help.
Our speech theripist agrees and has forwarded on our notes to another department but she says this may take awhile.
I cannot wait. I want to help her now.
Any advise anyone please??

[MaggsS]

Thank you.

Did you find it was worth learning?

DD2 is 2 and she copies "Mr Tumble" but I wonder what she understands.

I asked at our libray awhile back but they said they had nothing even though they had been asked alot.ARRGH

[MaggsS]

That's reassuring busybeingmum.
I just want to do the best I can to make things easier for us all.
She is so happy and funny. Very expressive but when I can't understand her or if anyone else can't she just explodes and then I feel so helpless.

[Sidge]

Makaton is well worth learning I think.

We use it with DD2 aged 4.5 as she can't speak. I have a fair 'vocabulary' now, some I learnt from the SALT but most from Mr Tumble!! DD3 is 23 months but she signs too now as well, despite being able to talk. Makaton is relatively basic as you only tend to sign the key words, so as my nearly-2-year-old has shown even little ones can communicate with it quite well.

[MaggsS]

Great advice from you all. Thank you so much. i will certainly give all your ideas a try

[Shannaratiger]

DD also had delayed speech. Her SN nursery taught her Makaton and it really helped.
Makaton website

[Romy7]

Nuy the makaton dvd from anywhere but the makaton charity - cheaper.

dd2 loved dave b p - and the rhymes are curiously addictive. (rap goldilocks, anyone?)

it definitely kicked off comms in dd2's case. our SLT ran courses for parents, so hopefully you can get on some. our nursery went on courses ran by slt too - so make sure everyone involved knows which system you are using so that she is able to communicate in all her usual haunts...

[MaggsS]

Can you believe I had a phone call today from the speech therapist in Salisbury to sayshe could not refer me to Southampton as they would not accept the referal without my consent. I then had to ring up and refer her myself. If I had known this I would have done that months ago.
I feel so angry

[slightlycrumpled]

Hi MaggS, my DS2 has a sub mucus cleft and is partially deaf, and it took us ages to access the right SALT support to include makaton training.

Good for you for keeping on banging at the door! But it is so annoying you should have too tbh.

Makaton has totally changed all of our lives and makes for a far happier household.

Even DS1 who has no problems with speech used it this week after he had his tonsils out and his throat was too sore to speak!

[MaggsS]

I have 2 older children who use it a bit at school with a child with DS.I really do believe it will make a difference to us as a family which is why I want to find out as much as possible.
Everyone has been so helpful and the support has really helped me as I was feeling a bit out of my depth.
I just want to do my best for her. She deserves it!

[lottiejenkins]

www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/202-0364998-9705412?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=makaton%20&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 dvd
Hi this is what i could find on Amazon for Makaton,,, my ds is profoundly deaf and loved DBP when he was a little chap!

[moondog]

Maggs, what you are doing is brilliant! I am a salt and also have a baby signing business. Can't believe your salt didn't get you up and running straight away. Outrageous!#Lots of good resources on Makaton website. Also think about joining a baby signing group.

[moondog]

Whilst not specifically Makaton or Special Needs oriented, Sing and Sign is excellent The dvds are available on the website.