Makaton gave Julie Morgan’s seven-year-old daughter Poppy a voice; now she is determined to help others discover its value.
When Poppy Morgan was one, it became evident to her mother, Julie, that while other similar-aged children were starting to talk and form words and sentences, Poppy’s communication was limited to noises and grunts. As Poppy grew older, she became increasingly frustrated by her inability to communicate her thoughts and emotions.
“As she got to one and beyond, Poppy started doing things like bashing her head against things, pulling chunks of her own hair out, screaming in frustration, and we just didn’t know what to do with her. To begin with, we thought there was something medically wrong,” Julie told us.
“After researching and asking the Down syndrome community for advice, we kept hearing about Makaton. It suddenly made sense: she was using these behaviours to get attention. With no courses available during COVID, we decided to teach ourselves.”
Makaton is a method of communication for children and adults who struggle with speech and learning delays. It uses a combination of pictures, hand gestures and speech. It’s often used with children who have Down syndrome, but can also support individuals who may have difficulty processing large amounts of information at speed.
Today, more than 100,000 children and adults use Makaton symbols and signs, either as their primary means of communication or to support their spoken language.
Julie is very passionate about Makaton, and since having Poppy, it has played a huge role in their day-to-day life.
“We started using Makaton when Poppy was about 18 months old. I’d heard of Makaton, and I’d seen Mr Tumble using it but beyond that I didn’t really know much about it.”
Makaton provides many benefits. Its positive influence lies in improving communication, promoting inclusivity, and aiding comprehension.
“The main impact Makaton has had on Poppy is that it’s eased the frustration; she’s stopped those behaviours like bashing her head against things and pulling her hair out. It gave her a sense of autonomy and choice,” Julie explained.
“When you can’t communicate, it’s like being in a foreign country where no one speaks your language – you’re trying to say you need the toilet or that you feel unwell, but no one understands, and you’ve got no way of expressing that. Makaton gave her a voice.”
There can be confusion when it comes to identifying the different sign languages. Many of the signs in Makaton are the same as in British Sign Language, but there are also many differences.
British Sign Language (BSL) tends to be used by the deaf community and is a widely recognised form of communication. BSL is very fast-paced, and every word is signed, whereas Makaton was created with the intention of being specifically for people with learning difficulties.
It’s purposely different in that every word is not signed, the pace is much slower, and the main difference is that it’s a communication system; it’s not just signing, it’s signing combined with speech and symbols.
With Makaton, you are essentially picking out the key words of a sentence. For example, if you’re asking a child ‘do you want a drink?’ you can just say and sign ‘drink.’
You don’t have to sign every word in a sentence, making things much simpler for children who can’t process large amounts of information. Makaton has been referred to as lazy sign language; it’s not, it’s just intended for a different cohort.
Julie explained that Makaton has also boosted Poppy’s confidence. For children with additional needs, conversations often centre on what they struggle with, alongside frequent medical appointments that can feel overwhelmingly negative.
Makaton, however, gives Poppy something she can do that many others can’t. It allows her to teach people new signs and showcase a skill that is uniquely hers.
“It gave her a sense of autonomy and choice. Makaton gave her a voice.”
Julie Morgan
Unfortunately, not many people are familiar with Makaton or even know what it is; it’s something you rarely encounter in daily life – and that’s what is really lacking.
Makaton is widely used within the special educational needs (SEN) community, but many of those children can end up feeling isolated. When only close family members understand Makaton, it limits opportunities for communication and makes it harder for individuals to socialise and connect with the wider world.
Over the years, Poppy has had many doctors and hospital appointments, and Julie acknowledges that there have been several times when it would have been beneficial if medical professionals had some knowledge of Makaton to reassure Poppy.
“When you’ve got a two or three-year-old who’s terrified of having a blood test, you’re having to hold them down while they’re screaming – it can be really traumatic. We’ve had moments like that with Poppy where I’ve had to hold onto her while she’s been very distressed.”
Makaton has long been surrounded by the misconception that signing might discourage children from speaking. Julie told me she knows families in the Down syndrome community who chose not to introduce Makaton because they feared it would hold their child back or stop them from speaking altogether.
Many speech and communication specialists say the opposite is true and that signing can provide the foundation children need to build spoken vocabulary with confidence.
“Often, for children with Down syndrome, speech is delayed. But Poppy’s got a really good vocabulary – she comes out with all sorts now. Because we did so much Makaton, we learned a huge range of words together, and she’s also a brilliant reader and can read fluently,” Julie said.
“I really think Makaton helped with that, because in the early stages we would read books and sign them with her. When she was younger, she was just making sounds, but now she can sit and read a whole book to herself with expression.“
Of course, the way Makaton is practised depends on the individual’s needs. Some people with Down syndrome are non-verbal, or their speech is more limited, and then symbols become more important.
“We’ve used symbols with Poppy occasionally, but not as much – some families rely heavily on visuals, and that works for them. We made a few resources using Makaton symbols, but mostly we focused on speech and signing, and that worked really well for us.”
Back in 2020, during COVID, Julie and Poppy created a social media channel called Sign with Poppy and began posting short daily videos on Facebook to teach others a new Makaton sign.
Recording their progress not only helped them track how far they had progressed but also reinforced their own learning. Julie shared these videos in the hope that they would help others in the community pick up some Makaton along the way.
“I started watching YouTube videos of Makaton and Mr Tumble, and that’s how I came across something called Singing Hands. It’s brilliant – the two ladies who created it combine singing and signing in such a fun, engaging way,” Julie explained.
“I began watching their videos with Poppy, and we decided to learn a new sign every day. It took a bit of time, but I soon noticed that she was starting to pick it up. Before long, she was signing things back to me, which was amazing to see.”
Julie now runs a toddler group where she leads a Makaton story time. Even though Poppy doesn’t rely on it as much anymore, Julie is determined to keep it going for other children in the community.
Toddlers naturally love interactive stories and activities, so while she reads and encourages movement, it effortlessly becomes a playful introduction to Makaton – blending learning with fun.
Featured image courtesy of Julie Morgan.