Highland Makaton Tutor

If your child is Autistic and nonspeaking or has minimal speech for communication and you know your child has more to say than they're able to right now, even with the Makaton and symbols you may be using, join my LIVE ONLINE WORKSHOP for parents to get clear on how the right communication app can help your child learn new words quicker 🎉🤩

Click this link for all the details and to book your place:
https://hannahjoy.kartra.com/page/parentpathwaytraining

Date: TUESDAY 26 MARCH
Time: 7-9.30pm
Cost: £30 and Replay Available

If you're feeling stuck and you don't have the right support to move you and your child forwards so that they can communicate more things, with more people then you don't want to miss this!
I can't wait to have you there ❤️🙌

This week started with International Makaton Awareness Day. Empowering our teams Flexible Childcare Services Scotland to communicate visually with children in our services is a powerful way to support engagement and communication, and helps develop language skills.

Our Makaton training has been provided by Highland Makaton Tutor and has always been a really positive experience for our team members.

As most of you know I've been doing a bit less Makaton training recently as I've been starting a whole new venture! I'm delighted that parents and children are benefiting from my approach 😌

I have space available right now to help 5 new families so I'd be so grateful if you could spread the word if you know of a family who are looking for help ☺

My 12 week online 1:1 programme helps parents who have a child who is nonspeaking or who has minimal speech to learn new words and communication by introducing technology. Many families are often using Makaton too which is fantastic! But so many children would also benefit from use of technology to give them more words even faster!

Happy to chat and answer any queries so please get in touch if you are worried that your child doesn't have a means of communication that works well for them.

Message or email [email protected]

📣3 PLACES LEFT ON UPCOMING LEVEL 3 AND 4 WORKSHOPS!
Saturdays 25 Feb, 4, 18, 25 March
9am - 1pm
£160

BOOK NOW: https://bookwhen.com/highlandmakatontutor/e/ev-sx74-20230225090000

If you've completed Level 2 then come along and join us to revise what you know so far and learn a whole heap of fabulous new signs and symbols. These sessions will give your confidence a boost while teaching you new knowledge and skills so that communication is more successful for more people. I LOVE the signs and symbols you learn - you will be in a position to really grow someone's language as well as opening up the potential for new conversations and deeper connections 🥰

This is likely to be the only public Level 3 and 4 I will be able to run this year - so please don't miss out 😊

Don't worry if it's a while since you've done your Level 2 - as you know, I'll support you wherever you are on your Makaton journey! 🤩

Level 3 and Level 4 Makaton Workshops online - Saturdays - Booking by Bookwhen The Level 3 and Level 4 Makaton Workshops complete the advanced part of the formal Makaton training route. We continue to learn in an interactive and supportive way but extend your skills, knowledge and confidence to become an even more effective Makaton user.

New dates for Level 3 and Level 4 Workshop available to book now! 🥳

SATURDAY MORNINGS 9am - 1pm

If you've completed Level 2 and you're ready to perfect what you know already and move on to new signs and symbols, as well as new skills and confidence, then these are the workshops for you 😄

Sat 25 Feb, 9am-1pm
Sat 4 Mar, 9am - 1pm
Sat 18 Mar, 9am - 1pm
Sat 25 Mar, 9am - 1pm

Click this link to book: https://bookwhen.com/highlandmakatontutor

Fantastic vocabulary so you can have more conversations and have the confidence and knowledge to help develop someone's language skills as well as their communication 🤩

I don't know if I'll be able to schedule another Level 3 and Level 4 workshop next year so if these dates work for you, jump in now!

Hannah 😊

There are always new signs you can introduce, new sign phrases to try and improved sign accuracy to aim for!

What goals have you achieved using Makaton this week?

Keep going, you've got this! 👍💪🤩

How will I know that the AAC* I have introduced is working? 🤔🤷‍♂️

The first measure of success is ALWAYS how often and how confidently YOU are using AAC* to communicate 👊💪

When we introduce new ways of communicating, we need to use it ourselves when interacting with the child 👏

We need to use it in real life situations, consistently, for a long time 💪😊

This can feel overwhelming and REALLY hard though, especially to start with…

…so it’s essential that you have the right people in your life guiding you through, keeping you going and showing you it’s worth it! 🥳 🙌

AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) is any way of communicating that is used as an alternative to speech or in addition to speech when someone is unable to rely on speech to communicate at all times. It includes signs, Makaton, symbols, paper based resources, writing and high tech communication aids such as apps and dedicated devices and can be used short term or longer term.

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou

Children never forget how we make them feel.

Prioritise meaningful, authentic connection. Prioritise listening to a child’s communication - however they are able to communicate with you.

How we make a child FEEL about communication is what gives them the belief that they can try something new, something tricky and something challenging with their communication 💪

Communication can feel risky at times but we can create a safe environment for a child to take those risks 🤗

When you are introducing new ways of communicating with your child, give yourself grace to make mistakes 😅

We can't wait till we know all the signs perfectly, or we know the symbol system inside out. Start USING other ways of communicating now, and learn WITH your child 🤗




Caption reads: Perfect communication doesn't exist - it's real and messy and chaotic. But that's where the truth is...right in the middle of the beautiful muddle.

Did anyone see the documentary Life after Deaf with John Bishop (a British comedian) and his son?
There were such strong parallels between their family’s experience of embracing British Sign Language (BSL) and the experiences of families who would benefit from introducing AAC* (Alternative and Augmentative Communication).

There is so much fear, so many myths, misconceptions and misunderstandings about speech, language and communication that it makes it so hard for families to find out the truth about AAC, work out how it could help them and then access the support they need long term to make it a success for their child.

But when families are in a position to embrace AAC, it really can open up a world of new communication for their child 🤩

Did you see the documentary? I’d love to know what you thought - drop a comment below! 👇

*AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) is any way of communicating that is used as an alternative to speech or in addition to speech when someone is unable to rely on speech to communicate at all times. It includes signs, symbols, paper based resources, writing and high tech communication aids such as apps and dedicated devices. AAC can be used short term or longer term and transforms communication for anyone who finds speech unreliable for any reason.

Caption reads: Discover the power and joy that comes from celebrating the communication that exists beyond speech.

Congratulations to ELM Music Therapy for achieving a Makaton Friendly award 👏👏👏🥳🥳🥳

Very well deserved recognition of Emmeline and Nadine's commitment to communication and the highest quality Music Therapy services for children across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire 🥰

🌟📣 We are delighted to announce that ELM Music Therapy have been awarded the Silver Makaton Friendly Award! 📣🌟

The Makaton Charity are passionate about communication and firmly believe that all children and adults with learning or communication difficulty should enjoy equal access to services and facilities and so do we!

At ELM Emmeline and Nadine aim to use Makaton within all of their sessions, where appropriate, to allow everyone the opportunity to communicate in their preferred means and reach their communication potential. Emmeline is a qualified Makaton tutor and Nadine has completed all of her Makaton training.

We run a number of Makaton Choirs, Sing and Sign groups and Emmeline has been giving visiting lectures on the Music Therapy Masters course at Queen Margaret University about including Makaton within music therapy sessions.

We also have a number of Makaton superstars who attend our groups and we can't not mention Will Cozens whose Makaton signing videos we share regularly and who has been an inspiration to many! 🌟

We are currently the only facility or service provider within Aberdeen City to hold a Makaton Friendly status and we are keen to support the organisations we work alongside to also achieve their Makaton friendly status! We would like to say a big thank you to Catriona Chisholm from Aberdeenshire Makaton Training and Tips for helping and supporting Emmeline through all her training and also to Hannah the Highland Makaton Tutor for supporting Nadine through all of her training and also supporting us in our application! Thank you!

We can't wait to make more music with Makaton with you all soon! 👍🏻🎶👌🏻

CHOIR is back TONIGHT from 8-9pm for anyone who has trained with me🤩🎤🎼

Hop over to our group 'Highland Makaton Support Network' for the zoom link and lyrics!🏃🏃‍♀️

Tonight is a celebration of everything we achieved last term in our choir so we will be doing all our favourites and fitting in as many as we can in an hour! If you haven't been before then we'd LOVE you to join us. 🥳

No need to book, just drop in and join in as much as you like. Feel free to just watch too, absolutely no pressure and no-one is put on the spot - I'm too busy concentrating on my own signs! 🤣

I promise you it's a fab selection of songs so really will be a feel good hour of fun with like minded people!

If you've trained with me recently or ages ago this is the best way to get back into signing and enjoying it!

Free live webinar next Tuesday 30 Aug from 11am-12 noon for anyone who has Membership with The Makaton Charity delivered by me in my role as an Ambassador 🤩

Can't wait to share the new resources that will be available in the Library for you to download very soon. I'll be speaking about using symbols to support conversations at all ages and stages of communication. Here's the blurb:

"Find out how to get started using a Core Vocabulary communication board to develop language and enable successful communication. We will show you a Core Vocabulary board that you can download from The Makaton Charity website so you can get going immediately with introducing Makaton symbols to support your conversations and communication.

This session is an introduction to using a core vocabulary communication board with someone who may benefit from symbols to support communication (even if they already use some speech or have never been shown symbols for conversation before). Core Vocabulary symbol boards can make communication easier, less stressful, more successful and are a great way to get started using AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication). Suitable for parents, educators and anyone who uses Makaton with adults who have a learning disability.

Using symbols in this way can provide essential opportunities for language and communication skills to develop. Come along and find out how you can get started using these paper based AAC tools at home, school or work to transform communication".

Lots of different membership options for individuals and settings, and if you're Makaton Friendly you'll have access to these events too!

Making choices: independently using Communication Boards * FREE. MEMBERS ONLY. 11am-12 noon, Tuesday 30th August 2022 * Find out how to get started using a Core Vocabulary communication board to develop language and enable successful communication...

Two amazing groups from Flexible Childcare Services Scotland in the North East who gave up their evenings to complete their training 🥳🙌

Loved working with you all and hearing about the fantastic services you deliver for children and young people 💜

Congratulations to this fantastic group from a few weeks ago who completed their 'Using Makaton with Singing' Workshop 🥳🎼🎶🎵🎤

Brilliant session, always lots of fun and very relaxed while still fitting in 125 signs and symbols!

📣Next session (and probably the last for this year) is on Wed 28 and Thu 29 Sep from 7-9pm 🤩

£40 including Manual and Certificate 😍👍

Book now: https://bookwhen.com/highlandmakatontutor

📣 Using Makaton with Singing Workshop 🎵🎶🎤

✅ 28 & 29 Sep, 7-9pm

✅ 125 signs and symbols for Nursery Rhymes and communication 🎼🎶🎵

✅ £40 including Manual and Certificate 👍

✅ No previous experience necessary 😍

Book now: https://bookwhen.com/highlandmakatontutor

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