Makaton - the signing system that changes lives
Witness History
BBC
4.5 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 10 November 2020
⏱️ 11 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In the 1970s, British speech therapist Margaret Walker invented a revolutionary system of communication for children and adults with special needs. Makaton uses simple signs to reinforce spoken speech and make it easier for people with learning difficulties to understand the meaning. Makaton is now used by millions of people in around 40 countries around the world; it helps everyone from children with Down’s Syndrome to pensioners with dementia. Margaret Walker talks to Simon Watts.
PHOTO: A Makaton user (credit: The Makaton Charity)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Choosing what to watch night after night the flicking through the endless |
| 0:06.8 | searching is a nightmare we want to help you on our brand new podcast off the |
| 0:11.8 | telly we share what we've been watching |
| 0:14.0 | Cladie Aide. |
| 0:16.0 | Load to games, loads of fun, loads of screaming. |
| 0:19.0 | Lovely. Off the telly with me Joanna Paige. |
| 0:21.0 | And me, Natalie Cassidy, so your evenings can be a little less |
| 0:24.9 | searching and a lot more auction listen on BBC sounds. |
| 0:31.1 | Hello and thank you for downloading the podcast of Witness History on the BBC World Service |
| 0:39.8 | with me Simon Watts. Today I'm bringing you the story behind a revolutionary communication system |
| 0:46.8 | for children and adults with special needs. |
| 0:49.9 | It's called Makatan and I've been speaking to its inventor, speech therapist Margaret Walker. |
| 0:55.4 | It's time to sign. |
| 0:58.4 | Hello. |
| 1:00.4 | Look. |
| 1:02.4 | Hello. |
| 1:04.0 | Since the 1970s, millions of people with problems developing speech have benefited from |
| 1:10.0 | using a simple system of signs to help them communicate. |
| 1:14.0 | Home. |
| 1:15.0 | You sign home. |
| 1:18.0 | The signs in Makatan are used to reinforce everyday speech. |
| 1:22.0 | You make the signs at the same time everyday speech. |
... |
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