Witness History
Witness History
Makaton - the signing system that changes lives
Up next
10 November 2020
10 minutes
Available for over a year
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)
