Friday 28 August marks Makaton International Awareness Day (MIAD), an annual celebration led by the Makaton Charity to recognise the difference that signs, symbols and speech can make to people who find communication difficult. This year’s theme is Together, focusing on the friendships and connections that become possible when everyone has a way to be heard. More than 100,000 children and adults across the UK use Makaton, either as their main method of communication or alongside speech, according to the Makaton Charity.
What is Makaton?
Makaton is a language programme that combines spoken words with signs and symbols, giving people an extra way to express themselves and understand others. It was developed in the 1970s and has since become one of the UK’s most widely used communication approaches for people with learning disabilities, autism, and other speech, language and communication needs. Unlike British Sign Language, Makaton is designed to be used alongside speech, keeping words at the centre while adding visual support.
Why communication support matters
For someone who cannot always find or form the words they need, the gap between wanting to communicate and being understood can be a daily source of frustration. The right support can change that.
- It reduces frustration and the behaviours that can come from not being understood
- It supports comprehension, not just expression, helping people follow conversations and instructions
- It builds independence by giving people a reliable way to make choices and needs known
- It opens the door to social connection, from a shared joke to a simple “hello”
Who Makaton supports
Makaton is used by a wide range of people, including children with delayed speech and language development, autistic people, adults and children with learning disabilities, and people who have lost speech following a brain injury or stroke, or who are living with dementia. Many families and professionals also use it simply because a shared, visual vocabulary makes communication easier for everyone in the room.
This year’s theme: Together
The Makaton Charity is encouraging people to mark MIAD by learning and sharing the sign for “Together”, posting friendship stories using #MakatonTogether, or simply taking a moment to notice the connections that good communication makes possible. It is a reminder that communication is never a solo effort. It takes patience and consistency from everyone around a person, not just the person themselves.
How we can help
At Synergy Complex Care, many of the people we support communicate in ways that go beyond speech alone, whether that is through Makaton, symbols, assistive technology or a combination of methods built around the individual. Our care teams take the time to learn each person’s preferred way of communicating and to keep that approach consistent across every visit, because familiarity and patience make all the difference to someone who relies on it.
If you are caring for someone who would benefit from consistent, person-centred communication support, we would love to hear from you and talk through how we can help.