How can Makaton be embedded in the school community

Many children and young adults struggle with communicating within their Mainstream School communities. Often teachers do not have resources and strategies in place to support these students to communicate with their peers in a social context. This study looked into current literature presented about signing systems, communication, working with parents and social action within school. This developed into how the Makaton Language Programme could be introduced into a Mainstream School environment to support pupils and their communication skills; research design of Case Study allowed me as researcher to look in depth at how Makaton was used in the Special School as a first case, before reviewing the findings and then moving to a second case of how strategies can be used in Mainstream Primary School. Two research methods were used (observation and interview), data were transcribed. Data were analysed using coding and deductive analysis of the transcriptions, looking into which parts of the Makaton Language Programme were applied (signs, symbols, speech) and for which language function they were used for (Halliday, 1978). The interpretivist theoretical perspective was underpinned by a social constructionist epistemology and linked with the case study methodology, this allowed me as researcher to place myself in the real life context of the school environment and review each case individually before making comparisons and considerations for theoretical implications. Key themes from the data were then discussed including use of Key Word Signing and use of Makaton for regulation of routines and emotions. Implications were considered for future research studies involving the Makaton Language Programme, its place in Mainstream Education and the wider school community to support communication.