Father Hails System Giving Autistic Son a Voice

A former Royal Marine credits the Makaton communication system with enabling his autistic son, Jake, to express himself. Jake, who was non-verbal at age four and suffered severe meltdowns, has seen significant progress since his family adopted Makaton three years ago. This method, utilizing signs, symbols, and speech, has reportedly made his meltdowns manageable.

Chris, Jake's father, described the immense struggle of not being able to understand his son's needs, leading to crisis situations. Discovering Makaton online in 2023 provided a breakthrough. The system, which draws from British Sign Language, has led to notable improvements in Jake's communication, language, and interaction skills. His mother noted the positive impact on family life, as Jake can now better articulate his needs and dislikes.

Jake, now seven, attends a special needs school and is learning to read sentences by pairing words with symbols. His father acknowledges the profound challenge of raising a child with special needs but feels it has made him a better parent. Qualified Makaton tutors like Sarah Arthur emphasize the system's importance in reducing anxiety for vulnerable individuals in critical settings such as hospitals.

The Makaton Charity asserts that communication is a fundamental human right, and their system helps overcome barriers in education, employment, and social participation.