I am so SO frustrated. 
Alex was just recently diagnosed with autism (shes 4 in June) but we've had issues since she was born and she cant talk.
Our city is one of very few that use Sign A Long rather than Makaton. They changed from makaton to this a few years ago. It seems mind boggling considering that Makaton is more mainstream.
We began Sign A Long in the early stages but we have had a huge lack of support. We were given a few sheets of photocopied A4 paper with signs and that was it. They do the odd Sign A Long class with topics each time but some of these topics are completely irrelevant to little Alexs life - for example "At the Beach" isnt going to be any good when we are only there a handful of times in a year!
We decided to let Alex watch Mr Tumble and Something Special - and this is where we turned a massive corner. Having Justin on the TV and having something exciting for HER to watch and get involved in really has paid off. There are slight differences but most of the signs are the same/so similar. Alex's nursery are happy to use Makaton too - they in fact seem more comfortable using what they were originally trained on.
But our home visiting service lady has been so, SO judgemental about our choice. She complains that thats not what our city uses, yet we could move to any neighbouring city tomorrow and it would be Makaton being used. We're losing this lady once we are moved to the autism spectrum support team but I imagine we are going to have the same arguements on a grander scale!
My husband is booked in for the Makaton.org course coming up this month and as its the professionals course they have had to put him into, nursery are excited and they will all share together what they know and learn.
is it really such a big deal????
I'm becoming increasingly upset about it while Alex is running with Makaton and loving it, we're finally seeing her "ask" for things and its exciting!
Knowing that there are more Makaton resources out there available to us and everyone than the crappy photocopied a4 Signalong bits of paper they give us, it seems a no-brainer!
Alex was just recently diagnosed with autism (shes 4 in June) but we've had issues since she was born and she cant talk.
Our city is one of very few that use Sign A Long rather than Makaton. They changed from makaton to this a few years ago. It seems mind boggling considering that Makaton is more mainstream.
We began Sign A Long in the early stages but we have had a huge lack of support. We were given a few sheets of photocopied A4 paper with signs and that was it. They do the odd Sign A Long class with topics each time but some of these topics are completely irrelevant to little Alexs life - for example "At the Beach" isnt going to be any good when we are only there a handful of times in a year!
We decided to let Alex watch Mr Tumble and Something Special - and this is where we turned a massive corner. Having Justin on the TV and having something exciting for HER to watch and get involved in really has paid off. There are slight differences but most of the signs are the same/so similar. Alex's nursery are happy to use Makaton too - they in fact seem more comfortable using what they were originally trained on.
But our home visiting service lady has been so, SO judgemental about our choice. She complains that thats not what our city uses, yet we could move to any neighbouring city tomorrow and it would be Makaton being used. We're losing this lady once we are moved to the autism spectrum support team but I imagine we are going to have the same arguements on a grander scale!
My husband is booked in for the Makaton.org course coming up this month and as its the professionals course they have had to put him into, nursery are excited and they will all share together what they know and learn.
is it really such a big deal????
I'm becoming increasingly upset about it while Alex is running with Makaton and loving it, we're finally seeing her "ask" for things and its exciting!Knowing that there are more Makaton resources out there available to us and everyone than the crappy photocopied a4 Signalong bits of paper they give us, it seems a no-brainer!
