WATCH: Teacher aims to make Jersey fluent in a disability-friendly language

Thursday 04 October 2018

One of the island’s only teachers of Makaton – a symbol-based language helping islanders with speech problems to express themselves – is determined to spread the word so that the island can become fluent.

Makaton might involve signs, but it differs widely from British Sign Language. Rather than focused on the deaf community, it is aimed at those who can hear, but struggle to communicate, and uses the same word order as regular speech.

Fiona Cockram has been practicing and perfecting the language for the past five years and she became Jersey’s only Makaton trainer.

"The symbols are useful for people on the Autistic Spectrum Disorder as well as for labelling, directing, or if people are in different environments, like the doctor's, or if they are making a memory board,” she told Express.

While Makaton is particularly effective for people who have learning disabilities, it can be used with anyone who is non-verbal. This includes people who are on the autistic spectrum or have Down’s Syndrome, as well as people who have had strokes, head injuries or suffer from dementia.

Pictured: Makaton uses symbols and signs, as well as spoken words.

Ms Cockram says there are a lot of advantages to using Makaton. It helps build confidence, while even helping increase IQ and improving literacy and numeracy skills. Makaton also improves users’ attention and listening skills and helps them with fine movements.

"It brings people together and is enjoyable for everybody," Ms Cockram added. "Everybody can get chatting. There is probably going to be a time in your life, you will use Makaton. It could be with your grandmother, who has dementia or someone who has had an accident that wasn’t expected."

She was recently hired by local charity Les Amis thanks to a £43,520 grant from Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands.

Video: Ms Cockram explains what Makaton is and what it can be used for.

Jo Le Poidevin, Lloyds Executive Director, says that Ms Cockram's appointment is not only great for Les Amis, but for Jersey as a whole. "We really hope it enhances the lives of many islanders who have communication difficulties by providing them with a means of communicating and giving them a voice again," she added.

Ms Cockram will be mainly working on a one-to-one basis with residents and their support staff to help them communicate with each other and train staff so that they can teach their colleagues.

Shaun Findlay, Managing Director of Les Amis, explained that many Les Amis residents used Makaton at school, but that it tends to fall away in adulthood because of a lack of resources and available training in the islands.

Video: How to communicate without words? Ms Cockram tries to describe a picture without words and using Makaton.

"Often challenging behaviour has its roots in communication difficulties This new programme, which will be led by Fiona, should help address this and ensure a more peaceful and productive environment. This is an exciting new chapter for Les Amis,” he said.

While her main aim is to get everybody at Les Amis trained up in Makaton, Ms Cockram has big plans beyond that. She wants the whole island to join Makaton-friendly, a scheme that recognises businesses that make their services accessible to those who use the language programme, starting with the little village around Les Amis. She has recently visited the bank, the chemist, the bakery and the supermarket at Five Oaks to try and convince them to sign up.

She has also started drop-in sessions at Beresford Street Kitchen and welcomes anyone who wants to find out about Makaton, between 09:30 and 11:30 and between 14:00 and 16:00.

Pictured: Ms Cockerham will be giving sessions on Makaton at Beresford Street Kitchen.

"After that, I would like to be delivering training to the public and anyone who is interested. At present I have been going out to different businesses like pubs, cafés, doctors, all sorts of different environments to try and make them more Makaton-friendly. 

"My other aims are to get the word spread out in the island and hopefully have people more interested in Makaton and to realise the benefit it can have to families and people in all sorts of ways."