We use Makaton in school as a general way of communication, always alongside speech.  When ever staff communicate with a child both are used.

  Signing supports people with communication difficulties in many ways:-

• Signs give extra visual information about the spoken words 
• This extra information supports the learning of new words and models how and when to use them.
• Signs provide a way to communicate messages for people who have speech complications
• Signing as we speak, slows our speech down, we also use less words, which helps with understanding    
• Signs help to gain attention and maintain it.