Makaton is a type of communication which involves using signs and symbols. It also uses speech, including signs and symbols. It is designed for those who cannot communicate efficiently by speaking. Makaton also involves using facial expressions tied to a word to help a person with learning difficulties to recognise and identify the word more easily and quicker. It also uses picture cards so the person can identify things just by seeing them. Makaton is a very useful type of communication as it uses speech, symbols and actions; this means it can help lots …show more content…
of different people with different needs. It can help people with learning difficulties and visual and hearing impairment. This means it can meet different needs and can suit different people.
British Sign Language (BSL) was first recognised in 2003 in the UK, however, it has been used by people since the 16th century but as it is an unwritten language it was poorly understood by people meaning it wasn’t used by a lot of people. BSL is a language which has its own right; it has its own grammatical structure and syntax which makes it unique. BSL uses visual signs instead of sounds. These are made up of facial expressions, positions, movements of hands, arms and body and use shapes. Sign language is used by people who are unable to speak and deaf, and is used by these peoples’ families as well so they can communicate with them. It is a very commonly used by many communities. BSL is very useful as it helps those who are deaf or unable to speak to communicate with their family so they don’t feel like no one cares about them. It also helps the families of these people as they have the chance of communicating with their loved ones, as BSL has its own structure and is now well-known.
The Braille system is another method of communication which is mainly used by blind people to help them read and write. It was invented by a Frenchman called Louis Braille. Braille is a system which uses raised marks to help the person feel them so they can understand what the letter is so they can learn how to read and write just by feeling these marks. These raised marks (dots) are raised up in a position of any of the 6-which form 64 combinations which can be read by the person just by touching them. Braille is very useful because this is the only method which can enable blind people to read and write again. It gives these people the chance which they probably wouldn’t have got if it wasn’t for Braille. However, it’s harder than it sounds and looks so it might take time for a health carer to learn it and teach the blind person. This means it will also be quite hard for the blind person so it could take a while for them to get used to it but they will grasp it quite well as they will get the hang of it.
Communication boards are another way of communicating with people. Pictures may be used for people who don’t have the ability to speak or who don’t know or speak any language. People who have autism can also use these picture cards to communicate using images so that they can learn and communicate visually. The best thing about communication boards is that they can be used by people of any age with any disabilities which makes these boards universal. People who have suffered from a stroke or any other brain injury can also use these communication boards. This means these people can communicate their needs to their family members by using this board.
Symbol systems are signs that are used every day such as traffic signs and no smoking signs. These can be understood quickly by people as they have an image as well. Symbol systems can be used to communicate with children or adults who either have learning or speaking difficulty or who cannot speak at all. Communication boards and Makaton both are examples of symbol systems as they both use images and symbols to help people to communicate. Symbol systems can also be designed specifically to suit peoples’ needs as best as possible. For example, people who can’t see can also use tactile symbols by feeling them to understand what it is and some can be arranged in different orders to challenge the peoples’ knowledge to see if they are improving. Commercial symbols can also be used for people who have severe speech disability. This is a useful way of communication as it suits people with different needs and can enable them to communicate with their family.
It is important to have alternative types of communication because different people have different and specific needs and they all need to be met as the best as possible.
So there needs to be alternative types of communications because if one isn’t suitable for a person the health or social care worker, he or she will always have another one which could benefit them by helping them to communicate with the health carer and family members. Also, these alternative types of communication can enable people who are unable to speak or can’t speak effectively or see or hear to communicate to their family members. These can help them to share information to others and to receive information back from the person they communicate with. Alternative communication types give people the chance to communicate if they didn’t receive it before; it probably makes them feel like they have got something so special because they get the chance to communicate with their family which they have probably been wishing for since ages. So, it brings people happiness because everyone has
feelings.