You’ll learn practical tools and everyday signs you can start using straight away during routines, play and learning.
Do you support people with a learning disability?
Would you like to feel more confident supporting communication in complex or high-pressure situations?
Are you looking for tools you can use right away to reduce anxiety and make sure everyone is understood and included?
This 3-hour interactive workshop is designed for professionals working in or alongside Learning Disability Teams. Makaton provides practical strategies to support people who use signs or symbols to communicate, helping you respond with calm, clarity and compassion.
Cost: £35 per participant
Why this workshop matters
- Reduce anxiety and misunderstandings by making communication clearer
- Support people to express needs, choices and emotions
- Strengthen relationships between staff, individuals, families and carers
- Promote inclusion, dignity and safety in your service
What will you learn?
This workshop gives you the confidence and tools to:
- Use Makaton signs and symbols alongside speech in your everyday practice
- Make information accessible during activities, assessments and transitions
- Recognise behaviour as communication and respond supportively
- Create predictable, low-stress environments where people feel heard
- Embed inclusive communication into your team’s approach to care
Workshop content
The session covers:
- What Makaton is and how it supports people with a learning disability
- The role of behaviour as communication and how Makaton helps
- Practical strategies for supporting transitions, routines and wellbeing
- Everyday vocabulary for common scenarios, including:
- “Where is the pain.”
- “Exercise is good for you.”
- “Listen to the doctor.”
- “You are going in the car to the park”
- “Don’t worry, the nurse is coming to see you.”
- Reducing anxiety and supporting emotional regulation through visual communication
- Real-life examples from Learning Disability Team settings
- Practical exercises with support from your Tutor/Trainer
Who is this for?
This workshop is ideal for anyone working with people with a learning disability, including:
- Community or inpatient learning disability teams
- Social workers and care staff
- Behaviour specialists and therapists
- Nurses, psychologists and OTs
- Health liaison teams
- Voluntary and community services
No previous experience with Makaton is needed.
How it works
- 3‑hour interactive workshop
- Delivered online or face-to-face
- Delivered by licensed Makaton Tutors or Trainers
- Includes official Makaton learning materials and certificate of attendance
