Latest news with #Makaton
Metro
29-05-2025
- General
- Metro
I couldn't train my deaf puppy so I taught him sign language
Sukie Green had waited her whole life to get a puppy, so when she brought home eight-week-old Billie, she was overjoyed. As he settled into her London home, the whippet-poodle cross proved to be seriously hard work. All puppies are a handful, she knew, but Billie just wouldn't take instruction, and Sukie found him impossible to control. 'I thought he was an absolute bugger. He didn't listen or respond to training and praise,' the 57-year-old from South East London tells Metro. Despite Sukie watching hours of online puppy training videos on YouTube and trying to implement the strategies, Billie would nip at ankles, steal shoes, and roundly attack the family's nine-year-old cat, George. Sukie felt like she was getting nowhere, and it wasn't until early November 2024 when, after three weeks of failed efforts, the penny dropped. That night, fireworks had been making a racket outside their windows all evening, but Billie had shown no response. Sukie knew that most dogs were usually reduced to trembling wrecks from the noise, so there must be just one answer: her puppy couldn't hear. 'I clicked that he wouldn't notice anyone coming into the room. He'd have to smell them before he'd realise they were there. If I suddenly clapped behind his head, he wouldn't respond either,' she recalls. A quick trip to the vet confirmed what she already knew: Billie was profoundly deaf. 'I had been shouting at him and would be so frustrated that he wouldn't respond. But now I'm relieved that he couldn't. It wasn't his fault,' says Sukie. 'When I was told he was deaf, I was upset and daunted. But I very quickly got over it and started thinking of other ways to train him.' In a bid to converse with Billie, Sukie, who teaches sign language to babies, figured she could try using the principles of baby signing to get him to follow basic commands. Baby sign language uses simple hand gestures to help babies communicate their needs and wants before they can talk, so Sukie started practising with a few basic commands: 'No', 'Sit' and 'Stay'. Using lots of treats and ensuring Billie was watching her, she was overjoyed when her method, which combines words from Makaton and British Sign Language, started to work. 'Even though I know he can't hear, I speak when I sign because I feel energy comes when you talk. Especially with words like 'no' or 'naughty', which I need for when he's attacking the cat.' While Billie, now 10 months, still doesn't know his own name and won't recall to the sound of Sukie's voice when off lead, he has a whole repertoire of commands which he can understand, with varying degrees of success. Sukie has taught him 'Come', 'Stop', 'Off' and 'Down', and she can ask him if he wants to go outside. He knows 'Lie Down', 'Ball,' and 'Walk' – and 'Good Boy' is a thumbs up. He also understands signs for Henry, Sukie's only son who lives with them, and 'Friend', alongside 'Soon', 'Home' and 'All Gone' – among others. And Billie has picked up a trick used by young babies; a phenomenon called 'shared looking'. Sukie explains: 'Babies naturally do this – they will look at something that interests them – a book or a rattle – and look back at you, back and forth, as if to say, 'I like this'. It's what they do before they can point, from around five months old. Billie started doing this at four months and now does it all the time. He looks at the door or the fridge or the treat cupboard, then looks back at me and keeps at it until I do what he wants – or tell him 'No'.' Sukie uses 'B' to sign his name, although he doesn't need that very often. The training process has been tricky, though, she admits, because Billie doesn't pick up on verbal cues. And he can be vulnerable at the park, failing to clock warning growls and barks from other dogs, while occasionally being difficult to catch. But Sukie has trained a way around this. 'He was off the lead as soon as I was taking him for walks, before I knew he was deaf,' she explains. 'He runs after birds and squirrels, so I trained him to check in on me. Every time he looked at me, I would give him a thumbs up and a small bit of kibble. He checks all the time now. If he loses me, I have to madly wave my arms about. But I've never lost him. More Trending 'There are so many positives to his not being able to hear,' adds Sukie. 'He doesn't bark much and plays extremely well with other dogs – he has a lot of friends.' His lack of response to the doorbell or postman is also an upside. 'Many deaf dogs are up for adoption, as when an owner finds out their puppy is deaf, people immediately think they can't cope,' adds Sukie. 'But I would urge anyone not to worry about it, as deaf dogs are brilliant. 'Billie is a super friendly, happy and calm little dog, and I wouldn't have him any other way. I'm so glad to have him.' MORE: I thought I'd been punched – but three strangers had stabbed me MORE: In a Canadian region tourists often miss, I went in search of grizzly bears MORE: Man 'cooked his Chihuahua puppy to death in oven because it wouldn't stop barking'
Glasgow Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Famous Glasgow musicians give young choir a boost with special song
Ken McCluskey and Douglas MacIntyre of The Bluebells helped Down's Syndrome Scotland's Choir 21 write and perform a song especially for the occasion. And Altered Images singer and actor Clare Grogan also joined in, delighting choir members and onlookers alike. On her Instagram page, the star said she was excited to be singing alongside the choir and added: "Their garden is sublime." Choir 21 (Image: Ginger Horticulture) The choir was at the prestigious event to unveil their charity show garden, the Down's Syndrome Scotland Garden, sponsored by Project Giving Back. The garden will be at the flower show until Saturday, May 24, when it will relocate to its permanent home at Watch Us Grow in Palacerigg Country Park in Cumbernauld. The talented singers performed three songs, including their debut performance of Our Chelsea Anthem, written in collaboration with The Bluebells and accompanied by Makaton sign language. READ NEXT: Why a piece of Glasgow musical history can be found 300 miles away Glasgow museum's organist celebrates 55 years of playing 'Car crash TV': Glasgow designer on her painful exit from hit BBC show Down's Syndrome Scotland chief executive Eddie McConnell said: 'It's wonderful to see our charity choir here in the heart of Chelsea to perform at the world's most prestigious flower show. 'Many of our members haven't travelled to London before, and although excited and nervous at the invitation to officially open our garden at RHS Chelsea, they have excelled and made their community proud as they fly the flag for inclusion, opportunity and challenging stigma.' Katy Lironi, Choir 21's songwriter and choir lead, said: 'I am so proud of the choir performing today in front of so many press and RHS guests to officially unveil our charity show garden. 'Our Chelsea Anthem is a song written by members of our choir with input from our wider charity members. 'We're also grateful for the help provided by The Bluebells, who brought our lyrics to life.' The Bluebells (Image: Newsquest) Choir 21 also sang Down's Syndrome Scotland Garden, its 'very own take on the folk song English Country Garden', adds Katy. 'Lyrics were supplied by Choir 21 members and the wider Down's Syndrome Scotland community, describing many features of the garden,' she explains. 'And of course - we couldn't come to Chelsea with The Bluebells without singing their 1993 number one hit, Young at Heart.' (Image: Ginger Horticulture) The Down's Syndrome Scotland Garden is an immersive, semi-wooded space celebrating and reflecting the unique qualities that people with Down's syndrome bring to society. Visitors enter on a meandering path that leads them through two distinct planting areas that convey calmness and playfulness, while a pool symbolises the daily challenges faced by people with Down's syndrome who - despite huge progress in recent years - still experience stigma, often resulting in reduced opportunities and life expectancy. A submerged bridge within the water pool allows what looks like barrier to be overcome and visitors arrive at a welcoming garden building designed to 'feel like a warm and comforting hug', say designers Nick Burton and Duncan Hall of Burton Hall Garden Design, who were inspired by Duncan's eight-year-old nephew Liam. Liam, who has Down's syndrome, was invited to the unveiling along with his brother Oscar, 10, and his parents Laura Romay Castiñeira and Davie Hall.
Daily Mirror
10-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Boy, 4, is one of just 20 people in the world diagnosed with mystery condition
A four-year-old boy is just one of 20 people in the world who suffers from a rare mystery condition. Connor Murphy, from Darlington, County Durham, was told he had a life-changing condition that doctors were not able to officially diagnose as there isn't enough known about it. Connor's dad, Ben Murphy, 34, said his families lives were rocked by the "bombshell" news that landed at Connor when he was just two years old. Ben, a military policeman in the British Army, revealed how the family's struggles to do what is right for their boy and revealed the signs that made them take Connor to the GP. Doctors said Connor had "Genetic Alteration Variant of Uncertain Significance," labelled "HIVEP-2," which means his genetic condition cannot be officially diagnosed. The NHS has recognised just 23 children across the globe to have this mystery condition. Ben revealed with the particular type of genetic alteration associated with the condition that Connor has, it is more likely he is only one of two children in the world with this, and the other child is in Florida, according to Manchester Evening News. Connor is not able to fully understand what is going on and he cannot talk, but he is able to make some sounds, gestures and has started to communicate through Makaton sign language. The four-year-old is also unable to stand or walk unaided, due to the way his condition affects his muscles. Ben said: "His muscles are a lot weaker and a lot more flexible, so he's hyper-flexible as well. You could stuff him in a shoebox; he folds down and he sleeps with his feet next to his head." He added: "He has his own NHS wheelchair which is bright orange with like a superhero on the wheels which he decorates with all his stickers. We've attached bicycle wheel lights and stuff to make it stand out, so make him a bit more happy with what he's go." Connor's interior muscles are also affect, meaning he struggles with digesting food. His dad explained that Connor started to show signs when he was a baby as he was "really delayed in all of his expected targets". Ben said: "He wasn't lifting his head up, wasn't rolling over, and wasn't able to eat properly when he started like weaning onto food. "He wasn't able to sit up properly. He wasn't floppy, but he was weak. He wasn't able to crawl at all when he got to crawling age. He was always six months, 12 months and then 18 months behind every time we got to the next major milestone. "So one of the nurses came out to visit the house and basically did a two-year assessment with him." The dad said Connor was only able to tick off one of 40 milestones expected at his age. He added: "We started nursery a little bit later because of Covid. He'd been in for about a week when the manager at the site took us in and was like, 'You need to go and see a paediatrician because there's something not right with Connor. He's not hitting any of his milestones, and we're just concerned about him." After seeing a GP they were quickly referred to a specialist paediatrician - who took a blood sample and sent it for genetic testing. The results came back around six months later and Ben said the news was like a "bombshell". He said: "I think it was disbelief at first, like, can this be real? For that to like, happen to us... It's not impossible, but it's almost impossible. You know? The odds are ridiculous." Despite his condition, Ben revealed Connor "just gets on with life and nothing can stop him", adding: "He has the ambition and the drive to just do whatever he wants to do. Like, if you leave some chocolate on the side, he's going figure out a way to get to that chocolate. He added: "He's an unstoppable force. There's no limit on what he can achieve. It's just going to be a case of how much support we get along the way to get there." The dad added that the lack of research surrounding Connor's condition was the biggest frustration but his family, job and online communities for parents of children with genetic conditions have been lifelines. Ben said: "It's a constant battle in making sure that we're just not letting him down by understanding everything that he needs all the time, whether that's physically, emotionally. Whether he's just trying to talk to you and he wants to have a conversation."
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pupil creates 'musical dream' with Makaton choir
Despite being non-verbal 17-year-old Troy McKay has used his voice to create a unique choir. Troy is a pupil at Fleming Fulton Special School in Belfast, and communicates through an app on his wheelchair. It was his idea to create a special choir made up of pupils from Fleming Fulton and Belfast Boys' Model school. They use the sign language Makaton, and BBC News NI was invited to their first performance. Their performance of Avicii's Wake Me Up and Ben E King's classic Stand by Me brought the house down at the Boys' Model school concert. And Troy was pleased that his musical dream had been realised. "I am part of the Makaton choir at Fleming Fulton," he told BBC News NI. "I thought it would be a good idea to collaborate with the Boys' Model school and teach them some songs in Makaton." "I have really enjoyed organising this collaboration," he added. "I would like to thank Mrs Baird and Belfast Boys' Model school for letting us be part of their concert." Makaton is a form of sign language, which uses symbols, gestures and speech to enable communication. Troy's speech and language therapist at Fleming Fulton, Natalie Wray, said Troy had first suggested the Makaton partnership with Boys' Model when he was elected to the student council. "Makaton would be used across our school," she said. "A lot of our pupils would use Makaton to express themselves but also to help understanding." Ms Wray said the enthusiasm of the boys at Boys' Model who were learning Makaton for the first time was "amazing". "They were practising with me and practising without me and they've just done so, so well." She said she had found it "very emotional" seeing the pupils perform together. Troy's friends from Shankill Juniors Football Club, Ross and Lennox, were among the pupils at Boys' Model to learn Makaton. Another Boys' Model pupil who performed was 17-year-old Carter Gibson. "We've been communicating in videos, doing Makaton and some of their teachers have come up to us," he said. "We've been rehearsing every Wednesday to practice for this concert." He said Makaton was "so unique". "It's something that me and none of the boys have ever done before, so it's been quite fun to learn. "Everyone's loving it, so they are", he added. The Boys' Model music teacher Sharon Baird said her pupils had learnt "singing in a different way". "We learnt the tunes and we had great fun actually putting it all together," she said. "They picked it up really quickly. "Particularly in the Avicii number where there's a little bit of freestyle dancing they really embraced that." Makaton symbols used on station information boards Makaton master with Down's syndrome lands dream job
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pupil creates 'musical dream' with Makaton choir
Despite being non-verbal 17-year-old Troy McKay has used his voice to create a unique choir. Troy is a pupil at Fleming Fulton Special School in Belfast, and communicates through an app on his wheelchair. It was his idea to create a special choir made up of pupils from Fleming Fulton and Belfast Boys' Model school. They use the sign language Makaton, and BBC News NI was invited to their first performance. Their performance of Avicii's Wake Me Up and Ben E King's classic Stand by Me brought the house down at the Boys' Model school concert. And Troy was pleased that his musical dream had been realised. "I am part of the Makaton choir at Fleming Fulton," he told BBC News NI. "I thought it would be a good idea to collaborate with the Boys' Model school and teach them some songs in Makaton." "I have really enjoyed organising this collaboration," he added. "I would like to thank Mrs Baird and Belfast Boys' Model school for letting us be part of their concert." Makaton is a form of sign language, which uses symbols, gestures and speech to enable communication. Troy's speech and language therapist at Fleming Fulton, Natalie Wray, said Troy had first suggested the Makaton partnership with Boys' Model when he was elected to the student council. "Makaton would be used across our school," she said. "A lot of our pupils would use Makaton to express themselves but also to help understanding." Ms Wray said the enthusiasm of the boys at Boys' Model who were learning Makaton for the first time was "amazing". "They were practising with me and practising without me and they've just done so, so well." She said she had found it "very emotional" seeing the pupils perform together. Troy's friends from Shankill Juniors Football Club, Ross and Lennox, were among the pupils at Boys' Model to learn Makaton. Another Boys' Model pupil who performed was 17-year-old Carter Gibson. "We've been communicating in videos, doing Makaton and some of their teachers have come up to us," he said. "We've been rehearsing every Wednesday to practice for this concert." He said Makaton was "so unique". "It's something that me and none of the boys have ever done before, so it's been quite fun to learn. "Everyone's loving it, so they are", he added. The Boys' Model music teacher Sharon Baird said her pupils had learnt "singing in a different way". "We learnt the tunes and we had great fun actually putting it all together," she said. "They picked it up really quickly. "Particularly in the Avicii number where there's a little bit of freestyle dancing they really embraced that." Makaton symbols used on station information boards Makaton master with Down's syndrome lands dream job
