I am so grateful to them for acknowledging and accepting we are all different and for them learning how to sign. With just a few basic signs they were able to ask her how she was, was she having a good day, did she like Peter Rabbit and sign back. Alton Towers have just opened up doors and made a good day even better with the help from Makaton Tutor Amanda Glennon. So, to watch her have a conversation with the staff is amazing and well for Bella it's everything.
People will ask me what's she saying? As they struggle to understand her. Bella was born with Down Syndrome and has global development delay. My daughter is a Makaton user and uses sign to communicate. Something that I have never considered planning into the day before as nowhere else has offered this to us before! Unbelievable isn't it! But what makes Alton Towers even more special is that the staff can communicate with my daughter. Well, I found it Alton Towers! Not only does it entertain from very young ages but through to emerging dare devil's and those crazy thrill seekers! I can finally relax here and go at our own pace, because it is that diverse you can pick and choose exactly what you want your day to look like and let's face it any parent/carer with children /adults with additional needs to be able to retreat at some point in the day. So, with all this to plan in the trip all I have to do is find an inclusive venue to entertain ALL the family that ticks all the right boxes. I've had to walk out of many a place before today as so many triggers have caused a meltdown. Will it have loud music playing, will I be able to manoeuvre around the tables, will the queue be too long when ordering. What's available, hot/cold, whether we can eat inside or have to sit outside. Her hands clasp over her ears like she's in pain and she cries. The majority of places don't even think about this, but I can tell you from experience my daughter could be desperate for the toilet but if she hears the new powerful loud hand dryers before we've even stepped into it she cannot even enter the room. There needs to be plenty of room, just the right lighting, changing facilities and appropriate hand dryers. Also trying to find a venue with plenty of accessible toilets can also be the deciding factor whether you go or not. So parking as close as you can from moving vehicles just to keep your children safe is a big factor especially if they have no understanding of danger.
Will there be disabled bays? Even trying to navigate through a car park safely can be stressful, with bags, a disability pushchair, excited children to control. Thing I have to think about even before I've left the house include things like Parking. Most families just take into account what will make everyone happy and if you have children of different ages this can be very difficult even at the best of times. Planning a day out for the family can be very daunting at times even for families who don’t have to factor in a child with additional needs.
How important is Makaton as part of your family day out? Claire, Brooklyn and Bella share their day at Alton Towers – March 2022