The Middletown Centre for Autism Podcast

Eve McIvor-Makaton Master

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Non-speaking Awareness Day falls next week. On the podcast, we’re celebrating a young woman who is using Makaton to support young people who speak few or no words. Eve McIvor has Down Syndrome and is autistic. She’s also a Makaton Master bringing her passion for communication to young people in Northern Ireland.  

You can follow Eve’s work through her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552576340634

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Middletown Podcast. I'm Kat Hughes, I'm a researcher at Middletown and I'm also autistic. In this episode I chat to Eve McIver, a brilliant young woman who was trained as a Makaton master. Eve has Down Syndrome and is autistic, and she's working with St Mary's School in Derry and Foyle Down Syndrome Trust to support young people who speak fewer than a word to communicate through Makaton. Her passion for Makaton and supporting young people is so clear. I felt very lucky to get a chance to chat with her. I hope you enjoy our conversation, eve. Thank you so much for joining us on the podcast. The first thing I want to ask you is if you can explain exactly what Makaton is.

Speaker 1:

So Makaton is a type of sign language to help people with Down syndrome.

Speaker 2:

And how is it different to the sign language that people might know?

Speaker 1:

It's different to sign language, because sign language is only for deaf people and Makaton is only for Down syndrome and all business needs around the contract.

Speaker 2:

And when did you start learning it?

Speaker 1:

Whenever I was doing COVID and I just loved doing Makaton.

Speaker 2:

Amazing. So it's not that long really, and you've become a Makaton master. I know I'm a Makaton master Amazing. And what sort of training did you have to do?

Speaker 1:

I had to do online as well. I did like four levels. I did like level one, three and three and four, and then I became a Makaton master.

Speaker 2:

And so what is the? Can you explain the work that you do now as a Makaton master?

Speaker 1:

Yes, I do like science and I do music. I like doing music. It was my favourite music because I love doing music with Makaton.

Speaker 2:

Gorgeous. Do you work directly with young people or are you working with educators?

Speaker 1:

I've been working with young ones with Down syndrome and it's been amazing teaching young girls with Down syndrome that they can understand me with Makaton.

Speaker 2:

That's gorgeous, that's really, really lovely. And so what is the hardest thing that you find about working in sort of an education setting?

Speaker 1:

It was a bit hard because I was teaching in my own school called St Mary's College in Derry and we'd be doing like signs that I remember the signs that I've been doing, and then I've been doing music with the Macdonalds as well too.

Speaker 2:

And is it strange to be back in your, your school.

Speaker 1:

Definitely not. It's great to be back in St Mary's again and I've been there since I was like 11 12.

Speaker 2:

Amazing, so you know the place well I really do yeah they must be delighted to have you there doing it as well, I'd say they do.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, like they cannot believe that even my car was actually back in the building are they very supportive of you. They are yes.

Speaker 2:

What do you think is the the best thing about working in that sort of school setting?

Speaker 1:

I guess great to be back in St Mary's and I love work, I love doing marathon in St Mary's. Like it's been amazing, like been working hard with the science and all.

Speaker 2:

Brilliant and do you see? See a difference in the young people that you're working with?

Speaker 1:

It's actually different, like I don't really chase younger ones that much because I usually do music for everybody with them with the Mac Tom.

Speaker 2:

And I'm sure they love it.

Speaker 1:

And I was working with the younger ones at the Floyd Dyson Home Trust.

Speaker 2:

So you've got lots of different places where you're supporting I have yes, that's brilliant, well done. And then is there advice that you give to educators who are working with young people who might need sort of extra support around communication.

Speaker 1:

They probably do. Yes, because they probably find it hard to what's the word communication? It's very hard to communicate with young ones. If they need a marathon, they have to understand the marathon, if they need a marathon. It's very hard to communicate with signs and with music, like they, if they like. If they like, have your own verbal with special needs. They probably find it hard with their own Makaton and they have to understand them as well with Makaton.

Speaker 2:

I presume you must have seen a big change then in some of the young people that you've worked with if they were struggling with communication and then you bring Makaton to them, did you see?

Speaker 1:

that it made a big difference it did. I've been working with like four or I guess like three or four.

Speaker 2:

I've been teaching to younger ones with Down syndrome and then, is there any advice that you, if you could sort of look back in time now, knowing that you're a Makaton master and you're achieving so much and you're helping so many people, is there any advice that you'd give to your younger self?

Speaker 1:

like it's weird, like whenever, since I was a child, I never knew from the start, and then, whenever I did all the four courses online, I became a Makaton master and now I'm giving myself an advance, that I love Makaton, and it's great for the children to understand Makaton and it's great that they love Makaton and they have to communicate with me and I communicate with them with Makaton and I can teach my friends Makaton, because we all have Down syndrome as well too.

Speaker 2:

For anyone who's listening. Would you have any sort of advice on where they might go to learn more? Makaton, I know you have a Facebook page.

Speaker 1:

I do yes, Called Makaton of Eve.

Speaker 2:

And do you? Is there anything else that you would like people to know about Makaton or about you that we can add into the podcast?

Speaker 1:

I love being myself and I love Macatone and it's been my future since I was younger. I never, I never knew Macatone at the time, whenever I was born, and I didn't even know that I had Down syndrome and I thought it's gonna be a bit of a struggle but I like, I don't fucking like for myself. This is hard to have dry syndrome, but I feel like I'm a bit of autism as well. But because I stopped everything since COVID came and it was hard since COVID- yeah, yeah, it's been tricky, isn't it?

Speaker 2:

but, um, yeah, because I I'm autistic too, so I I love chatting to people who just sort of experience the world in a way that's a bit different to how other people do, and then showing the the fabulous, like strengths and gifts yeah, that we can bring.

Speaker 1:

I love your curly. I like your curly hair.

Speaker 2:

Thank you very much. It's a bit wild today, but, um, and I remember when I, when I was talking to you before, you were talking about how you don't judge any of the young people that you work with. Sure, you don't, so you don't necessarily know what's going on for them, but you just meet them as the person that they are.

Speaker 1:

I feel like like I have a couple of friends with special needs too and they are it's hard for them, like their parents are finding it hard to look after them and it's not easy. They look after us with all special needs, but for my special needs it's hard and sometimes I can be a bit of hard work and I know that I can be hard work sometimes and I love my parents so much because I'm really grateful for my parents, because they've been amazing and I love my three lovely brothers and I just love my family, especially my best friends as well. Like some of my friends knew Microton as well, so I'm teaching them to do Microton myself.

Speaker 2:

That's brilliant and, goodness, haven't your parents done a fantastic job as well? I'm sure they're very proud of you, and I think I think we can. Everyone in the world can be a bit difficult now and again. That's not just you.

Speaker 1:

We can all be difficult like I prefer, like the my my own opinions as well too, and I like to live on my own and, like for now, with the Makaton, I just want to keep up doing Makaton and just really work really hard and just do whatever. Like Makaton has been amazing and I love working with younger ones and I love working with the Fort Desolam Trust because they are like a family and they've been looking after us and we're going away now in September, the 30th, we're going off to Birmingham and they've been really grateful. Honestly, they're like a family. They look after us. They've been really grateful. Also, they're like a family. They look after us. They've just been amazing and I love all my friends and they're for a thousand and just, and the staff have been amazing too.

Speaker 1:

Like people with non-verbal, because we have staff. We have some children who's non-verbal and they find it hard, so I can see them. The staff will need to look after non-verbal verbal children as well, so they probably find it hard to look after, but I know how it feels because they have to do marathon with no verbal as well, because they can't talk as well so then you're, you're making the difference by supporting them as well.

Speaker 2:

So, and yes, and just being an amazing role model to those young people as well I'm sure they are, and you know they're, they're delighted to have you there and you're sometimes I feel emotional, sometimes when you really think about Makaton, that's cool I'm just so proud and how much I achieved, and especially working with being a St Mary's doing all the performances as well, too.

Speaker 1:

I've been performing choirs a St Mary's, doing all the performances as well. I've been performing choirs and St Mary's, and I cannot believe how this year is going to be madness, because I'm actually doing this podcast now and then I've stuff going on every day and I'm going to do the Panto in Aladdin this year for Christmas. Oh wow, that's amazing, and I'm going to everywhere I go. I just do Microtome.

Speaker 2:

Thanks so much for listening to the podcast. This is a conversation based interview designed to stimulate thinking and hopefully support the development of practice. It's not intended to be medical or psychological advice. The views expressed in these chats may not always be the view of practice. It's not intended to be medical or psychological advice. The views expressed in these chats may not always be the view of Middletown Centre. If you'd like to know more about Middletown, you can find us on X at Autism Centre and Facebook and Instagram at Middletown Centre for Autism. Go easy until next time.