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Key Word Sign Australia

Key Word Sign Australia is located in the Special Education Centre at the University of Newcastle, NSW. Key Word Sign Australia acts as the co-ordinating body for  Key Word Sign activities throughout Australia.  The aims of Key Word Sign Australia are :

• To promote and develop the use of key word signing throughout Australia, for the benefit of people with communication difficulties.
• To support a state network of Key Word Sign Representatives.
• To ensure a high standard of training of Key Word Sign Presenters.
• To up-date and develop new  key word signing resources appropriate to Australia.
• To provide for the sale and distribution of Key Word Sign resources across Australia.
• To be a source of information on all maters relating to key word signing in Australia.

Key Word Sign Australia was formerly known as Makaton Australia.  The Makaton Vocabulary was developed in England by Margaret Walker in the early 1970’s.  The Makaton Program was introduced to Australia by Anne Cooney in 1977 and first used at the Stockton Hospital (Newcastle, NSW).  In 1984 Margaret Walker visited Australia and helped organise Makaton Australia and Makaton state branches.  In 2010, Makaton Australia was renamed Key Word Sign Australia.   Key Word Sign Australia continues to support children and adults with communication and language difficulties and continues to provide quality resources to families, carers and professionals.