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INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA LEARNING FOR CHILDREN WITH COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES USING THE MAKATON METHOD

The Makaton Vocabulary Development Project is a widely used communication system designed for individuals with speech and communication disabilities. It enables educators to teach students how to communicate alternatively through selection and combination of visual representations, symbols, words, gestures and sounds. Our analysis has indicated various difficulties that arise in the manual application of the above system, as customisation to individual student-needs is needed, presenting a complex and time-consuming task for the educator. This paper presents the development of a novel communication environment that permits students to use the Makaton method through an open media-rich, adaptable easily extendable interactive multimedia application. The environment is tested in two focus groups and the results and observations are discussed. The method of knowledge-base extension is presented, targeting the development of an internet-based virtual learning environment for special needs.