York Hob Moor - Macauley and the Rats

We came to the exhibition with our class. We were able to bring 6 adults for the 8 children in the class because we had some students to help us. The children had a great time and, because it was on our doorstep (in the same building) we tended to drop in whenever we could.

Eleanor had really enjoyed playing in the straw. She is a good friend of Macauley and decided to get him involved with the straw too. She puts some on his head, hides his face with it, then draws it back and they laugh. It's a game of peek-a-boo. Eventually Eleanor and Maureen clear all the rats and straw away from Macauley. They seem to miss the one on his right shoulder. Macauley looks directly at the camera-person and then "eye-points" to the rat and repeats. Unfortunately the camera-person doesn't understand and so Macauley needs to look around for another person to ask.

Macauley is very proficient at 'eye-pointing'. Hopefully he'll soon have another communication system that will give him more flexibility. He doesn't appear perturbed by the fact that the camera-person doesn't understand him. He seems to be having a nice time anyway.

Macauley is very patient when he realises he's not been understood. It's not always easy to catch all that Macauley and his classmates are telling us. Sometimes this frustrates us all.

Macauley is a bright boy. He takes in what is said and we think he'll really take off when he's got a communication device to suit him.

It would be good to show Macauley this footage so he can tell us a little about what it's like to not be understood.