Transcript Slide 1

Kathy’s
Communication Guide
Using my book
The pages put in this book are
the ones that help me.
There are pictures you can talk
to me about.

There are ideas of ways to help
me understand.

There are descriptions of how I
tell you things.

Spend time with me
Get to know me
This book will help
1
Introducing me
2
What you need to know
and how to support it
3
Things Kathy likes to
talk about
4
Communication Charts
5
Communication Tools
6
Decision Making
7
Special Moments
contents
Introducing me


My name is Kathy Pemberton
I live in Leyland
I go to Melrose Drive Day
service

Change this
photo to a
picture of
the person
you support
Things
people like about me…..

Use this page to give some personal information about the
person you support. You only need to include the kind of
things that you would tell someone when you meet them for
the first time e.g. their name, what they do during the day
etc.
Do not put any information in the guide that you don’t want
other people to know.
Guidance: Some people like to use the ‘first person’
for example ‘my name is..’ or ‘I do this…’ . Be careful
if you use this when the person cannot agree. If you
do use the first person you may also want to change
the title’s of the sections e.g. Introducing Me
1
What you need
to know…
what you need to know about
Kathy’s communication...
Kathy has a cataract in her right eye.
Kathy wears hearing aids in both ears.
Kathy can only understand one or two key
words in a sentence.
I use hand signs to help me to
communicate and to understand
Information.
2
Use these pages to give the information that people really
need to know about a person’s communication needs. For
example about their hearing and eye sight, and their level
of understanding. This page has examples of using the
third and first person.
...and how to
support it
...how you can support it
don’t approach Kathy from her right side
Make sure Kathy is wearing her hearing
aids and that they are switched on before
you ask her or tell her something important.
keep your sentences short
know my signs and make sure that you have
my attention so that I can see you signing
when you talk to me.
What you need
to know…
what you need to know about
Kathy’s communication...
2
...and how to
support it
...how you can support it
Please understand
too, that…
Kathy may smile at you but not recognise who
you are.
Simple decisions or choices may be difficult.
Kathy may have difficulty working things out,
(problem solving) and following instructions.
It might be difficult for Kathy to understand
the consequences of what she does and to
learn from experience
•Kathy could have difficulty giving consent
because she may not understand or remember
the information.

Kathy may also need help to...
Understand how other people think, feel and
act (this can make friendships difficult).
Understand and manage her money.
Understand time and plan for the future
Understand changes especially when people
and places come and go in her life.

Think about these issues and include any
information you think might add to an
understanding of Kathy’s abilities to work
things out. (Delete this box)
Things Kathy
likes to talk about
People like
to talk about
the
important
people in
their lives.
These are my
friends David and
Robert. We meet
every Thursday at
the Gateway club
Show the pictures
to the person you
are supporting
whilst you are
talking.
To do this you
may need to make
the pictures quite
big so that they
can been seen
clearly.
3
This my dog. His
name is Graveson.
He is very fluffy
and loves water.
My favourite
football team is
Manchester
United
They may have a
special interest
like trains....
Sometimes
people like to
talk about the
things that they
do. Describe
the activities
that they do
and maybe who
supports them.
I like trampolining.
I go to the leisure
centre every
Tuesday.
Or they like to
talk about what
has been
happening in
their favourite
TV
programmes....
You can rotate the
picture round to fit
the page to make it
larger.
The person you
support may need
help to focus on
one picture. You
may find folding
the book back and
only showing one
picture at a time
helps .
Communication
When this is
happening…
4
Kathy does
this...
Kathy is being
asked to make
a choice or
answer a question.
For example
choosing her
clothes.
Kathy says ‘yes’ but
her facial
expression is cross
and her tone is
sharp.
In the evening
Kathy will take her
feet off her foot
stool, remove the
rug from her knee
and look in an
obvious way at the
clock.
Chart
we think that
it means...
and we
Should…
No. She doesn’t like
the item of clothing
you are showing
her, or the answer
to the question is
no.
Respect the answer
to the question is
no. Show her more
options when
She wants to get up
out of her chair and
go to bed.
Check with Kathy if
she wants to go to
bed, if so support
her (see Kathy’s
going to bed
routine).
choosing clothes.
Communication
When this is
happening…
Kathy does
this...
Chart
we think that
it means...
and we
Should…
Helping Kathy
To tell Kathy this...
That she is going swimming..
That there is going to be a change in her
routine..
to Understand
You can...
Show her the picture card of swimming
(see my communication tools).
Tell Kathy as soon as you find out and
explain to her that she hasn't done
anything wrong but for today you need to
make a change and why.
How do you know
Kathy is
Sad
Kathy goes quiet and spends a lot of time
in her room. She may talk about the moon
shining on her mother’s grave.
Happy
Kathy smiles and makes purring noises.
She also twiddles with some fabric.
In pain
Kathy will ask you if she needs a headache
tablet.
Bored
Kathy starts to scratch herself on her
arms with her fingernails.
Worried
Kathy will repeat the same question.
Angry
Kathy’s face turns red and she may start
screaming and banging her hands against
things like the table.
Hungry
Kathy starts rocking in her wheelchair and
makes repetitive humming noises.
If you know of anymore
communications relating to
the person’s emotions add
them to these pages. Add
more pages if necessary.
(Delete this box)
Communication
Tools
The person you support may use some
form of signing system to talk to
others. You could list the signs that they
use like this...
Later; extend the index finger on
your dominant signing hand and
point it away from you. Rest this
index hand against the flat of your
other hand and let your index hand
drop forward and down so that your
finger is pointing forward.
Pain; clawed like hand shape
shakes over painful area. Use
appropriate facial expressions
to help the person to
understand what you are
trying to say.
5
Tired; using your dominant
signing hand stretch out all of
your fingers. Have your palm
facing down and your thumb
resting against your chest. The
hand then arcs over so that the
palm is facing upwards at waist
height, shoulders slump
You can find out more about signing
systems at http://www.signalong.org
and http://www.makaton.org/
The person could use a
aid like this one, to
talk to people.
Communication aids
may only have a limited
vocabulary. It can also
take someone a little
time to use the aid to
talk. Use these pages
to give this kind of
information.
Or he/she could use
a picture system
like PECS. You can
learn more about
PECS at:
www.pecs.org.uk
This picture will
inform Kathy that she
is going out on the bus.
Use this picture to tell
Kathy she needs to put
on her coat.
This is the cup Kathy
uses at home. Use
this picture to ask her
if she wants a drink.
Kathy will sign for yes
or shake her head for
no.
The person you support may need
pictures or objects of reference to
help their understanding.
Use these pages to provide illustrated
guidelines on how to support clients to
use pictures and objects of reference
etc.
Show Kathy
the arm band
to tell her she
is going
swimming.
Interacting with Me
If the person you support is “hard to reach”
this is how you can start to engage with them
(please note that this will be individual for
each person).
Think about how you might approach the
person you support. Do they prefer to
approach you first?

Think about
where you should
sit or stand.

Some people are more responsive if you
sit or stand to the side of them.
Try copying their
actions and wait
to see how they
respond.

Make it fun!
You can find more about Intensive
Interaction at:
http://www.intensiveinteraction.co.uk/
Decision
Making Tools
You can stick
Velcro here to
attach
pictures to
help people
make choices.
Like this
picture for
horse
riding.
The person
could have
the choice
of either
horse riding
or
swimming
6
Idea: The person’s pictures should be kept with
guide. You could have separate storage pages
for pictures, or keep them in a plastic wallet in
the file.
If the person uses ‘Talking Mats’ to help with
decisions you could put the details here e.g.
 how to use them
the use photos or symbols
and which topics the client has
discussed before
You can find out more about ‘Talking Mats’ at:
http://www.talkingmats.com
Decision Making
When are the
best times to
ask me to make
a decision
When is not a
good time to
ask me to make
a decisions
How I like my
information
Early in the
day after
Breakfast
and my
tablets.
In the
Spoken is
evening as I
best.
am very tired
then.
Just before
doing an
activity.
Too long
In pictures
before e.g.
an activity (if
the activity
does not
Happen
straight away
I may get
confused)
Agreement
how to present choices
to me
how you can help me
understand
Use short
sentences.
Give me time to
process what you
have said to me and
check that I
understand.
Show me two
pictures
representing e.g.
the activities I can
choose to do.
Talk to me about
the pictures using
short sentences
and ask me to point
to the choice I
want.
Special Communication
Date
25/06/09
7
What happened?
Martin took a picture of
a cup from the Pecs
board and gave it to
Melanie and lead her to
the kitchen where she
made him a drink. Martin
was happy to get a drink.
Moments
What helped it work
well?
Melanie had been
showing Martin the
picture whenever she
made him a drink.
Who was I
with?
Martin was
with Melanie.
These page are for recording
breakthroughs from which we may learn
something new about a person’s
communication. You will probably be
handwriting this page.
Light bulb picture Copy write of Ian Britton found at
http://www.freefoto.com/preview/11-12-52?ffid=11-1252&k=Electric+Light+Bulb
The Lancashire
Communication Guide
For further information contact...
Speech and Language Therapy Dept
Learning Disabilities Services
Croston House
Lancashire Business Park
Centurion Way
Leyland
PR26 6TR
Tel: 01772 644130
Organisations represented in the production of this guide:
The Brothers of
Charity Services