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.

This book will help

Spend time with me

Get to know me

Decision Making

Introducing me

What you need to know and how to support itThings Kathy likes to talk about

Communication Charts

Communication Tools

1

2

3

4

56

7 Special Moments

contents

Introducing me

1

My name is Kathy Pemberton I live in Leyland

I go to Melrose Drive Day service

Things people like about me…..

Change this photo to a picture of the person you support 

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

What you need to know…

2

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 keywords in a sentence.

I use hand signs to help me to communicate and to understand Information.

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 havemy attention so that I can see you signingwhen you talk to me.

What you need to know…

2

what you need to know about Kathy’s

communication...

...and how to support it

...how you can support it

 

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 futureUnderstand changes especially when people and places come and go in her life.

Please understand too,

that…

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)

3

Things Kathy likes to talk

about People like to talk about the important people in their lives.

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.

These are my friends David and Robert. We meet every Thursday at the Gateway club

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.

Or they like to talk about what has been happening in their favourite TV programmes....

I like trampolining. I go to the leisure centre every Tuesday.

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 .

4

Communication

When this is

happening…

Kathy does this...

 

In the evening

 

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. 

Kathy will take her feet off her foot stool, remove the rug from her knee and look in an obvious way at the clock. 

Chartwe think that it means...

and we Should…

No. She doesn’t likethe item of clothingyou are showingher, or the answerto the question is no. 

Respect the answerto the question isno. Show her moreoptions when

choosing clothes.

 She wants to get upout of her chair andgo to bed. 

Check with Kathy ifshe wants to go tobed, if so supporther (see Kathy’sgoing to bedroutine).

Communication

When this is

happening…

Kathy does this...

Chartwe 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 andexplain to her that she hasn't doneanything 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.

HappyKathy smiles and makes purring noises.

She also twiddles with some fabric.

In painKathy will ask you if she needs a

headachetablet.

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

startscreaming and banging her hands

againstthings 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)

5

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. 

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

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

You can find out more about signing systems at http://www.signalong.org

and http://www.makaton.org/

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.

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.

Interacting with Me

You can find more about Intensive Interaction at:

http://www.intensiveinteraction.co.uk/

Try copying their actions and wait to see how they respond.

Make it fun!

6

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

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 themthe use photos or symbolsand which topics the client has

discussed beforeYou 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 theday afterBreakfastand mytablets.

In theevening as I am very tiredthen.

 

Spoken isbest. 

Just beforedoing anactivity.

 

Too longbefore e.g.an activity (if the activitydoes notHappenstraight awayI may getconfused) 

In pictures

 

Agreementhow to present choices to me

how you can help me understand

 Use shortsentences.

 

 Give me time to process what you have said to me andcheck that Iunderstand.

Show me twopictures representing e.g. the activities I canchoose to do. 

Talk to me about the pictures usingshort sentencesand ask me to pointto the choice Iwant.

 

Special

Communication

7

Date What happened?

25/06/09

 Martin took a picture ofa cup from the Pecsboard and gave it toMelanie and lead her tothe kitchen where shemade him a drink. Martinwas happy to get a drink.

 

Light bulb picture Copy write of Ian Britton found at http://www.freefoto.com/preview/11-12-52?ffid=11-12-52&k=Electric+Light+Bulb

Moments

What helped it work well?

Who was I with?

Melanie had been showing Martin the picture whenever she made him a drink.

 

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.

Speech and Language Therapy Dept

Learning Disabilities ServicesCroston House

Lancashire Business ParkCenturion Way

LeylandPR26 6TR

Tel: 01772 644130

Organisations represented in the production of this guide:

For further information contact...

The Lancashire Communication Guide

The Brothers of Charity Services