Communication Related Disabilities

Communication disabilities can affect peoples’ ability to receive, send, process, and understand verbal and other communication.

All people with disabilities are able to communicate. Working with people with communication disabilities requires different techniques to understand how they process language and express themselves.

Some people with disabilities need assistive technology to support communication and may have other disabilities such as Down syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, or Cerebral Palsy. Communication aids can include:

Plain paper tablet or whiteboards to write on.

Picture boards or notebooks of food, people, activities, clothing, and places.

Word boards containing frequently used words.

An electronic communication device that allows the person to use voiced communication.

Other people with disabilities communicate by using basic sign language, pointing to letters, or by using gestures, facial expressions, or sometimes vocalizations. It can be like speaking a different language and you may need to work with someone who speaks the person’s particular language. The more you interact with someone with a communication/speech/language disability, the better you will be able to understand them.

People with speech-related disabilities may not have strong social skills and may not know how to act or respond in many situations.

Stuttering is not related to anxiety, guilt, or low intellect. People with communication disabilities who stutter will do so whether they are nervous or not. However, people with Tourette’s syndrome often do experience increased vocal tics due to anxiety. These involuntary tics may include offensive language.

For some people with communication disabilities their speech may become more slurred when they are tired or stressed.

Read your facial expressions.

Use their own facial expression and body language to convey what they are feeling or trying to say.

Modulate their volume very well.

Understand what is being said.

Push past your fears that you are going to do or say something wrong. People with communication disabilities will respond better to you simply because you made the effort.

Talk directly to people with disabilities and not to another individual. Speak normally.

Don’t pretend to understand if you do not. The person will know, and it will erode trust.

Let people know that they can take their time to explain, and that you can wait.

The calmer and less stressful the setting, the more likely a person will be able to communicate. Model calmness by taking a deep breath and slowing down.

Find out how the person’s disability affects their ability to communicate and understand what you say. Unless the person with disabilities requires an interpreter, do not let someone else speak for them.

Never take away access to a communication device, and refrain from completing a person’s sentence or interrupting them.

Take time to become familiar with the person’s speech patterns. If you are not able to understand, consider calling in a speech therapist, or interpreter.

If the person with disabilities uses a communication device, check that it has the language or pictures necessary to disclose abuse. Ask the speech therapist, care attendant or other safe person in their life to program in words for body parts and for abuse – kicking, hitting, choking….

Wait after asking a question. It may take the person some time to reply. Also, wait at least 6-10 seconds after they stop talking in case they have more to say.

Use more than yes/no questions whenever possible, even if it takes longer to communicate.

If people with disabilities are only able to answer yes or no, have these tools:

A yes and no sign. For someone who does not read, use a stop sign or a red stop light (no) and green light (yes) sign.

Notepad, computer, a basic picture board, or letters and numbers.

If a person with a disability cannot point to a yes or no, ask them to tap a pencil, give thumbs up, or nod their head if the answer is yes.

Explain what you are going to do and do it one step at a time.

If you are having trouble understanding, try these tips:

Wait. It can take a while for you to understand what a person is saying.

Listen to the whole sentence or phrase. Let the context help you.

Repeat what you thought they said and ask them if it is correct.

Ask the person to rephrase what they said with different words.

Say everything you understood and ask the person to try and help you understand the rest.

If the person can spell, ask them to spell it for you, or write it down.

Relay Texas offers speech-to-speech translation over the phone for people with speech disabilities. A specially trained operator can repeat everything that is said by people with disabilities, or just the parts that are not understood. You can either call 711 or 877.826.6608 (Speech-to-Speech/Voice Carry-Over). Calls are answered first come first served.

You may also request an interpreter for people with speech disabilities through some sign language interpreter services.

If the person you are working with has difficulty understanding what people are saying:

Use short sentences.

Share one thought at a time.

Allow for long silences. Clarify what the person with disabilities said.

Pay attention to the person’s body language, eye contact, and other cues that they may not understand.

Stop and ask the person if they understand. Say: I want to make sure we understand each other. Can you explain what we’re doing next?

When people with communication related disabilities are distressed, they may show increased frustration, or they may go into a state of freeze/shut down and not respond at all. Distress can impact a speech related disability. As symptoms worsen, internal frustration may present or look like anger and/or belligerence. When you see these signs of distress, offer a break.

Calm your emotions before interacting with people with disabilities so that you do not further escalate the situation. Take a deep breath and slow down.

Say: Can you show me with a drawing, or “are there are other ways for you to tell me what happened?”

Let the person know they can take time to explain, and that you can wait. Say: I am here when you are ready to share.

If they are settling down, gently ask a neutral question. Do you need water? Is this where you would like to sit?

Rebuild rapport before moving to difficult questions.

Ask the person if they need some time to be quiet rather than continuing to ask questions they don’t answer.

If possible, wait out the negative behavior. It can sometimes help to just let them work through the distress. Say: I see you are upset. I’m here to help when you are ready.