Communication Skills Instruction Communication is a process of sharing information, sending or receiving information (Bolding & Wehmeyer, 1999). It can be verbal or non-verbal. What is said, what is not said, and how something is said, all effect the information received. Forms of communication vary extensively and include symbols, songs, lighting, sign-language, pictures, eye contact or lack of eye contact, body posture or movements, facial expressions, and gestures. Further, the situation in which we receive information may also influence what is communicated. Something communicated in a dimly lit room may have a different meaning than if communicated in a different setting. Effective communication skills provide a method of expressing needs, wants and desires (Anderson, Seaton, & Dinas, 1995) and are important skills for self-advocacy (Wehmeyer, Agran, Hughes, 1999). Being able to advocate for a specific job or specific job features (e.g., benefits, setting, responsibilities) could mean the difference between a good job and an unacceptable job. Self-advocacy in the work place can help provide a consumer with some of the skill necessary to identify job and career goals. The following materials will provide a brief overview of three types of communication skills: conversation skills, body language, and listening skills. This is not intended to be an exhaustive review but just a beginning. For additional suggestions on communication skills, the reader is encouraged to look at some of the web links or references at the end of the document. A facilitator might assist the consumer in examining communications skills and how they might be made more effective. Step 1: Conversation skills Effective communication skills can be important components of effective self-advocacy efforts (Wehmeyer, Agran, & Hughes, 1999). Communication skills include:

• Knowing when to respond to a statement or question with a relevant statement or answer,

• Knowing when to initiate a conversation, • Understanding how to take turns in a conversation, • Showing interest in others conversations with appropriate body language

(e.g., eye-contact, head nods) and interspersing brief support statements (e.g., yes, right, okay), and

• Using appropriate paralinguistic characteristics (e.g., volume of speech intonation, inflection, and voice firmness).

Helping a consumer improve their conversation skills should include a review of potential problems in conversations. Ineffective or problem conversation skills include:

Self-determined Career Development Model: Employment Support

• Failing to respond to a question or statement from a conversation partner, • Responding to questions or statements with short or abrupt responses, • Interrupting another speaker frequently, • Responding to a question with a change in topic, • Responding in a manner that makes fun of or belittles a conversation

partner, and • Mumbling or unintelligible responses.

Conversational skills can be learned using social skills training and role-play exercises (Wehmeyer, Agran, & Hughes, 1999). Step 2: Consider body language Wehmeyer, Agran, & Hughes (1999) provide a short summary of basic nonverbal communication skills. Consider how eye-contact, facial expressions, gestures and body movements all influence communication. Each will be summarized below. Eye-contact (Banbury & Hebert, 1992) can reflect many things. Eye-contact that is:

• Frequent indicates approval or acceptance, • Averting, squinting, or glaring may mean disapproval, and • Avoided or when the person is staring off into space can indicate

indifference. Facial expressions communicate emotions and might include:

• A smile of approval or happiness, • A frown of disapproval or unhappiness, and • A scowl of anger with clenched teeth and tightly closed teeth.

Body gestures or movements can be used to augment verbal communications. Gestures that are frequently seen and familiar include:

• A head nod that indicates approval; • Body orientation towards a speaker that shows interest in a conversation; • Shaking the head from side-to-side, folded arms, and physical distance all

express disapproval or an unwillingness to consider alternatives; • Pointing or shaking a finger at someone, thrusting out one’s chin, clinching

a fist can indicate aggression; and • Tapping feet or fingers and leaning away from a speaker suggests

indifference or boredom. While there are many more subtle and not so subtle gestures and expressions, these expressions are all familiar. Look at whether body language and words are consistent in meaning. Conflicts between words and body language could lead to confusion. Body language can also be used to emphasize verbal language.

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Self-determined Career Development Model: Employment Support

Step 3: Listening skills Listening skills are another important component of effective communication skills. Consumers may need assistance in identifying auditory communication and then understanding the meaning. Weymeyer, Agran, and Hughes (1999) provide a strategy that can be employed to enhance listening skills. This includes:

1. Looking at the speaker so that the speaker knows you are interested and listening,

2. Asking questions to clarify or confirm meaning, 3. Not Interrupting the speaker, and 4. Taking notes to remember what was said.

Step 4: Practice effective communication Since every situation is different and there are so many ways to communicate, it is important that people get the chance to practice effective communication skills. Some ways to practice are:

• Role-play the various ways of communicating. This consists of identifying a problem, acting out a potential solution, and discussing the solution that was presented.

• Observe a mentor communicating in a variety of situations and settings. • Share experiences in communication, noting the reactions to what was

said or shown. • Video-tape an interaction and evaluate the interactions with a checklist or

rating sheet. Consider evaluating the interaction with and without an audio component and looking at the congruence between verbal language and body language.

• Examine body language in photographs and discuss what interpersonal and personal relationships are reflected.

Effective communication will enhance every aspect of a consumer’s career development including job attainment (e.g., advocating for a specific job during the interview process), job maintenance (e.g., requesting an increase in pay based upon a job well done), and job promotion (e.g., demonstrating and stating relevant skills).

Web Resources

Cross-cultural Communication Strategies. (1998). Retrieved July 30, 2004 from The University of Colorado, Conflict Research Consortium, International OnlineTraining Program on Intractable Conflict Website: http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/treatment/xcolcomm.htm

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Self-determined Career Development Model: Employment Support

Cybercil: Independent Living Center on the World Wide Web. (n.d.). Communication: Styles & methods. Retrieved July 16, 2004 from http://www.cybercil.com/skills/comstyles.html

Cybercil: Independent Living Center on the World Wide Web. (n.d.). Communication skills. Retrieved July 17, 2004 from http://www.cybercil.com/skills/com.html

Cybercil: Independent Living Center on the World Wide Web. (n.d.).

Hearing/listening, - The other side of communication. Retrieved July 16, 2004 from http://www.cybercil.com/skills/listen.html

Superfund Community Involvement Toolkit. (February 20, 2004). Communication

Strategies. Retrieved July 30, 2004 from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/tools/pdfs/3comstrats.pdf

Walters, J, S. 2004. Workplace communication essentials. In The CEO refresher: brain food for business. Retrieved July 19, 2004 from http://www.refresher.com/!jswessentials.html

References Anderson, E. L., Dinas, P., & Seaton, K. (1995, September). Communication. In

Fostering self-determination: A guide for educators. (pp. 7-8). Lawrence, KS: Full Citizenship, Inc.

Banbury, M. M., & Hebert, C. R. (1992). Do you see what I mean? Body

language in classroom interactions. Teaching Exceptional Children, 25, 34-38.

Bolding, N. L., & Wehmeyer, M. L. (1999). Communicating effectively. In It's my future! Planning for what I want in my life: A self-directed planning process. Silver Spring, MD: The Arc of the United States.

Sands, D. J., & Wehmeyer, M. L. (1996). Self-determination across the life span:

Independence and choice for people with disabilities. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Wehmeyer, M. L., Agran, M., Hughes, C. (1999). Teaching assertiveness and

effective communication skills. In M. Wehmeyer, M. Agran & C. Hughes (Eds.), Teaching self-determination to students with disabilities: Basic skills for successful transition. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

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