promoting participation through communication caroline barden, liz dean and luan harrold arden...
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About 60% of people with learning disabilities have some skills in symbolic communication such as speech, signs or symbols/pictures Around 20% have no verbal communication skills Up to 20% have no intentional communication skills Learning Disability and Communication Skills: the facts contTRANSCRIPT
Promoting Participation through Communication
Caroline Barden, Liz Dean and Luan
Harrold
Arden College
Learning Disability and Communication Skills: the
facts Between 50% and 90% of people with learning
disabilities have communication
difficulties
80% of those with severe learning disabilities do
not acquire spoken languageRCSLT 2006
About 60% of people with learning disabilities have some skills in symbolic communication such as speech, signs or symbols/pictures
Around 20% have no verbal communication skills
Up to 20% have no intentional communication skills
Learning Disability and Communication Skills: the facts cont
Communication Disability -> Exclusion All key strategic drivers across the UK cite
communication disorder as a reason that people with learning disability can be socially excluded or marginalised from mainstream services
Work and Education are recognised as key areas
Valuing People 2001Bercow Report 2008Valuing People Now 2009 RCSLT Position Paper on Adult Learning Disability
(Forthcoming)
The full impact of a communication disorder
The Imperativefor the Communication Team and the SLT is to work within a social model of learning disability to maximise
• the communication skills of the individual
•the communication skills of communication partners
•the wider communication environment within the College
Creating ‘Capable’ Environments
(RCP, BPS, RCLST,2007; RCSLT forthcoming)The challenge is to create teaching and learning environmentsthat are ‘fit for purpose’ to meet the needs of people with communication difficulties
Accessible and Inclusive
Supportive and Responsive
Empowered
•
The Central QuestionHow can we adapt the educational situation in order to
MINIMISE the effects of the communication disorderand MAXIMISE learning
participation
independence
Examples presentedFocus on
Learners who
•have limited spoken language skills•have intentional communication skills •can recognise 2 dimensional visual cues •have difficulty completing written work sheets •can select symbols by hand, or eye, pointing
Two Interdisciplinary Projects
Using Task Cards to promote Independence
Enabling Evaluation and Reflection
Using Task Cards to Promote Independence
WORKSHOP 1
Characteristics of Task Cards
•Accessible and Inclusive format
•For individual use, or to use by all across the college
• Additionally the cards may have the following: - Sign prompts - Photographs - Evaluation and assessment sheets
Who will find the cards useful?
An individual who is learning a new task
finds it difficult to remember how to do a task.
knows how to do the task, but needs help with sequencing each step.
Staff so that they can support a learner in a
consistent way.
Transferable skills
Learners will develop their organisational skills by approaching a
task in an ordered and organised way
develop the skill of following step by step instructions
Making a task card for your own environment
WORKSHOP 2
Task Cards: the underlying rationale
Consistency
Promoting Independence
Recognising and Evaluating Achievements
Evaluation and Reflection
WORKSHOP 3
Enabling Evaluation And Reflection
If learners are to be empowered through the Capable Environment they need to be offered opportunities to
Reflect on their learning and achievement
Express their opinions
Make choices
Talking about the College Experience
Project 2008
Reflecting and evaluating the assessment for prospective students at Arden College
The Residential Questionnaire
The College Day Evaluation
The Residential Questionnaire
• Completed at the end of the assessment visit
• Completion supported by residential staff
• Covers essential areas (linked to CSCI inspection framework)
• food,• room • staff• peers
The Residential Questionnaire cont
• Links with the ‘Welcome to Unit’ booklet which has photos to aid recall and inform choice making
• Uses photos of staff, peers etc to enable choice making
• Can be completed in symbols or writing
• If symbols are used they can be accessed using pointing, eye pointing, touching
The College Day Evaluation
• Completed with teacher support
• Completed in the last session they attend
• Links with Arden College Photo pack
•
The College Day Evaluation cont
• Empowering participation in planning the personal timetable
– allowing choice of vocational area
– planning for sessions and accreditation that complement chosen vocational area
Work in progress• Evaluations are continually evolving
• The range of answer ‘options’ is continually evaluated and revised
• Evaluations link with the accessible Welcome to Arden College/Unit booklets sent to new students
Background References
Department of Health. London. (2001) Valuing People
Bercow J. (2008) Review of services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs. Dept Children, Schools and Families. London
Department of Health. London. (2009) Valuing People Now
Royal College of Psychiatrists, British Psychological Society and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists 2007 Challenging Behaviour: A Unified Approach
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (2003) Speech and Language Therapy Provision for Adults with Learning Disabilities
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (2006) Communication Quality 3. Guidance on best practice
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (forthcoming) ALD Position Paper