{"id":2752,"date":"2021-02-24T19:30:55","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T19:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disabilityawareness.training\/?p=2752"},"modified":"2021-02-24T19:30:55","modified_gmt":"2021-02-24T19:30:55","slug":"5-tips-for-chatting-with-a-person-who-has-a-communication-impairment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.krackeddigital.co.uk\/?p=2752","title":{"rendered":"5 tips for chatting with a person who has a communication impairment"},"content":{"rendered":"

First of all, give yourself a break, it is not rude if you don\u2019t understand someone with a communication impairment. Don\u2019t put yourself under pressure as this makes it harder to understand, and the conversation may become stressed and awkward.<\/h4>\n

It is really important to treat the person you\u2019re talking to with respect and to give them your full attention. We all like to be treated kindly and those with communication impairments are no different.<\/p>\n

1. FOCUS ON YOUR CONVERSATION<\/h5>\n

Look at each other and make eye contact. Remember that communication is more than just speech. Body language, facial expression, gestures, the written word, pictures, and technology are all there to help us to understand each other.<\/p>\n

\"communication<\/p>\n

2. PATIENCE IS CRUCIAL<\/h5>\n

Try not to get frustrated, don\u2019t roll your eyes, don\u2019t sigh, as that is rude!<\/p>\n

\u2022 Avoid hurrying the speaker
\n\u2022 Always let them finish speaking and do not interrupt or finish their sentence for them.
\n\u2022 Don\u2019t patronise them by offering instructions like telling them to slow down or have a glass of water.
\n\u2022 Remember that you are talking to an adult who has a communication impairment, not a problem with their intelligence.<\/p>\n

3. SAY IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND<\/h5>\n

The nodding dog (nodding and hoping for the best) while good intentioned, just isn\u2019t helpful. It leaves you in the dark and it leaves the person communicating feeling unheard and perhaps disrespected. Similarly, if you think you have understood but you are not sure; just check it out with them.<\/p>\n

4. AVOID CONTINUALLY ASKING THEM TO REPEAT THINGS<\/h5>\n

\u2022 Continued repetition isn\u2019t helpful. If you cannot hear the first and third time, you are unlikely to understand the fourth or sixth time. This can be frustrating for both talker and listener.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Instead, consider asking closed questions that they can answer with a short answer or gesture.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Failing this, offer a pen or paper, or technology, and ask them if they are able to write it down.<\/p>\n

\u2022 When it is your turn to speak; talk at a normal volume. Do not assume you have to speak slowly.<\/p>\n

5. CONSIDER THE LOCATION<\/h5>\n

Remember to consider the environment. A busy, noisy room or one with lots of distractions will make communication trickier. If possible, ask if they would like to move to a quieter location, or at least away from overhead speakers. If you are planning ahead consider this when you make your arrangements.<\/p>\n

Stay Connected<\/h5>\n

If you\u2019d like more information about communication impairments or other disabilities, follow us on Twitter @EnhanceTheUK<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For more practical tips please contact us<\/a> directly to enquire about our services.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2754,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,56],"tags":[58,74,132,89,68,125],"class_list":["post-2752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-tips","category-uncategorised","tag-accessible-recruitment","tag-communication-impairment","tag-communication-tips","tag-disability-awareness","tag-disabled","tag-disabled-people-and-the-workforce"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.krackeddigital.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.krackeddigital.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.krackeddigital.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.krackeddigital.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.krackeddigital.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2752"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging.krackeddigital.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2752\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.krackeddigital.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.krackeddigital.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.krackeddigital.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.krackeddigital.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}