Enhancing Communication Skills in Learning Disability Education

1. Promoting Participation through Communication Caroline Barden, Liz Dean andLuan Harrold Arden College

2. Between 50% and 90% of people with learning disabilities have communication difficulties • 80% of those with severe learning disabilities do not acquire spoken language Learning Disability and Communication Skills: the facts RCSLT2006

3. Learning Disability and Communication Skills: the facts cont • 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

4. 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 2001 • Bercow Report 2008 • Valuing People Now 2009 • RCSLT Position Paper on Adult Learning Disability (Forthcoming)

5. The full impact of a communication disorder • ‘Speaking’ • Listening and understanding • Literacy • Problem solving • Memory • Behaviour

6. The Imperative • for 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

7. Creating ‘Capable’ Environments (RCP, BPS, RCLST,2007; RCSLT forthcoming) • The challenge is to create teaching and learning environments • that are ‘fit for purpose’ to meet the needs of people with communication difficulties • Accessible and Inclusive • Supportive and Responsive • Empowered

8. The Central Question How can we adapt the educational situation in order to MINIMISE the effects of the communication disorder and MAXIMISE • learning • participation • independence

9. 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

10. Two Interdisciplinary Projects • Using Task Cards to promote Independence • Enabling Evaluation and Reflection

11. Using Task Cards to Promote IndependenceWORKSHOP 1

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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

15. Making a task card for your own environment WORKSHOP 2

16. Task Cards: the underlying rationale • Consistency • Promoting Independence • Recognising and Evaluating Achievements

17. Evaluation and Reflection WORKSHOP 3

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. The College Day Evaluation • Completed with teacher support • Completed in the last session they attend • Links with Arden College Photo pack

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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