Positive Communication Skills in a Learning Disability Context

Communication between all people is very complex; miscommunication leading to misunderstandings, confusion and indeed conflict. The potential for this is exacerbated when the issue of Learning Disabilities is pitched in. There is a particular challenge when working with people with communication needs to ensure that they get the highest quality of Person Centred support.

This one day course aims to help learners understand the complexity of communication in this context and guide them through the key concepts that underpin more effective and respectful communication.

The course covers the section of the Learning Disability Knowledge Set of the same name and includes:

• The range and diversity of communication
• Effective communication
• Supporting communication between individuals , other people and services
• The link between poor communication and behaviour that challenges
• Outside factors affecting communication

The course certificate evidences achieved learning for those who wish to achieve accredited Awards.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course learners should be able to understand:

• What ‘communication’ means in all its forms
• The different ways in which people communicate
• How legislation, policy and Good Practice affects the workers role in relation to communication
• What poor communication may lead to and why
• The barriers to communication with people with Learning Disabilities
• How these barriers can be overcome: What are the motivators?
• Verbal communication ; how we may need to adapt to meet communication needs
• The need to understand the preferred communication of the individual
• How we utilise nonverbal communication and what are the forms
• How to ‘read’ nonverbal communication ; clues
• Communicating through touch ; the advantages and dangers
• Other communication methods; to include the written word, pictures etc.
• Know what is ‘easy read’ information and the styles and resources available
• Respectful communication; attitudes that enable or disable
• How positive communication can be used to help calm and dissipate arousal which can lead to behaviour that challenges others
• How to support the person communicating their needs to others and others to communicate with the person
• The different styles that the worker would adopt when supporting the person in different contexts
• The importance of listening
• What is meant by active listening and the skills that apply
• How empathic reflective listening is effective
• What other techniques could be utilised to assist in communication

Training methods:

• Tutor presentations
• OHP/PowerPoint
• Chalk & talk
• Handouts
• Warm-ups
• Group work
• Feedback
• Word shower
• Role play

CP188/5.9