Disability and Interpersonal communication skills †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Disability and Interpersonal communication skills. Answer: Introduction This study is focussed in understanding and locating the nature of impediments and issues concerning the disabled people. It also attempts to understand the disabled community, the effective communication skills, an assessment of the communication skills adopted during the course of interaction with the disabled people and finally the documentation of the networks and resources available for the disabled people. Barriers in communication The nature of communication barriers varies according to the nature of disability of the concerned person. For example, for children with partial blindness reading small prints and the unavailability of no large prints version of materials in schools is one of the major hurdles (Shields Synnot, 2016). Another issue is the unavailability of Braille or versions for people who may use screen readers. In case of people with hearing impairments, accessing auditory messages like video that do not use captioning or oral communication that do not employ a manual interpreter pose the major problem. Using technical language, jargons and words with long syllables and speaking at a faster speed without repeating the sentences can be cumbersome for the understanding of people with cognitive impairments. People with intellectual or learning disabilities have variance in understanding as a result, of which pictorial representation become important tools in communicating the message or the content to them (Boardman, Bernal Hollins, 2014). Patients of autism and high-functioning learning disabilities do not develop language and have an IQ outside range are prone to higher-level of language difficulties. People with cerebral palsy often have dysarthria that leads to conditions that may range from speech intelligibility issues to unrecognisable speech. People with non-verbal learning disabilities face difficulty related to non-verbal memory, spatial relations, mathematics, concentration and They also find it difficult to express their feelings and are afflicted with poor interpersonal abilities (Griffiths Smith, 2016). Disability and effective communication skills The chosen client group for the study are disabled people. The term disability refers to physical restrictions and limitations faced by an individual due to bodily impairments of cognitive impairments. According to WHO, barriers in the lives of disabled people are beyond the physical barriers. It includes environmental barriers where the physical environment is not accessible or there is an absence of adequate assistive technology (like adaptive, assistive and rehabilitative devices), negative view about people with disability and services and policies that are nonexistent that impede the involvement of people with health problems in all spheres of life (Who we are, 2018). It is important to be creative and industrious while dealing with people with disability. Another key aspect for acing effective communication skills is patience, flexibility and highly developed communication skills. It can be stressful to get across a message to the disabled people and hence, a great deal of self-awareness combined with patience is pertinent. There will be situations where being assertive should also be important. Being observant and being able to determine the best strategy for effective action is also a skill that one needs to master during such communication (Shilling et al., 2015). On a day-to-day basis, it is imperative to make use of broad range of skills being a good listener is also mandatory. Having an astute judgement, taking quick decisions and offering good advice are also a set of skills required for the interaction. In order to establish communication with someone with learning disability, it is important to employ all the communication tools. Secondl y, it is important to follow the lead of the person one is communicating with and to go with the flow of the conversation. It is important to use accessible language and avoid jargons that might pose difficulty in understanding. Evaluation of processes and practises in effective communication Individuals with disability can range from intellectual disability to physical impairments. While dealing with people with physical impairments. While dealing with people experiencing intellectual disability, facial expressions are used to ensure effective communication (Brady et al., 2012). It is found that short, crisp and simple language is used for communicating with people with intellectual disability. It is strictly advised to not to use jargons and allow the people their own time in processing the information. There is an emphasis on paying attention to the body language of the disabled people. Apart from the body language, an act of warmth and respect towards the persons with disabilities is also suggested compared to other patients. Individuals with intellectual disabilities may take longer time to respond or may be slower to process the information. Hence, clinicians are trained to adjust to such conditions, rephrase the questions and mitigate information overload for the p ersons (Hagan Thompson, 2014). There is also an emphasis on the clinicians to know beforehand how the patient would prefer to communicate. In addition to all the above mentioned skills it is important to understand the different lifeworld of people with disabilities---their social location of racial identity, class position, gender, sexual orientation and ethnic identity that will enable a clinician to engage in better communication skills. Resources and networks for the disabled community In Australia, some noteworthy groups are diligently working towards the cause of the disabled people. Some of these networks and advocacy groups are as follows: ADEC (Action on Disability with Ethnic Communities) - This organization is committed towards providing assistance to people from diverse background with disability and also carers and the family. Association for children with a disability- The vision of this organization is to provide free information, training and support link to service profile. The Disability Advocacy Resource Unit- The aim of this organization to provide a list of disability advocacy networks based on geographical location. DisAbility Connections- This is a network that comprises more than 1000 disabled people and their families. Women with Disabilities Victoria- This group is concerned with women disabled individuals. Apart from these, there are self-advocacy groups, organizations specifically working for visually impaired people, hearing impairments, learning disability, Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and mental health issues. Organizations, advocacy groups and networks like Down Syndrome Victoria, SPELD Australia and Dyslexia Australia are present to provide training and special education to people with difficulties. The Australian Network on Disability, a reputed organization is a national level, member-based organization, the principle of which is to assist other organizations in creating inclusive workplace for disabled people (Disabilities, 2018). Conclusion Therefore, it can be understood that the key to effective communication skills lies in identifying the special needs. Being patient, benevolent combined with training are essential in strengthening interpersonal communication skills with the disabled people. The disabled people should be treated with dignity and concerted efforts should be made to not make them excluded from the everyday activities in an able-bodied society. References Boardman, L., Bernal, J., Hollins, S. (2014). Communicating with people with intellectual disabilities: a guide for general psychiatrists.Advances in psychiatric treatment,20(1), 27-36. Brady, N. C., Bruce, S., Goldman, A., Erickson, K., Mineo, B., Ogletree, B. T., ... Schoonover, J. (2016). Communication services and supports for individuals with severe disabilities: Guidance for assessment and intervention.American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities,121(2), 121-138. Disabilities. (2018).World Health Organization. Retrieved 7 March 2018, from https://www.who.int/topics/disabilities/en/ Griffiths, C., Smith, M. (2016). Attuning: a communication process between people with severe and profound intellectual disability and their interaction partners.Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities,29(2), 124-138. Hagan, L., Thompson, H. (2014). It's good to talk: developing the communication skills of an adult with an intellectual disability through augmentative and alternative communication.British journal of learning disabilities,42(1), 66-73. Shields, N., Synnot, A. (2016). Perceived barriers and facilitators to participation in physical activity for children with disability: a qualitative study.BMC pediatrics,16(1), 9. Shilling, V., Bailey, S., Logan, S., Morris, C. (2015). Peer support for parents of disabled children part 2: how organizational and process factors influenced shared experience in a one?to?one service, a qualitative study.Child: care, health and development,41(4), 537-546. Who we are. (2018).And.org.au. Retrieved 7 March 2018, from https://www.and.org.au/pages/who-we-are.html