Using teaching packages for staff working with people with learning disabilities

Abstract

ABSTRACT The communication skills of people with learning disabilities are contingent on their environment. Speech and language therapy service delivery must therefore consider the role of the communication environment, in terms of context, expectations, and conversational partners. However, there is a paucity of evaluative research and information available to enable therapists to meet this need. In spite of this, therapists have responded to the shift of emphasis and begun to develop environmental approaches, based on their own experiences. Approaches vary, but the role of the speech and language therapist to provide teaching programmes for communication partners in the environment has been highlighted throughout. The author's research project aimed to compare three different environmental approaches in order to make recommendations for future service delivery. The three approaches all involved working with key communication partners and were: (1) Working directly on a one‐to‐one basis with the person and partner; (2) Working indirectly by providing a package for partners; (3) A combination of these two approaches. A teaching package, called TALKABOUT, was designed to reflect the partners' needs within their work settings. It is a five‐day course that aims for staff to reach a recognised level of knowledge and competence in communication skills (Money & Thurman, 1994). The methodology of the research project involved random selection into each of the three experimental approaches, and pre‐ and post‐evaluation over a four‐month episode of intervention. The evaluation strategy included videos of interaction between a member of staff and a person they worked closely with, and evaluation questionnaires. The interactions were anlaysed by use of the author's pragmatic framework which records communication in terms of the form, function and modalities used. Results indicated that whilst staff communication changed in all three experimental approaches, overall changes were greater in the combined approach. Staff use of open questions increased by 3.8% and 7.04% in the direct and teaching‐only approach, respectively, compared to an increase of 9.92% in the combined approach. Similarly, the increase in staff use of additional modalities increased by 11.94% in the combined approach compared to 8.12% and 3.44% in the other approaches, respectively. Of the staff who participated in the TALKABOUT course, 90% felt that their awareness had changed greatly and 85% felt strongly that people with learning disabilities had benefited from them attending the course. Informal observations, such as increased staff motivation and interest, also support the TALKABOUT course. In conclusion, these results support the use of teaching packages as an integral part of speech and language therapy service delivery. The role of the speech and language therapist involves developing the communication skills of partners who can then facilitate communication with the person with learning disabilities within their daily environment.