Saturday, August 2, 2008

itz the right time to change god's creation.........


The ability to communicate with people whose speech is limited by mental deficiency is actually a skill that can be developed over time with practice. Whether you deal with mentally challenged speakers often or rarely, this advice will help you to communicate more effectively and smoothly.

Steps

  1. Maintain a calm, low volume. Speaking louder doesn't make you more understandable.
  2. When determining "age-appropriateness" of your words, remember that you must know the "mental age" of your listener, not his or her "calendar age." Remember: they are just mentally challenged, not a person with a limited vocabulary such as a five-year-old.
  3. Do not cover or hide your mouth because listeners will want to watch you as you pronounce your words. This helps them figure out what you are saying in many cases.
  4. Do not mimic how the mentally challenged speaker pronounces words, in a misguided presumption that he or she will "understand" if you speak like he or she does. This does not make you easier to understand. It will confuse your listener and may give the wrong impression about your sensitivity to his or her handicap.
  5. Avoid running words together. For example, don't say "Do-ya wanna eat-a pizza?". One of the biggest challenges for listeners is knowing where one word ends and the next one begins. Give them a small pause between words if they seem to be struggling.
  6. When possible, opt for simple words instead of ones that are complex. The more basic a word is, the better the chance is that it will be understood. "Big" is a better choice than "enormous" for example. "Make" is a better choice than "manufacture."
  7. Avoid speech complexity which is beyond your mentally challenged listener's comprehension level. Use simple subject-verb-object statements with the significantly retarded. More mildly retarded people may be able to handle more complex forms, such as joined independent clauses.
  8. Look them in the eye. It lets them know that you care about what you are saying. Although they may rarely make eye contact with you, try to act like you really are interested in what they are talking about.


Tips

  • The most important thing to remember is to treat a person with a disability with respect. Don't treat them as inferior. Remember, they have feelings just like you. Remember that the person you are talking to isn't stupid, he is challenged with something you will never understand. This person is challenged in their ability to understand, communicate or decipher. This person is different.
  • Patience is the key.
  • Be aware that you must listen and observe the person you are speaking to. In most cases communicating with a person with a disability is very much like learning how to understand an accent. Be ready to adjust your communication style in a respectful way when necessary.
  • Treat them as close as possible as you would a "normal" person, except use age-appropriate words. Otherwise, they may sense something is up.
  • Smile to show them you're enjoying their company.
  • Be aware of the tone of your voice - is it patronizing? Are you speaking with the tone you would use for a child? Adjust accordingly.


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