Reading: Tips for Two-Way Communication. Two-Way Communication Is a Process in Which Two

Readings

Reading: Tips for two-way communication. Two-way communication is a process in which two (or more) people have an ongoing communication by exchanging roles of sender and receiver.

Source:

Sending/Encoding

Anticipate and try to eliminate any potential sources of confusion, e.g., cultural issues, mistaken assumptions and missing information.
Know your audience and encode your message in a way most likely to be understood by the intended recipient. Do you share a common culture, language etc? Will you need to use an interpreter?

Consider the context, or situation, in which the message is delivered. Words or gestures may have a different meaning for persons from a different culture or environment.
Be alert to feedback. Feedback is the verbal and nonverbal reaction to your communicated message, provided by the receiver or audience. Feedback is your cue that your audience has understood or misunderstood your message. If you find that there has been a misunderstanding, at least you have the opportunity to send the message a second time – perhaps choosing a different code or channel etc.

Communication channels

Know your audience and relay your message in a way most likely to be accessible to the intended recipient. Does the recipient have a disability that makes some channels of communication difficult? Does the recipient have the technical skills to retrieve an electronic communication?
Avoid giving a long list of directions verbally.
Be aware that humour or emotion may not translate well in email and other written messages, and may be misinterpreted.
Is formal or informal written communication most appropriate?
Workplace policies and procedures may require certain communications to be provided in a specified format.

Receiving/Decoding.

Take the time to read written messages carefully.
Listen actively to verbal communication.
Watch for body language and gestures.
Consider the context, or situation, in which the message is delivered. Words or gestures may have a different meaning for persons from a different culture or environment
Provide feedback. Provide a response and perhaps restate the communication so that the sender knows you have understood correctly.
Let the sender know if you are confused by the message.

Reading: Communication with Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems

Sometimes you will need to augment your usual forms of communicating with other communication systems or aids to get your message across. In some cases where the person has a disability, augmentative communication systems and processes may replace speech.

Augmentative or Alternative Communication (AAC) Systems can be:
unaided (requiring no equipment)
aided (requiring an object or device)

Unaided AAC Systems

Auslan – Australian Sign Language
ASE – Australasian Signed English
Makaton Vocabulary – a system of symbols and pictures
Hand signals
Facial expressions

Auslan

Auslan is a gestural language used by the Australian deaf community. It does not represent English, but is a language in its own right with different rules from English.

ASE

ASE uses a system of hand and body movements to represent English. It directly translates into English. The hand and body movements are used at the same time as speech.

Makaton Vocabulary

Speech is always used along side the Makaton vocabulary. The Makaton Vocabulary is not a communication system in itself, but is a language program with a list of concepts which are graded from simple to more abstract. For example, Stage 1 contains concepts such as ‘mother’ and ‘cup’ while Stage 9 contains concepts such as ‘God’ and ‘farmer’. Signs (usually borrowed from ASE and Auslan) and/or pictographs (symbols which look like the things they represent) are used to represent each concept in a message. If pictographs are used, the Makaton Vocabulary becomes ‘aided’ communication.

Hand signals and facial expressions

These are a natural way to augment communication and we often do this any our everyday interaction with others. Be aware that unnecessary use of hand movements can be distracting and distressing for some people (e.g. those with a mental illness).

Aided AAC Systems

Object Systems
Photographs
Pictographs (Compic)
Symbols
Alphabet letters, words, sentences
Electronic devices

Object Systems

Objects (real or miniature) are used to represent concepts. The objects may be mounted on a board or kept in a box or bag. For example, a board showing places to go may have a McDonald’s chip packet, a movie ticket and a token for computer games mounted on it. Object systems have a limited range of messages.

Photographs

Photographs are usually familiar objects and people. The person using them to communicate indicates a photograph of choice. They are less bulky than objects, but may still be cumbersome to transport. Words must be placed above or below the photographs so people who can read can communicate with the user of the system. Photographs do not allow the person using them to learn about language structures such as grammar.

Pictographs (e.g. Compic)

Pictographs are graphic symbols that look like the things they represent. The use of a pictograph system indicates symbols of choice, and may sequence symbols according to the grammar rules of his or her language. Words may be placed above or below the pictographs so that people who can read can communicate with the user of the system. Various pictograph systems are available commercially.

Alphabet letters, words and sentences

Printed letters, words, sentences or combinations of these are indicated by the person using this system. An infinite variety of messages is possible, and people who can follow the sequences indicated and read them will be able to understand the user’s communication. This system will mirror the rules of the user’s language. For example, rules for grammatical markers and sentence structures. It may be very slow if every letter has to be pointed to or written.

Electronic Devices

Sometimes, aided AAC systems have print or voice output capability. For example:

Yes/no box – the user may press on either the ‘yes’ panel or the ‘no’ panel on the display area of the box, and a pre-recorded voice will say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ accordingly.
Microprocessor –based voice output device – The user may press a series of panels (each of which have been pre-programmed to correspond with sounds, words, phrases, sentences, or combinations of these) or may type a message using a keyboard, and a voice will say the message accordingly.
Strip printer – the user may type a message using a small keyboard, and it will be printed on a narrow strip of paper which fits one line of characters. The strip of paper will be as long as the message, and can be torn off from the rest of the roll of unused paper as it emerges.