Using picture boards
My name's Isabelle. I work with teenagers who have learning disabilities, many of whom have communication difficulties.
Something that we find really useful is using picture boards. They are a great way of having a conversation with people who don't communicate verbally. Basically, instead of using words, we stick pictures on a board. These could be symbols, drawings,
photographs or cut-outs from magazines. The main thing is that both you and the young person understand what each picture means.
That's why we think it's important to use them regularly, before there's a crisis. We use them to have every-day conversations and to show the "house rules": the behaviour that is expected of everyone. That way, when there is a problem, we don't have to worry that we won't understand each other.
Picture boards are useful for everyone. The most articulate person in the world can struggle to talk about their feelings. Sometimes it's easier to stick a picture of a sad face on a board than to admit that you're feeling lonely.
Of course, the boards themselves are just a tool. It's how you use them to build a proper relationship that makes the difference, but we've found that it's given people a voice that they didn't have before, and that's pretty powerful.
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