Communication with people with intellectual disability

1. How can intellectual disability affect interpersonal communication

Intellectual disability affects different areas of personality but very irregularly. The most basic criterion of Intellectual developmental Disability (IDD) is IQ lower than 70. Lower intellectual abilities affect learning, and people with severe IDD are able to learn to write, read, or count, either in a very limited fashion or not at all (they remain illiterate). These people have difficulties with learning in general.

Sometimes, they behave strangely and they:

• could be very spontaneous;
• have low self-control;
• have no social inhibitions;
• do not think about consequences;
• are emotional;
• have weak will;
• are easily persuaded, and thus, can be manipulated or abused.

Their communication skills may be strongly affected; these people tend to have speech disorders, have limited vocabulary, and sometimes cannot speak at all.

(Photo by Cliff Booth from Pexels)

2. Communication strategies with people with intellectual disability

Dealing and communication with people with an intellectual disability requires a lot of tolerance and patience, as:

• their pronunciation might be quite obscure (sometimes on the verge of incomprehensibility)
• they do not have large vocabulary, which can often make it impossible for them to express their thoughts and needs as well as understand more complicated communication
• people with severe forms of intellectual disability or dementia tend to be disoriented in time and space
• they cannot solve everyday problems, and require assistance with common tasks (self-care; dealing with authorities; consulting the doctor, etc.).

Watch the video and try to write a few elements of efficient communication with persons with intellectual disabilities:

3. What to do and what not to do...

Tips and strategies for dealing with people with intellectual disabilities

• Never deal with adult people with intellectual disabilities like with kids!
• Treat them as all other peers; they usually love a good joke, as well as challenge (according to their capabilities).
• Use clear and simplified language, try speaking slower, not louder (most of these people are not hard of hearing and speaking more loudly won’t make them understand you better...).
• Most of these people can feel safer and more confident if they know ahead of time what will happen.
• Keep boundaries and help these people to follow a good behavior (there is no need to tolerate or excuse bad behavior).
• Ask them for their thoughts and opinions - and allow them to answer (don’t put words in their mouths).
• Ask if you can help them - don't do for them what they can do themselves.
• Expect a lot of questions - sometimes they need a good explanation.
• Many people with Intellectual Disability prefer face to face and one to one communication.
• In writing, use bigger text and bullet points, and keep writing at a minimum
• On the phone (especailly) speak slowly and clearly, using easy to understand words.