Doing and Talking: People with Intellectual Disabilities’ Handling of Challenges of Remote Communication

Abstract

This article is about the challenge of communication via smartphones and tablets by people with intellectual disabilities (ID). We will give special attention to persons that struggle with verbal communication. One of our co-researchers, the fourth author, has a severe ID. She cannot read, write or use voice assisted technology in any functional manner. As a result of many years of collaboration, and the need for solutions in connection with the challenges with COVID-19, she and her family have developed ways of remote communication that can be mastered both by the person with an ID and the majority (those without similar disabilities). We call it doing and talking. Successful remote communication not only depends on technology and how to use it, but also on communication strategies that both work for the person with an ID and the majority. It is often the case that people with ID are expected to learn the skills necessary to adapt to the majority. We will show that success is just as much a question of the majority learning new skills and strategies that can make real inclusion and collaboration possible.

Digital participation of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities during the Covid‐19 pandemic in the UK

“…Internet use has been shown to often be a positive experience for people with learning disabilities, enabling the maintenance of existing social connections (Barlott et al, 2019; Raghavendra et al, 2018; Shpigelman & Gill, 2014). The use of the Internet for connecting with friends and family and streaming TV and video as activities is also in line with research by K. Kversøy et al (2022). They have referred to ‘doing and talking’ as a way of remote communication which was an approach developed following experiences of remote communication during the Covid‐19 pandemic, whereby the experience of daily video communication with relatives was identified as being most rewarding when it involved one of the communication partners taking part in practical activities while the other watched (e.g., preparing meals, washing—shared activities, playing with toys, art, crafts).…”

“…Internet use has been shown to often be a positive experience for people with learning disabilities, enabling the maintenance of existing social connections (Barlott et al, 2019;Raghavendra et al, 2018;Shpigelman & Gill, 2014). The use of the Internet for connecting with friends and family and streaming TV and video as activities is also in line with research by K. Kversøy et al (2022). They have referred to 'doing In the event of another lockdown, 27.5% of people supporting someone with profound and multiple learning disabilities said they would like support with technology to make seeing friends and family easier.…”

“…They have referred to ‘doing and talking’ as a way of remote communication which was an approach developed following experiences of remote communication during the Covid‐19 pandemic, whereby the experience of daily video communication with relatives was identified as being most rewarding when it involved one of the communication partners taking part in practical activities while the other watched (e.g., preparing meals, washing—shared activities, playing with toys, art, crafts). In K. Kversøy et al (2022)'s study, it was the role of remote communication partners that was primarily considered but the quantitative findings from the current study also suggest a core role for communication partners who are physically present with the person with PMLD during digital participation. Small numbers of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities were shown to be taking part in social media, shopping and playing video games with other people online suggesting that respondents possibly used a broad definition of digital participation in their responses to questions about activities the person they support took part in whereby activities such as online shopping were seen as shared experiences (looking at pictures, talking about choices etc).…”

“…Alongside the hints of potential for the benefits of digital participation are suggestions that new ways of communication and new experiences can take time for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities to get used to. However, K. Kversøy et al (2022) argue that it is just as much the case that it is the communication partners that importantly need to learn new skills and strategies to make real inclusion possible. Previous research has shown that the active participation of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities in any event is dependent on quality of the support provided by both people and the environment (Nakken & Vlaskamp, 2007).…”

“…and talking' as a way of remote communication which was an approach developed following experiences of remote communication during the Covid-19 pandemic, whereby the experience of daily video communication with relatives was identified as being most rewarding when it involved one of the communication partners taking part in practical activities while the other watched (e.g., preparing meals, washing-shared activities, playing with toys, art, crafts). In K Kversøy et al (2022)…”