Meeting the Communicative Rights of People with Autism — Using Pictorial Supports During Assessment, Intervention and Hospital Care

Abstract

The main purpose of this chapter is to describe how assessment, intervention and hospital visits more generally can be managed to meet the communicative rights of people with autism spectrum disorders and improve aspects of activity and participation. " working model, built upon the United Nations conventions on the Rights of the child [ ] and the Rights of persons with disability [ ], using the principle of universal design [ ] and augmentative and alternative communication ""C methods was developed within the project KomHIT-communication support in paediatric and dental care. "n evaluation of this model in the form of a focus group interview with a multiprofessional team at a neuropsychiatric clinic will also be presented alongside with the examples of the pictorial supports that were used. . Communication problems and communication rights in clinical settings . . Communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders ASDMajor advances have been made over the two past decades in understanding the socialcommunication difficulties of children with "SD, resulting in greater emphasis on early socialcommunication features in the diagnostic criteria. Most parents of children with autism first begin to be concerned that something is not quite right in their child's development because of early delays or regressions in the development of speech [ ]. Problems with communication, in terms of both understanding and expression, are often said to be one of the main causes of The convention is built on eight general principles, for example individual autonomy including the freedom to make one's own choices, full and effective participation and inclusion in society and accessibility, and respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and respect for the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities. "rticle postulates that health professionals are required to provide care of the same quality to persons with disabilities as to others and to take all appropriate measures to ensure access. "ccording to article this includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas on an equal basis with others and through all forms of communication of their choice, including augmentative and alternative communication. Furthermore, the idea of "Universal design" is put forth, meaning that the design of products, environments, programmes and services should be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design [ ]. . . Communication and communication problems in health care situationsPeople with disability often have many health contacts. "ccording to Mahon and Kibirige [ ] children with disability more frequently are in need of health care and are cared for longer than children without disabilities. Due to the communication difficulties being part of the autism spectrum visits to health care or hospital stays can be very problematic. Children with "SD are particularly stressed due to lack of structure and predictability [ ]. It...

Implementation of pictorial support for communication with people who have been forced to flee: Experiences from neonatal care

“…AAC can be used to support both comprehension and production of spoken or written communication (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2013). In the past ten years, professionals in other fields (including health care) have shown an interest in AAC as a way to meet communicative challenges (Blackstone & Pressman, 2016; Thunberg et al, 2015). Studies by Alm et al (2002), Johnson (2004) and Somers and Lovel (2006) suggest that AAC can be used to facilitate communication between people who speak different languages.…”

Medical Encounters for Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comprehensive Review of Environmental Considerations and Interventions

“…42 Pictorial support (eg, visual schedules and communication boards) provided by health care professionals in the waiting room has been found to ease anxiety of youth with ASD. 43 Of the studies that do exist, the summarized recommendations for supporting youth with ASD in waiting rooms is to decrease wait times and to make the waiting room more manageable by providing developmentally appropriate toys, visual schedules and displays, and a private or alternative waiting area.…”

Being heard – Supporting person‐centred communication in paediatric care using augmentative and alternative communication as universal design: A position paper

“…It is vital to consider this group due to their potential frequent need of healthcare, as well as their increased need of personalised communication. The latter was demonstrated in a study by Thunberg et al (2015) who asked parents of children with different types of communication disabilities to suggest how their children's healthcare could be improved. Four categories emerged in this interview study: a need for tailored care; the importance of communication and understanding between the child and practitioners; perceived safety due to interaction and environment; and finally, the importance of skills and knowledge of AAC and special needs (Thunberg et al, 2015).…”