The effectiveness of Talking Mats^®with people with intellectual disability

Abstract

Accessible summary• It is hard for the views of people with learning disability to be listened to.• Talking Mats uses pictures to help people say what they feel about their lives. • This study asked 48 people with learning disability to use Talking Mats to find out how well it works. • The study found that most people found Talking Mats helped them to understand and to say what they feel. • Talking Mats is a useful tool to help find out what people with learning disability feel about their lives. Summary People with intellectual disability have significant difficulties in ensuring their voice is heard. Talking Mats is a low tech communication resource which helps understanding and supports expression. This study examined the effectiveness of the resource for people with intellectual disability. A mixed method quantitative and qualitative study involving 48 people at four levels of comprehension was designed to compare the effectiveness of Talking Mats with the individual's main communication method. Thirty of the 48 participants were identified as using Talking Mats effectively. Effective use of Talking Mats was associated with functional comprehension. The study found that scores on all indicators of communication effectiveness were higher when using Talking Mats compared to main communication methods. This study identified that Talking Mats can be an effective communication resource for many people with intellectual difficulty and can help them express their views by increasing both the quantity and quality of information communicated.

Identifying the factors affecting the implementation of strategies to promote a safer environment for patients with learning disabilities in NHS hospitals: a mixed-methods study

“…28 Participants were asked to place specifically developed pictures on different sections of a mat to indicate 'Like', 'Not sure' or 'Do not like' (see Appendix 7). A set of neutral pictures was offered to start the session, in order to introduce the participants to the use of Talking Mats™ and to make them feel at ease.…”

Mobility, Mood and Place—Co-Designing Age-Friendly Cities: A Report on Collaborations between Older People and Students of Architecture

“…Tools employed were open-ended interviews, photo-elicitation interviews and 'Talking Mat' picture exchange interviews (Murphy and Cameron 2008). Interview questions explored perceptions Finally, a short evaluation of methods employed was carried out with participants providing feedback on the two days of activities.…”

“…Tools employed were open-ended interviews, photo-elicitation interviews and 'Talking Mat' picture exchange interviews (Murphy and Cameron 2008). Interview questions explored perceptions and use of the home, perceptions of outdoor environments and the relative importance of various aspects of the home and outdoor environments.…”

Communicating with people with intellectual disabilities: a guide for general psychiatrists

“…The use of Talking Mats® is an effective ap proach for those who understand at least three key words in a sentence (Murphy 2008), as well as for those who have good understanding and speech but are reluctant to express themselves verbally (Bell 2008). …”