Quest Spring 2019
More than words What if you only had four words you could say to communicate with people?
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ou know that feeling when a word is on the tip of your tongue but you can’t quite get it? The frustration builds and you might say “Aargh! My words are gone!” What if you couldn’t say “No, I don’t want to eat that. No, I don’t like hugs. Yes, I want to listen to music.” How frustrated would you be? Who would you be? Many of the children and adults we support at Quarriers have that experience every day. Autism, learning disability, brain injury and complex trauma can all make communication difficult or impossible. So we do absolutely everything we can to listen, in different ways.
Quarriers staff are already sensitive and caring people but they are also supported by a dedicated Learning and Talent Development team who offer a range of training programmes, including specialist Autism and Total Communication courses. John is one person whose team works hard so he can communicate his needs and wishes. He has lived in a Quarriers residential service for children and young people with complex needs since he was 12, and Donna has supported him in the 10 years since then. John’s autism means that while he can use words to sing, or repeat others’ speech, he doesn’t have access to sophisticated language.
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Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
Donna says “John’s a complex young man. He doesn’t cope well with change in his environment, or noise he’s not in control of. He doesn’t know personal boundaries. But he’s also got a great sense of humour and is always the last to leave a party. He loves Christmas, and here at the service we put the Christmas decorations up in July for him.” John doesn’t use words to tell his team how much he likes Christmas, but living at the service with him and working with him 24/7, they know this because they tune in to him in other ways. “You get to know what John’s behaviour is telling you,” says Donna. “If you hear him sitting in the bath singing Happy Birthday, he’s in a great mood. But if he sings ‘aye yay yippee yippee aye’, look out because he’s about to get angry.”