What are some key points to remember when communicating with persons with developmental disabilities?

This video features Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver and our athletes discussing why it’s so important to include people with intellectual disabilities in all areas of life—especially healthcare access. The first step is learning how to communicate with respect, compassion, and care.Whether you’re in a professional environment or just having a personal conversation, consider these 10 basic rules for communicating with a person with an intellectual disability.

“Athletes with disabilities are just like everyone else. They just want to be treated fairly and respectfully.”

1. Do not call them kids. Our athletes range from ages 2 to 78+!

2. Use clear, simplified language and try speaking slower, not louder. Our athletes have an intellectual disability of varying degrees, but they are not all necessarily hard of hearing—speaking more loudly won’t make them understand you better.

3. Set expectations. Many of our athletes need to know ahead of time what will happen. As you go through your procedures, describe what you will be doing now, and perhaps the next one or two steps that will follow as well.

4. Treat them as you would your peers. Do not speak down to them. They love a good joke, tease, or challenge just like we do.

5. Draw boundaries. Do not allow them to get away with bad behavior—just as you wouldn't allow someone without intellectual disabilities to behave badly.

6. Ask them their thoughts and allow them to answer. Don’t put words in their mouths.

7. Ask if you can help them before acting and assuming they actually need help.

8. Expect to get a lot of questions. Many of our athletes are very curious about what you are doing and also just about you. If the questions get too invasive, it’s okay to say, “I’m not comfortable with answering that.”

9. Have fun and enjoy their candor! Be prepared for their bluntness. Our athletes are very honest.

10. Be enthusiastic, upbeat, and professional. And if it’s overwhelming, it’s also okay to ask for a break to reset where your mind is.

Download the printable PDF below and share these tips with your social networks to join us in creating a more inclusive world!

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Some people with intellectual impairments have trouble comprehending complicated language and revealing their feelings and thoughts orally. While someone with an intellectual disability may have specific thought processes, communication abilities, and learning styles that are different from your own, there are plenty of steps you can take to help foster effective communication.

Here are 12 tips to facilitate proper communication and strengthen communication levels with someone who has an intellectual disability.

Since it takes two people to communicate effectively, take responsibility to ensure you are doing everything to make yourself understood. Also, be sure you understand the person correctly to reduce the chances of confusion.
Check if an individual has a current speech pathology or psychology examination to grasp a more detailed understanding of his or her needs when interacting with others. If no assessment is prepared, reach out to someone close to the person to gain insight into the optimal ways of communicating with him or her.
Decrease the number of other people around when you are trying to communicate with an individual with an intellectual disability. This will reduce the chances of interruptions creating distractions and causing a lapse in communication. However, if the person wants another individual to be present for assistance, allow them to bring supportive individuals who may be able to provide comfort during the process.
Remove any distractions in the area you choose to communicate in, including visual and auditory disturbances like a television or radio. Refrain from meeting in a high-traffic area and instead communicate with the person in a space far away from continuous noises and activity.
Make clear statements when addressing the individual to ensure him or her that the conversation will not be shared with others and is private. This will facilitate trust and make the process of communication smoother.
Use simple words that are easy to comprehend rather than abstract words that are difficult to imagine and reflect on things such as “goals” or “dreams.” If you absolutely must use abstract terms, make sure you give the person examples to help him or her grasp a better understanding of the significance of these words.
Many people with intellectual disabilities have a hard time remembering dates and events, so use a calendar or diary in order to create a visual outline of chronological events and to symbolize the passing of time.
Keep in mind that questions concerning “who,” “what,” and “where” are far easier to comprehend than those regarding “when,” why,” and “how.”
Be sure to communicate with concise, simple sentences and present ideas gradually.
When presenting choices, incorporate pictures in hopes of helping the individual remember his or her options.
Refrain from asking yes or no questions in a direct fashion. It is best to insert questions into a narrative or story-line that references the reason for the question.
Remain observant, and be willing to rephrase or ask questions in alternative ways to ensure both you and the individual understand one another.

Speak to a person with a disability as you would speak to anyone else. Speak in an age-appropriate tone and treat adults as adults.
If a person with a disability is accompanied by another person, such as a carer, you should still speak directly to the person with disability.
Put the person first, not their disability. For example, use the term ‘a person with disability’ rather than ‘a disabled person’.
Try to avoid negative phrases such as ‘suffers from’ and ‘crippled’. Use the phrase ‘people who use a wheelchair’ rather than ‘wheelchair bound’.

Remember that someone’s personal space can include their wheelchair and crutches. Don’t touch or push a person’s wheelchair, and don’t move their crutches or walking stick without their permission.
When speaking with a person who uses a wheelchair, try to find something to sit on to be at eye level with them.

When you meet people who have a vision impairment, always address them by name and introduce yourself.
Speak clearly and in a normal voice – there is no need to raise your voice.
Remember that people with vision impairment can’t rely on the same visual cues as people without a vision impairment. Make sure you verbalise any thoughts or feelings.
If a person is accompanied by a guide dog, don’t pat it, feed it or distract it while it’s in a harness. A dog in a harness is working to support its owner.
When you enter or leave a room, say something to make sure that the person who has a vision impairment won’t be embarrassed by speaking to an empty space.

Gain the person’s attention before speaking. Try a gentle tap on the shoulder, a wave or some other visual signal to get the person’s attention.
Face the person directly and maintain eye contact.
Make sure your mouth is visible – don’t cover it with your hand or any other object as you talk.
Look directly at the person while speaking and don’t speak too fast or too slow.
Don’t exaggerate your mouth movements – this will only make it more difficult to lip-read.
Use short sentences.
Keep your volume at a natural level – don’t shout.

Make sure you have the person’s attention before you start talking. Try using their name or making eye contact.
Keep your questions simple and your answers easy to understand.
Remember that your body language is important because people with an intellectual disability often rely on visual cues.
Be prepared to use visual information or to get visual information from people with an intellectual disability.
Be specific and direct. Avoid talking using abstracts, acronyms, metaphors or puns.

Mental illness is a health issue that can significantly affect how a person feels, thinks, behaves and interacts with other people. Mental illness is a general term that refers to a group of illnesses including, but not limited to:

mood disorders (such as depression and bipolar disorder)
anxiety disorders
psychotic disorders (such as schizophrenia and some forms of bipolar disorder).

One of the common mistakes people make when talking to someone with a mental illness is that they talk too much. When we are talking, we are not listening. The best thing to do is to say less and listen more.

Be respectful to the person. When someone feels respected and heard, they are more likely to return respect and consider what you have to say.
Some people with paranoia may be frightened, so be aware that they may need more body space than you.
Instead of directing the conversation at them with ‘you’ statements, use ‘I’ statements instead.
Ease into the conversation gradually. It may be that the person is not in a place to talk, and that is OK.
Be sure to speak in a relaxed and calm manner.
Talk to them in a space that is comfortable, where you won’t likely be interrupted and where there are likely minimal distractions.
Do not lie to them, as it will usually break any rapport you might want to establish.
Be aware of a person becoming upset or confused by your conversation with them.
Listen to the person and try to understand what they are communicating.
Communicate in a straightforward manner and stick to one topic at a time.
Be a good listener, be responsive and make eye contact with a caring approach.
Give them the opportunity to talk and open up but don’t press.
Reduce any defensiveness by sharing your feelings and looking for common ground.
If needed, set limits with the person as you would others. For example, “I only have five minutes to talk to you” or “If you scream, I will not be able to talk to you.”

Things to Avoid Doing:

Criticizing, blaming or raising your voice at them.
Talking too much, too rapidly, too loudly. Silence and pauses are OK.
Showing any form of hostility towards them.
Avoid excessive whispering, joking and laughing as these behaviours could be viewed as dangerous to someone with paranoia.
Assuming things about them or their situation.
Being sarcastic or making jokes about their condition.
Patronising them or saying anything condescending.