Training materials for teachers of learners with severe, profound and complex learning difficulties

• Children with complex need to achieve some control over their lives which also helps them feel safe and secure.
• This means that the adult needs to be able to read their intentional and unintentional communication with the aim of being able to help children to communicate intentionally and consistently. This helps the child feel in control.
• Improving communication is very helpful when considering how to develop relationships and promote positive behaviour.

As we have seen, children with complex disabilities may have very little speech and are likely to communicate through a range of other means, including:

• Vocalisation
• Head movements
• Facial expressions
• Tongue activity
• Eye contact, gaze or eye-pointing, and
• Hand and arm activity

It is often very difficult to interpret these signals. It is important, therefore, for adults who know the child well to work together to:

• Discuss meanings.
• To interpret meaning consistently.

It is sometimes difficult to interpret what a child with complex needs is trying to communicate, for the following reasons:

• The communication is very brief and is not noticed.
• The communication is not consistent.
• The communication means different things in different contexts.
• The communication means different things to different people.
• The child is expected to have an opinion, e.g. between a choice of activities, when they may not have one.
• Adults assume that they know what children like and don't like but the children changes their preferences over time.

Keeping in mind a child you know with emotional and behavioural difficulties and where there is little open communication, have a look at these questions: