copyright FIDN 2003

Speak Your Mind

Speak Your Mind There can be a number of reasons for someone having limited speech or no speech at all, eg medical conditions such as stroke or dementia, or the result of an accident, or because of Special Needs.

Whatever the reason, it is often difficult to know just what to say and how to communicate with someone whose verbal skills are impaired. For family and friends
the awkward silences when visiting a loved one in hospital or nursing home, or even in the family home, can be so embarrassing and unconstructive that it is the most common reason for cutting the visit short - it is simply too hard.

"Like many others who have the misfortune to suffer debilitating strokes, my father lost the function of one side of his body and lost his speech completely. When he was in his nursing home, I devised a visual pack comprising a series of cards with text and graphics, to help us as a family to communicate with him. The pack proved to be invaluable as a means of stimulating conversation, particularly when there were awkward or embarrassing silences. Other residents and nursing staff also said they found the cards very useful.

When Dad died, we kept his personalised pack in the family as a reminder that wereally had done everything we could to keep things normal for him, to make him still feel included in our everyday activities and to keep him as close to us as possible in the latter part of his life.

That pack has since been developed into the 'Speak Your Mind' visual aid, designed for people of all ages who cannot talk or whose speech is difficult to understand, and for their families, carers, professionals and others, all of whom will benefit from two-way conversation.

My sincere hope is that this guide will prove to be as helpful and effective for others as the original was for me and my family."

Margaret Moran SYM Guides Ltd

'Speak Your Mind' guide is a unique and versatile visual aid which helps to stimulate one-to-one conversation, reduce unwanted silences, and make people feel a little less self-concious and more comfortable and happy. Its structure encourages the exchange of information, translates thoughts into actions, and not least helps reduce some of the frustration felt by those whose minds are still active but who are unable to speak or who have other communication difficulties.

The guide is a wire-bound booklet designed to withstand daily wear and tear. Its features are:

18 pages (210mm x 210mm) made of strong, polypropylene material with a glossy, laminated finish

there are nine colour-coded and tabbed sections with pages designed for easy turning

each page has words and pictures relevant to everyday life, plus a 'Notes' section for additional information to be added using the special 'dry wipe' pen supplied. These and the other sections in the guide can be written on, then wiped clean and used again and again

pages for a Visitors Book, Diary, and Notes

pages with the Alphabet, Numbers and British Sign Language (BSL)

a plastic wallet for photographs, to help personalise the pack.

Who might use the Guide

The 'Speak Your Mind' visual aid has a wide range of potential users, including professionals, staff and others working in hospitals, residential and nursing homes, hospices and similar establishments. It will also be a great help for families with loved ones at home or in care, and not least, for the individuals themselves who may feel isolated and excluded because they are unable to express their thoughts and feelings through speech.

The price of the guide is £19.50 including postage and can be ordered through our website at: www.symguides.co.uk

or contact:

SYM Guides Limited

2nd Floor,
The Portergate Ecclesall Road,
Sheffield
S11 8NX
Tel: 0759 528 0449
email: enquiries@symguides.co.uk