In this film we see Bob in conversation with a speech therapist. He can understand everything which the therapist says. However Bob struggles to take part.

Therapist:

“Hi Bob” “Er, How did you get here today?”

Bob:

“I, er, I (Hesitates)

Therapist:

“Did you drive here today?”

Bob:

“No, no.”

Therapist:

“No you didn’t drive.”

Bob :( Gestures, pointing one finger)
Therapist:

“Did you come here by train?”

Bob:

“No”

Therapist:

“By train?”

Bob:

“Aye, aye.” (Gestures driving)

Therapist:

“You drive?”

Bob:

“No”

Therapist:

“Bus?”

Bob:

“No.”

Therapist:

“No, er…something to do with a car though?”

Bob:

“Yes, yes.” (Bob writes taxi on the table with his finger)

Therapist:

“Oh taxi.”

Bob:

“Not bad.”

Therapist:

“You came by taxi?”

Bob:

“Yes, no bad.”

Therapist:

“OK, where did you come from?”

Bob:

“Er.”

Therapist:

“You live in Edinburgh?”

Bob:

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no,”

Therapist:

“Whereabouts have you come from then?”

Bob:

“Whishty. whishty.”

Therapist:

“Whishty?”

Bob:

“Bad, bad.”

Therapist:

“Wishaw?”

Bob:

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no.”

Therapist:

”Whishty?”

Bob:

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no.”

Therapist:

“I’m not getting this right?”

Bob:

(Sighs) “Bad, bad.”

Therapist:

“Is it this side of the country?”

Bob:

“Aye, er, no, no.”

Therapist:

“It is this side of the country. The east coast?”

Bob:

“Yes”

Therapist:

“So it’s, it’s near Edinburgh?”

Bob:

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Bad, lovely”

Therapist:

“The other side of the country?”

Bob:

”Yes”

Therapist:

” Right, right. I see. So the west coast?”

Bob;

“Yes”

Therapist:

“Ah so you’ve come by train?”

Bob:

“Yes”

Therapist:

“Right, OK, er from Wishaw? “You mentioned whisht, whishty?”

Bob:

“No, no, no, no.”

Therapist:

“OK, OK, er. “When were you born Bob?” “Can you tell us when that was?”

Bob:

“Oh, whishty.”

Therapist:

“OK, was it er.” “Was it in the1920’s?

Bob:

“No.”

Therapist:

“No, the 1930’s?”

Bob:

“Yes”

Therapist:

“Right, sometime then.” “Aha, OK, OK, OK.” “1930 what, can you tell me?”

Bob: (Bob writes 1933 on the desk with his finger)
Therapist:

Oh, I see, I see 1933.”

Bob:

“Yes”

Therapist:

“Oh right, 1933 aha.” “OK”. (Sighs) “It is difficult for you when you are speaking isn’t it?”

Bob:

“Aye, lovely.”

Therapist:

“Yeah” “Has your speech been like this since you had the stroke?”

Bob:

“No bad, no bad a wee bit.” “It’s no bad.”

Therapist:

“It’s not bad?”

Bob;

“Yes, no bad”

Therapist:

“Aha, aha, OK, hmm” “And do you live on your own?”

Bob:

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.” “Canny, no canny, nothing, nothing.”

Therapist:

“There’s nothing?” “There’s nobody at home?”

Bob:

“No, no, no.” (Gestures two)

Therapist:

“Two people at home?”

Bob:

“Yes.”

Therapist:

“Is that two children you’ve got then?”

Bob: (Gestures two)
Therapist:

“At home?”

Bob:

“No, no.” (Still gestures two)

Therapist:

“Er, two people in the house with you?”

Bob:

“Whishty, I canny.”

Therapist:

“So names are difficult are they?”

Bob:

“Bad”

Now see how Bob communicates by using pen and paper, communication book, pictures and maps. He can communicate much more easily even though he has very little speech. This is known as supported communication.

Therapist:

“Bob a lot of people when they are talking with you will probably rely only on speaking but for you that’s not sufficient is it?”

Bob:

“No, lovely.”

Therapist:

“It’s helpful for you to have other things around that you communicate with.” “I want us to go back over some of the questions that I asked you earlier and we really didn’t give you any tools.” “We didn’t let you use any other way of communicating.” “But I want to ask you again er.” “Tell me about your family, who lives at home with you?”

Bob:

“Er.”

Therapist:

“Do you live on your own?”

Bob:

“No, no, no, no.” (Gestures two)

Therapist:

“There’s two of you at home and who is that?”

Bob:

“Canny, canny.” (Gestures in frustration)

Therapist:

“You have difficulty, is there another way you have.” “Can you use this book or…”

Bob:

“Yes”

Therapist:

“Can you write it down for me?” “Who is at home with you?”

Bob: (Bob looks through his personal communication book. He points to a photograph)
Therapist:

“Mary”

Bob:

”Yes”

Therapist:

“So there’s you and Mary at home?”

Bob:

“Yes”

Therapist:

“Mary is you wife.” “OK but.” “And Mary came with you today?”

Bob:

“Yes, yes.”

Therapist:

“How did you get here today?”

Bob:

“I canny.” (Sighs)

Therapist:

“If you are able to write then…”

Bob: (Bob writes taxi)
Therapist:

“You came by taxi?”

Bob:

“Yes, yes.”

Therapist:

“All the way?”

Bob:

“No, no.”

Therapist:

“How else did you travel to Edinburgh?”

Bob; (Bob makes a Ch. Ch .Ch. sound to indicate a train)
Therapist:

“Did you come by train?”

Bob:

“Yes, yes.”

Therapist:

“You did come by train?”

Bob: (Bob laughs)
Therapist:

“OK so you came by train and taxi.”

Bob:

“Yes”

Therapist:

“So you’re not obviously local to Edinburgh?”

Bob;

“No, no, no, no.”

Therapist:

“Where do you come from?” “Can you show me?”

Bob: (Bob writes Maryhill)
Therapist:

“You came from Maryhill?”

Bob;

“Yes”

Therapist:

“Did you come from Maryhill today?”

Bob:

“No, no, no, no, no.”

Therapist:

“Is Maryhill where you originally came from?”

Bob:

“Yes, lovely, great.”

Therapist:

“What about today?” “Where did you come from?” “Where do you live?”

Bob; (Bob starts to write BIGGS)

Therapist;

“Biggs, right, Biggs B” “Is it a longer word than that?” “Is there something in the book that says where you live?”

Bob;

“Yes” (Bob looks for the place name in his book and points to Bishopbriggs.)

Therapist:

“Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow.”

Bob;

“Yes”

Therapist:

“OK, OK so sometimes when you are writing Bob, do you find you’re able to get part of the word but not always the whole thing?”

Bob:

“Bad”

Therapist:

“And are people, generally speaking, patient enough to give you the time to write?”

Bob:

“Yeah, no bad, lovely”

Therapist:

“Is it something you have to rely on quite a lot?”

Bob:

“Aye, aye, bad.”

Therapist:

“You’re able to write down.” “Do you just use a pen and paper or do you try to use other ways?”

Bob:

“No, lovely.” (Gestures writing) “Very good, lovely.”

Therapist:

“Usually use pen and paper.” “OK” “Something else we asked you earlier was when you were born and that was difficult for you.”

Bob:

“Aye.”

Therapist:

“Can you tell me using any of the other communication tolls, when you were born?”

Bob: (Bob points to his date of birth in his personal communication book)

Therapist:

“Fourth of January 1933” “Ok, OK” “So you’re 75, just turned 75?”

Bob:

“Yes, no bad, no bad.”

Therapist:

“You’re doing quite well.”

Bob:

“No bad, lovely.”

Therapist;

“And Bob can you tell me how long is it since you had your stroke?” “Use your hands or…”

Bob; (Bob writes 10 years)

Therapist:

“Ten years since you had your stroke.” “Yes and where were you when you had the stroke?”

Bob: (Bob writes Aberdeen)

Therapist:

“The northern lights of old Aberdeen.” “Right, were you living there at that time?”

Bob:

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Therapist:

“So you had a period away from Bishopbriggs when you were living in Aberdeen?”

Bob;

“All over the place, lovely.”

Therapist:

“Right.” “Was your communication at the time worse than it is now?”

Bob;

“No, no bad.” “It’s no bad.”

Therapist:

“Do you feel it’s improved, your communication, as opposed to your speech?”

Bob;

“Yes”

Therapist:

“Was it something you had to learn to do?”

Bob;

“Bad, bad.” “Nothing, nothing.” “Boom, nothing.”

Therapist:

“So you were out of it?”

Bob;

“Nothing, no kidding.” “I was lovely, boom.”

Therapist:

“After you had your stroke did you and Mary move back to Glasgow?”

Bob;

“Oh aye.”

Therapist:

“Yes, good.” “And where did you have speech therapy?” “Was it Glasgow or Aberdeen?”

Bob:

“No the…” (Bob writes SBOTHILL)

Therapist:

“Stobhill in Glasgow.” “So you were back in Glasgow when you had therapy.”

Therapist:

“I think what you’ve helped us to do today is show people that it’s not just about the expectation all being on you but as long as we are providing you with tools as well, we can communicate with you.”

Bob:

“Yes, no bad.”

Therapist:

“Would you agree Bob that it is more that just about speaking?” “It’s about gesture.”

Bob:

“Yes.”

Therapist:

“Facial expressions.”

Bob:

“Yes, yes.”

Therapist:

“Writing.”

Bob:

“No bad.”

Therapist:

“And if we give you a pad and paper you know, and for some people that might not be appropriate, but not to be afraid to try different ways of communicating.”

Bob:

“No bad.”

Here are some key points for supported communication

• Use key words. (Ask if the person can write or say a key word to help get you started.)
• Use a personal communication book. (This is individual information for each person to take with them.)
• Give time.
• Do not pretend to understand. (If you do not understand what the person says. Let the person know and try again.)
• Keep questions short
• Don’t change the subject too quickly.
• Look for gestures.
• Look for facial expressions.
• Repeat back (to the person, this helps to make sure you have understood what they are trying to say.)