adapt communication to meet different communication needs of adults

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Adapting to meet different communication needs
It is essential to express sensitivity towards the needs of other adults who might have communication difficulties. It is possible that people might change their communicating methods to suit people who have communication difficulties without realizing. In most cases, people automatically adjust the way they react to others depending on the individual. For example, when a person is talking to a hearing-impaired person, maintaining an eye contact allows the person to read the lips of the communicator and therefore ease the communication process.
Various methods can be used to improve communication despite the specified communication difficulty. The first technique is establishing a rapport, to achieve this, a person should speak directly to the person they are directing their message to avoid making the adult feel like a child. It is necessary to explain the purpose of the conversation in simple terms. It is key to gain the attention of the listener through referring to them by their name and creating a positive environment. Communication is all about exchanging information, responses from the adult with communication difficulties should be reinforced with positive comments.
The second technique is choosing an appropriate language. The correct style entails the use of plain language instead of jargons (Boardman et al. 30). In most cases, very few people are familiar with the words used in jargons. Communicating using such terms might lead to misunderstanding or excessive repetition in explaining the unfamiliar words.

Concrete dialogue methods should be used as opposed to using abstract language; this refers to the use of few words to convey a message as opposed to the use of many words that accomplish the same purpose.
The other aspect is listening. Adults should give each other time to let the other person say what they want as they listen. Effective communication entails giving the listener time to comprehend what the speaker is saying. A sensitive tone should be used while asking for clarifications and also the use of non-verbal cues. The application of different tones may complicate reading of body language and facial expressions for some people. When communicating with adults who have various communication difficulties, it is essential to be patient and understand that the process might take longer than expected.
The fourth method is explaining clearly. One of the techniques that can be used to achieve this is providing hints of what will happen before beginning. The person speaking should show or tell what they are going to do and why. Slow-paced speech should be used with frequent pauses so as not to overload the listener with information without providing enough time to process it (Boardman et al. 30). In some instances, it might be necessary to rephrase and repeat the questions to make it more understandable.
The last technique is communicating without words through the use of visual aids. The majority of people process visual information better than spoken information (Boardman et al. 32). Communication process can be problematic in a situation where one person is conversant with sign language while the other person has little understanding of it. Individuals with limited knowledge and language ability depend on familiar environmental cues and routines to help predict what is likely to happen. Communicating with such people can be accomplished through the use of gestures that are common to the majority of the people and also the use of diagrams. Some adults with intellectual or development disability can only express themselves through writing; they should, therefore, be provided with the necessary materials.
Works Cited
Boardman, Liz, Jane Bernal, and Sheila Hollins. “Communicating with people with intellectual disabilities: a guide for general psychiatrists.” Advances in psychiatric treatment 20.1 (2014): 27-36.