How to Be a Good Communication Partner

5 tips from an SLP to teach students to be more inclusive of classmates with communication disorders.

Communication disabilities can be hard to see, so it's easy for others to ignore, interrupt, or laugh at someone with a disability. People can have disabilities in any of the areas of speech including: articulation, fluency, voice, language (written or verbal), pragmatics, or hearing. That’s a lot of areas!

Communication disabilities affect a lot of people. In fact, nearly 1 in 12 children ages 3-17 has had a disorder related to communication*. That means every elementary classroom in our public schools is bound to have at least one, likely more, students with a communication disability.

People with communication disabilities can receive help from speech language pathologists, like me, to improve their skills. Too often, society puts the burden on the person with a communication disorder to "fix" their disability. But communication is a two-way exchange. Its success depends on both participants. People without disabilities can work hard to be good communication partners because

it takes two to communicate!

Check out my list of ways to be a good communication partner. These strategies are simple and designed to be used with elementary students.

1 - Respect

People communicate in all different ways. It’s important to respect a person’s preferred way of communicating whether it’s talking, signing, gesturing, using pictures, or using a device like a tablet or talker.

You can ask if you’re not sure about the best way to communicate with someone.

Remember to speak in your regular voice and never tease or make fun of someone for being different.

2 - Listen

Good listening uses your whole body. Turn your body toward the person speaking, try to find a quiet spot, listen carefully, and watch for gestures and pointing as part of the conversation.

While it's good to face the person who's talking to show you are listening, some people are not comfortable with eye contact. They may show they're listening without looking in your eye, and that is ok.

Too often, society puts the burden on the person with a communication disorder to "fix" their disability.

3 - Wait

You may need to wait a little longer when talking with someone with a communication difference. If they use a device, it takes longer to enter the message for the device to speak. Or if they stutter, it can take time to get through a moment of stuttering. Be patient, let them finish before you respond. Please don’t interrupt, speak for them, or tell them to hurry up.

4 - Check in

If you don’t understand the person, you can try strategies:

a.      Ask, “can you say that again?”

b.     Ask, “can you say it another way?”

c.      Ask yes/no questions to get more information. Like, “did it happen at school?”

d.     Ask, “can you show me?”

 If they don’t understand you, these same strategies will work for them too!

5 - Be Curious

Everyone has different interests, hobbies, likes, and dislikes. Take time to learn about each other. When you find something that you have in common, you can do it together- with or without words! You may make a new friend.

You can be a good communication partner

Use these steps for yourself, share them with your friends, teach them to your students and your own children. Let's create a more inclusive space for all our children.