Transcript Background

Clinical Use and New Developments
Sally Boa
Research Speech and Language Therapist
University of Stirling
Forth Valley NHS
Talking Mats
visual scale
topic
options
Talking Mats
Developed in 1998
University of Stirling
Used both in applied and research
contexts
Used locally, nationally and
internationally
Prerequisites
Physical
vision
 pointing method

Cognitive
Symbolic understanding
 Understand 2 key words in 1 sentence
 reliable confirmation

Examples of Client Groups
Children with language disorders - expressing
their views
People with intellectual disability - life
planning
Frail older people
Adults with acquired communication disability
- goal planning
Young offenders - communication difficulties
Making decisions about non-oral eating and
drinking
Adults with acquired
communication disability
Goal setting
World Health Organisation (2001) ICF:
International Classification of
Functioning, Disability and Health,
Geneva: WHO
Goal Setting
WHO domains (Activities & Participation)
Learning & applying Knowledge
General tasks and demands
Communication
Mobility
Self-care
Domestic life
Interpersonal interactions and relationships
Major life areas (e.g. work, education)
Community, social and civic life
Talking Mats -Topics
 Applying knowledge
 Emotional well being
 Communication
 Mobility /Transport
 Self care
 Domestic life
 Relationships
 Work and education
 Leisure
 Environment
 Health
Sub categories
 Washing
 Having a bath
 Showering
 Getting dressed
 Fastenings
 Washing hair
 Eating
 Drinking
 Cutting up food
Goal setting - general topics
Sub mat - Communication
Tracking changes
Quotes
“So this kind of explains what the rehab
team do and what rehabilitation is
practically. I didn’t know, for example,
that it [the service] was so wide. I didn’t
know that A would be taking me out, for
example, and getting me used to the
train the shops and people………”
“I suppose it is like anything that you are
asked to write or any question you
asked is like a blank sheet of paper and
for me with speech difficulties it is easier
to work with ideas than come up with
your own.”
Non-oral eating and drinking
Meetings
Why Talking Mats works
Structured format to interaction



Open questions
Avoids direct confrontation
Time
Small chunks


helps people process concepts
reduces memory demands
Multiple channels
Ownership

Gives people control
Reduces physical demands
Helps people to say “no”
New developments
Training - general
or targeted
Talking Mats
manual
Symbol sets
Further research
www.talkingmats.com
References
Murphy J (2004) Enabling Frail Older People with a Communication Difficulty to
Express their Views: the use of Talking Mats™ as an interview tool Health and
Social Care in the Community 13 (2) 95-107
Cameron L, Watson J and Murphy (2004) Talking Mats: A focus group tool for
people with learning disability. Communication Matters 18 (1) 33-35
Boa S and MacFadyen L (2003) Goal Setting for People with Communication
Difficulites. Communication Matters 17 (3) 31-33
Boa, S and Murphy, J (2003) Talking Mats™- An overview of current
developments. Communicating with pictures and symbols - Augmentative
Communication in Practice Study Day 2003 43-45
Murphy, J , McCallan S and Aitken J (2003) Helping People make decisions
about PEG Feeding Bulletin of Royal College of Speech and Language
Therapists No. 618
Cameron, L and Murphy, J (2002) Enabling young people with a learning
disability to make choices at a time of transition, British Journal of Learning
Disabilities, 30:105-112.
World Health Organisation (2001) ICF: International Classification of
Functioning, Disability and Health, Geneva: WHO