They may feel 'out of control' all their lives, confused and afraid, perhaps responding by becoming passive and withdrawn. Alternatively they may develop challenging behaviour. It is based on the assumption that all people, regardless of severity of disability, communicate and that staff and carers need to learn to 'listen' and respond to what that people are telling them. But it is also important to encourage people to increase their communication skills so they can 'talk' to a wider audience and have greater control over their lives. It is important to have a wide and flexible approach to defining communication.
Communication is much wider than spoken language or signing.
A person with multiple disabilities may face a number of challenges to developing their communication skills. Her visual disability may range from total blindness to some useful vision. Visual means of communication, such as Makaton, may not be possible or may need careful planning to be effective. She may have additional hearing difficulties. She may not have reached a developmental stage where speech is processed and understood.