JCPSLP Vol 17 Supplement 1 2015_lores

Makaton signing that way. This will require her to be very committed to the task. A class aide would take much pressure off the teachers, but Bev still needs to go through the process of applying, and it may take time. Autonomy: Mandy has reservations about Makaton and aided language which will impact on her attitude to learning and implementing the communication strategies. Bev needs to counsel Mandy to help her understand the evidence that aided language and Makaton key word signing facilitate oral language. However, if Mandy is not convinced by Bev’s information, it is her right to refuse to use aided language. This would be very difficult for Bev, who knows how important this is for the development of communication. Professional integrity: Bev is not a Makaton trainer, but could show Mandy some signs and refer her to the Makaton DVD. She could show Mandy and the teachers how to encourage Jenny to sign using the “hand-over- hand” technique (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactile_ signing). She could also assist Mandy by informing her about the Adapted Learning website (Adaptedlearning. com), a website set up by Boardmaker™ for parents to share picture based resources. She could inform Mandy about Boardmaker™ and try to encourage the local library to purchase it. She realises the need to respond to the many opportunity barriers, but does not have sufficient hours to do so as effectively as she would like. She knows that unless Mandy and Jenny’s teachers are motivated, Jenny’s progress in learning Makaton will be slower than it should be. Case scenario: Rachel Background Rachel is a 21-year-old woman with traumatic brain injury due to a hit-and-run car accident. While she is able to walk, her fine motor skills have not improved as well as the health professionals expected. Her parents and some family members can understand her dysarthric speech, but she is not understood by people who do not know her. She has a Lightwriter™ but due to a tremor in her better hand, her access is slow. She also has some problems with her memory. Rachel’s court case is scheduled for one month’s time. She is determined to give evidence in court, but is very anxious that she will not be understood, that she will be slow when using her Lightwriter™, and that her evidence will not be taken at full value. When giving evidence, Rachel will need a communication assistant/facilitator to assist in the interpretation of her speech or to convey the messages composed on the Lightwriter™. At their last speech pathology session funded by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC; http://www.tac.vic.gov.au/jsp/corporate/ homepage/home.jsp?gclid=CJHqsuyswJ0CFc0vpAodgB RssA), Rachel’s speech pathologist, Susie, suggested that she have a word-based communication board made up, with sentences and phrases in case she becomes fatigued during the long hearing. It may also help her remember some important points she wishes to make. Rachel wants her speech pathologist to support her in court, but Susie has not been funded by TAC for this purpose. Rachel’s family has heard that Communication Rights Australia 1 (CRA) have a communication support worker service 2 which is equivalent to a sign language interpreter service for the deaf. On making enquiries, they have been informed that they only have a small pool of communication

speech, but vocalises and will sometimes take her mum to something she wants and point to it. The visiting early intervention speech pathologist, Bev, has assessed Jenny and provided a comprehensive report, recommending that Jenny should use Makaton key word signing plus picture- based communication aids. Jenny was very responsive when Bev used basic gestures to ask Jenny to bring a ball. Bev also recommended that Jenny attend the local preschool where teachers have agreed to accept her but have expressed a need for information and support as they have never had a child with disability at the preschool before. They have also expressed the need for a teacher’s aide. Bev feels that, with time, Jenny could learn to use a basic speech-generating device to make simple choices, like choosing a song at school, or to help her to actively participate at circle time (e.g., have animal sounds recorded on the device so she can “sing” “Old MacDonald had a farm”). Jenny’s mum, Mandy, works part-time and is overwhelmed by the need to learn Makaton and become the agent for developing all the aided language resources Jenny needs in order to learn to communicate effectively. Mandy is also concerned that if she introduces other ways of communicating, Jenny will never learn to speak. Bev can only offer her services monthly according to the service model of her organisation because of the demand for speech pathology services in her region. Ethical dilemmas Beneficence / non-maleficence: Bev has a good understanding of what Jenny needs and the critical importance of introducing communication strategies immediately. She has the skills to offer the support needed, but does not know how she will do all this within a monthly visit of 2 hours. If Bev does not provide support both to mum and the teachers there is the potential for maleficence in that negative attitudes will develop towards the communication intervention and towards Jenny, placing strain on the system. Bev is very aware that Mandy is already feeling stressed by all the intervention Jenny will need. Bev realises that her hours with the family would be most beneficial if directed to developing Mandy’s skills and confidence in facilitating Jenny’s communication and to working with the teachers, rather than working directly with Jenny. Truth: There is evidence of the importance of early intervention for AAC in establishing patterns for active communication, for cognitive development, and for social participation. Visual aids provide an immediate form of communication, but have to be designed, produced, and introduced in all communication environments. Makaton key word signing is an unaided strategy and Jenny has responded well to gesture, so there is good likelihood that Jenny will take to Makaton. It is also very effective in conveying meaning, but the system must be learnt by Mandy and Jenny’s brother as well as the teachers. Bev also sees the potential for a basic electronic communication aid which she will need to apply for, and which again will require training and monitoring. Justice: Bev needs many more funded hours for an effective AAC intervention. In addition to applying for the communication device, she needs to motivate and lobby for a class aide for Jenny. Travelling to a centre where a Makaton course may be held is not an option for Mandy, but it is possible for her to purchase a DVD and learn

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JCPSLP Volume 17, Supplement 1, 2015 – Ethical practice in speech pathology

Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology