Assessment of communication in people with learning disabilities

Thorough assessment of communication is of utmost importance for successful working with people with learning disabilities. Indeed, recent legislation now makes it incumbent on professionals working with people with learning disabilities to address issues of communication, both their own communication to clients and that of their clients. There are clear associations between learning disabilities, emotional, behavioural and psychiatric problems, and impaired communication. The nature of the communication impairments experienced by individuals with learning disabilities is likely to be complex, with cumulative and inter‐related features associated with the general developmental delay, the phenotypical presentation in a particular syndrome, the presence of specific linguistic impairments and the indirect impact of other difficulties on communication skills. A number of parameters need to be addressed in a communication assessment in order to take account of the complexity and dynamism of the communication process. They concern not only the underlying developmental and communication impairments affecting particular areas of functioning, but also many aspects of the wider context in which the communication takes place.