UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE WITH UNCLEAR SPEECH
There are many reasons for unclear speech. It could be that the person has an acquired brain injury or developmental disability that affects the neurological pathways and the muscles used for speaking. Or, they simply may have an accent because English is not their first language.
It is common for people to pretend to understand or avoid engaging someone with unclear speech. We do not want to say the wrong thing or be insensitive. Assumptions may be made, even unconsciously, that the person:
• does not want attention drawn to them • has an intellectually disability • has a hearing impairment
• cannot understand what others are saying • needs others to talk on their behalf • is not reliable giving evidence.
People with speech that is difficult to understand have the frequent experience of others pretending to understand them or avoiding conversations with them. Here are some ways to feel confident about engaging and including someone with unclear speech in a conversation:
• Be honest and respectful. Most people welcome someone being honest with them and taking time to work out what they are saying. Let the person know that you did not understand everything they said and that you want to know what they are saying.
• Tune in – the speech, voice rhythms and pitch may take a little time to adjustto; once you become familiar with the differences, it becomes easier to understand.
• Exercise patience and maintain attentive body language and engagement while listening.
• Be prepared to give plenty of time to listening: do not hurry, do not finish the person’s sentences and do not cut them off with “OK” or “I know what you’re saying.”
• Ask the person to repeat in themselves in specific ways, for example:
- “Would you tell me that again, slowly?” - “Can you tell me that in a different way?” or “Can you use a different word for that?”
- “I missed some of that – would you tell me the first part again?” etc.
- “Can you show what you mean?”
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