Tips for identifying and assisting people with hidden communication needs


• Allow time to build rapport to enable: - the interviewer to observe language abilities of the person and which strategies might be needed - the person with the communication disability to feel more at ease and, therefore, more likely to say when they don’t understand a question or don’t understand what is happening


• Consider inconsistencies with time, date and sequence of events in the context of the person’s disability. It may not be purposefully vague, evasive or misleading evidence.


• Dates and times of appointments may be difficult to remember. Assist the person to write down or enter the appointment in their diary. If necessary, enable reminders (on their calendar) to remind them of the appointment.


Easy English versions of legal information


• Easy English resources describe legal concepts using a few key everyday words and pictures. • Below are Easy English versions of a ‘charge’ and the accompanying bail conditions. These ‘communication postcards‘ can be can be found on New Zealand’s Talking Trouble website www.talkingtroublenz.org


• The front page of this handbook contains an Easy English version of explaining ‘Your Rights When Arrested’.


CHARGE (what the police say you did)


= Possession of instruments for conversion You had things to use for stealing a car


• SCREWDRIVER • VICEGRIPS • TOOLS


ON YOUR BODY


BAG


10


HAND


POCKET


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