NCJ Number
154580
Date Published
1994
Length
189 pages
Annotation
This document describes Project Cleartalk, developed to help police respond to the communication needs of people with an intellectual disability.
Abstract
The Cleartalk project is a cohesive attempt to support police in responding to the communication needs of people with an intellectual disability. To facilitate communication between police and people with an intellectual disability, ways of communicating beyond either the expected or the convenient must be acknowledged. Effective communication can be facilitated by considering the following principles: (1) A sympathetic interviewing environment helps fulfill an individual's communicative needs; (2) Allowing time for questioning and responding acknowledges the needs of the individual; (3) Using interactive questioning techniques helps gauge the understanding of the person being interviewed; (4) The presence of a third person such as a citizen advocate may be helpful; and (5) Use of props such as pictures, objects, signs, and communication boards may also facilitate communication. Police and others need to recognize that communicative ability varies greatly across the population with whom they have contact, and effective and fair policing is contingent upon recognition and response to these differences. The document contains training modules. Bibliography