Transition into adult life is a gradual process of supporting a young person to build confidence into adulthood. This will include discussions about a range of topics from further education, housing and ways to support independence, in addition to moving away from well-known children’s services to new adult services.
This process should start from the age of 14 or by the time of the young person’s Year 9 annual review. The preparation of adult life service supports the smooth transition into adult services.
Young people transitioning to adult life should be supported as much as possible to maintain their independence and be supported to make decisions. Many young people will need this information presented to them in a way which supports their communication style to facilitate their understanding and decision making process.
Communication Passport
A communication passport is a way of documenting how a young person communicates. It is used to ensure that the young person’s communication preferences and needs can still be met even to those who are less familiar with them so that they can be supported.
Communication passports can be an invaluable resource and are particularly important during transition, when meeting new people, or in situations where regular caregivers are not present, such as a hospital visit.
A communication passport presents communication needs, likes and dislikes in an easy-to-follow format. They can summarise assessment information and provide key information with the young person helping others engage them well with consistency and respect.
A communication passport should include:
A communication passport helps respect the young person’s voice in all interactions and should be written as if the young person wrote them. These need to be created with the young person and those who know them best, involving parents, carers, education staff. They should be updated regularly, such as after transitions or change in placement. It is important that the communication passport is shared with professionals and those working with the young person as an important practical relationship-building tool which is used consistently to be most effective.
Communication Dictionary
A communication dictionary documents how an individual communicates in more detail. This is particularly important for young people who don’t communicate using a formal communication method such as speech, writing or signs. It records and explains the meaning behind the individual's non-verbal communication, such as gestures, facial expressions or sounds, ensuring consistent understanding across different settings.
It can help those who use gestures or body actions to communicate their needs and wants and ensure that their behaviours are understood by the communication partner and are respected.
A communication dictionary should be developed in collaboration with the individual, family and support staff who know the young person well.
Talking Mats
Talking mats are a picture-based interactive resource designed to allow those with communication needs to express opinions, think through an issue and facilitate conversation in a visual format. They can be used with eye pointing or partner assisted scanning.
Decisions can be broken down into manageable chunks that reduce cognitive load. The use of visuals reduces the pressure on spoken language and assists the expression of views. It can allow people time to reflect on their decisions and change their mind as necessary and can provide a shared resource on how that decision has been made.
Ongoing Support
The young person may need further support for their speech, language and communication skills after the age of 18, or 19 for those in a complex needs school. The Norfolk Learning Disability Service supports adults aged 18+ who have been diagnosed with a learning disability. They are a multidisciplinary team of health and social care professionals from Norfolk County Council and Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust. They run an open referral system where referrals can be made by any carer, parent or other professional. They work in a similar episode of care model to our service. A referral can be made by calling the Social Care Community Engagement (SCCE) on 0344 800 8020.
Some useful things to have in preparation for referral to the adult learning disability team:
All eating and drinking referrals are made by contacting Just One Number.
If you are concerned about a child’s eating, drinking, and swallowing please ring Just One Number on 0300 300 0123. A therapist will then ring you back to discuss your concerns.
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