Communication A to Z

Somebody hands you a leaflet that says AAC. A review mentions partner-assisted scanning. A ward asks whether your dad has a communication passport. Everyone else in the room seems to know what these words mean, and asking feels like admitting you're behind. You aren't. This library explains each one plainly: what it is, who it helps, how it works, and what you can do about it this week. Search by the word you heard.

Please note: This page is general information about communication and the ways people are supported to communicate. It is not an assessment, a diagnosis or speech and language therapy, and it does not know the person you have in mind. If you are worried about someone's speech, language or communication, ask a GP, a health visitor or a speech and language therapist. In an emergency, call 999; if you cannot speak, Relay UK on 18000 or the emergencySMS service reach the same operators.

13 topics filed under H, showing 1–10 (page 1 of 2).

H

Hand-over-hand

Also called Physical prompting, Full physical prompt, Hand over hand guidance

Taking a person's hand and moving it to the symbol for them. Here's why most practitioners have stopped, and what they do instead.

Hand-under-hand

Also called Hand under hand guidance, Hand-under-hand support

The person rests their hand on top of yours while you move. They feel what you're doing, they can lift off whenever they like, and they stay in charge.

Handover between carers

Also called Communication handover, Shift handover, Passing on communication needs

How a person communicates must pass to every new carer, every shift, every change of staff. If it lives in one person's head it is already lost.

Hands-on signing

Also called Tactile BSL, Hands-on BSL, Tactile signing, Tracking

Full BSL received through the hands rather than the eyes, for Deaf signers who have lost their sight.

Head pointer

Also called Head stick, Head wand, Head-mounted pointer, Light pointer

A stick or a light on a headband, used to press keys and cells directly. Fifty years old, no battery, and still the right answer for some people.

Head tracking

Also called Head mouse, Head pointing, Head control, Camera mouse

Moving a pointer with small movements of the head, read by a camera or a reflective dot. Hands-free, cheaper than eye gaze, and it needs a steady neck.

Health words

Also called Medical vocabulary, Illness words, Health set

Ill, tired, sick, medicine, doctor, better, worse. The words for saying you are unwell, understanding what is being done about it, and refusing some of it.

Hearing loss and communication

Also called Deafness and communication, Deaf children and language, Hard of hearing

Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, the languages involved, the choices families face in the first year, and why the only bad choice is delay.

High-tech AAC

Also called Electronic AAC, Powered communication aid, AAC app

Devices and apps that speak. What they add over paper, and what they cost you in setup, charging and someone to look after them.

Hospital communication boards

Also called Ward communication boards, Patient communication boards, ICU communication boards, Bedside communication charts

Boards kept on wards so a person who cannot speak can say pain, cold, toilet, when, and who, and why every ward should have one on every shift.

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