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.

301 topics, showing 121–130 (page 13 of 31).

G

Greetings and goodbyes

Also called Social greetings, Hello and goodbye, Openers and closers

Hello, bye, see you later, how are you: the small words that open every conversation, and why a person with only requests on their board never starts one.

Grid size

Also called Cell count, Number of cells, Button size, Grid layout

How many cells fit on a page, and what fewer or more actually costs: bigger targets and fewer words, or more words and a harder reach.

Group scanning

Also called Block scanning, Group-item scanning, Quadrant scanning

The screen is split into blocks; pick a block, then a row within it, then a cell. A third pass that pays for itself on a big vocabulary.

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.

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