Communication Training for Co-workers of Individuals With Developmental Disabilities in the Workplace

Thursday, 11:00am to 1:00pm
Seabright
Poster 1
Individuals with developmental disabilities frequently possess complex communication needs. Communication impairments are often the most common and influential barriers of employment. As a result, adults with developmental disabilities have difficulty maintaining employment and need consistent communication supports within the workplace to assist with job tasks and interactions with community members. Non-disabled coworkers are often the primary communication partners and often do not receive formal training regarding how to effectively communicate with their disabled coworkers. A quasi-experimental research design investigated the effectiveness of communication training for coworkers of developmentally disabled employees. Intervention was implemented in the form of 10 minute PowerPoint presentation with the opportunity for a question and answering period or an informational handout only, along with a question and answer period. Eighteen employees volunteered and were randomly divided into two groups, Group A and Group B. Group A received a PowerPoint presentation and informational handout; while Group B received an informational handout only. Pre/post-test questionnaires were administered, analyzed and compared. Results indicated statistically significant increases of scores for both methods of intervention, however; Group B, who received the informational handout, yielded greater increases in pre and post test scores. Implications for practice are discussed.
Track: 
Adult