The use of communication passports in services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Introduction: Communication passports are reported to function asclient-centred records that facilitate interaction between their users andothers. However, relatively little is known about the use ofcommunication passports in services for adults with intellectual anddevelopmental disabilities. This paper explores staff knowledge andunderstanding of service user’s communication skills in services wherepeople used communication passports and those where communicationpassports were not in use.Methods: Thirty service users (some using communicationpassports) took part in this research. Individual interviews were carriedout with up to three staff or family carers for each participant, in order toexplore staff knowledge about communication. Staff views werecompared with information in files, communication assessment data (including observations) and where possible, information gained frominterviews with service users.Results: Staff knowledge was mixed, with little agreement betweenstaff about service user communication. The quality of communicationwas also mixed. Communication was mostly verbal, despite the need for arange of communication approaches.Implications: The use of a communication passport alone does notappear to increase either the consistency or quality of communication inservices for adults with intellectual disabilities