Communicate - and Connect
Link to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wu1V30YLro. Animated video directed and edited by Dale Scheihagen. The Cardigans / Universal Music & Koch Entertainment © 2014
I loved the Cardigans when I was first a student (eek 20 years ago). So when I came across this Cardigans song "Communication" I couldn't help but listen!
One section really struck me: "If this is communication I disconnect I've seen you, I know you, but I don't knowHow to connect I disconnect"
We all know that feeling - when the person we are talking to just doesn't "get" us. It's frustrating, upsetting, enraging and profoundly isolating - disconnecting. We can only take so much of it before we make our exit from that interaction (I'd usually do it politely I hope, but for some of the people I work with it's much more explosive).
Whenever I spend time with people with complex communication impairments - especially those who are non-verbal - I am struck that they may often feel disconnected from those around them (and so frustrated, upset, enraged, isolated, etc. Disconnection can breed disconnection.
One of my passions as a Speech, Language and Communication Therapist is using the framework of Intensive Interaction to learn the language of the individual - whether that is the language of the scratching sound -or- the language of the flicking fingers, the language of sprinkling sand -or- the language of the whispered breaths. And when we manage to tune into that language, learn how to speak it then we are truly, wholeheartedly, respectfully and openly communicating - and truly connecting - and that's got to be a good thing for all of us.
If I could change the world it would be to help more and more people to know how to connect with those who speak a "different language".Together we can learn to communicate - and connect.
Watch and Listen here.