Research of promoting of communication among persons with multiple disabilities

本研究的目的是找出机构中的多重残疾人可以分享他们的经验的活动，并澄清支助人员在促进他们之间的沟通方面的作用。参与者是五名成员(四名男性和一名女性)，年龄在29岁到51岁之间，由于严重的身体残疾，他们在语言表达功能而不是接受能力方面受到限制。工作人员是作者和两名研究生，为了前者的目的，工作人员向成员们提出了两个建议：第一个是他们体验到的通过操纵开关来轮椅的活动。第二项活动是，他们使用开关启动的即时相机(宝丽来相机)拍摄照片。成员们对这两个活动都表现出了兴趣和尝试，然后给出了他们的几个印象。出于后一种目的，他们的印象是下一次谈话的主题之一。对于后一种目的，已经建立了每月一次同伴交谈的机会。在对话中有几个主题(例如，他们所在机构的一些事件和活动、他们的家庭、工作人员、食物以及上述两项活动的经历)。在最初的阶段，成员们单独谈论个人话题，但他们逐渐变成对同伴的话题提出问题和评论。在这种方法中，工作人员需要扮演翻译者、促进者和参与者的三个角色。尤其是口译员的角色非常重要，为了发挥口译员的作用，工作人员必须调查受试者的背景(如日常生活、家庭、兴趣等)。同样重要的是，工作人员在扮演促进者角色时要考虑成员的个性。

The purposes of the present study were to find out activities that institutionalized persons with multiple disabilities could share their experiences, and to clarify the roles of support-staffs promoting communication among them. The participants were five members (four males and a female) aged 29 to 51 years, and were restricted in function of language expression rather than reception due to severe physical disabilities. Staffs were author and two graduate students.For the former purpose, staffs made two propositions to members ; first was a activity which they experienced to wheel their wheelchairs by manipulate of switches on their own. Second was a activity which they shot photographs by using instant cameras (Polaroid cameras) activated by switches. Members manifested interest in and tried to both activities, and then gave their several impressions. Their impressions were one of topics of conversations in next situation for the latter purpose.For the latter purpose, chances of peer conversations have set up once a month. In the conversation there were several topics (e.g., some events and activities in their institution, their families, staffs, foods, and experiences of above-mentioned two activities). In the early stages members talked about personal topics individually, but they progressively became to give questions and comments of peer's topics. In this approach staffs were needed the three roles of interpreter, facilitator and participant. Especially, the role of interpreter was very important, and for playing the role, staffs should investigate subject's background (e.g., daily life, family, interests, etc.). It was also important that staffs considered individual characters of members for playing roles of facilitator.