On not being noticed: intellectual disabilities and the non-vocal register
W.M.L. Finlay
Charles Antaki
Chris Walton
2134/5801
https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/journal_contribution/On_not_being_noticed_intellectual_disabilities_and_the_non-vocal_register/9471938
Gestures unaccompanied by sound risk not being registered by their intended
recipient. We chart examples of this in a video recording of a meeting between people
with intellectual disabilities and support staff in a group home. The recordings reveal
that even individuals with very limited spoken language can, and do, design non-vocal
gestures to make intelligible contributions to the conversation as it is unfolding. But
they are often unseen. Were such contributions to be noticed and taken up, we argue,
they would reveal a variety of substantive contributions to the interaction, notably
residents' concerns to display their understanding of the current topic and its
interactional requirements, for themselves and others. We consider whether, and how,
such unratified contributions may arise out of a dilemma faced by staff, and manifest
a diminished identity that staff members (and researchers) unwittingly impose on
residents.
2010-01-15 16:08:24
Intellectual disability
Learning disability
Mental retardation
Developmental disabilities
Gestures
Identity
Empowerment
Choice
Control
Disempowerment
Residential services
Staff
Communication
Interaction
Meetings
Non-verbal
Signs
Language, Communication and Culture not elsewhere classified
Studies in Human Society not elsewhere classified