5.0 Non-verbal Communication for Engaging Seniors in Learning

In Unit 4 you looked at what language is and how people use it to communicate. But communication is not just about words. In fact, many researchers agree that most of our communication is non-verbal: "How much of our communication is non-verbal?"

Many people living with dementia struggle with words. They may find it difficult to understand words or to remember the word they would like to use in a particular situation. In this activity you will consider what happens if that barrier is removed and think about how you could use non-verbal communication to engage and learn with senior learners. 

In this activity you will learn about the ‘adaptive interaction’ concept developed by Dr Maggie Ellis who is a Fellow in Dementia Care at the University of St Andrews. Maggie Ellis and colleagues developed this method of using non-verbal communication as an alternative way for facilitating connection with people with advanced dementia. 

Step A

Listen to three audio excerpts in which Maggie speaks about how she came to work with people with dementia, how she developed a research programme Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid (CIRCA) and what the results of this project were. Finally, she speaks about her second project Living in the Moment and its results.

Listen to the three audio excerpts and note down the main findings from her research. 

Audio 1: Background to Maggie Ellis’s research

Audio 2: CIRCA project and its results

Audio 3: Living in the moment project and its results

Compare your answers with our model answer.

Step B