Essay On Developmental Delay In Communication

Communication is one of the most important actions that human being use throughout their daily lives. Tamparo and Lindh define communication as the sending and receiving of messages. Sometimes we are aware or conscious of the messages being sent or received and sometimes we are not. We are, however, always sending and receiving them (Tamparo and Lindh, 2008, pg. 12). The incident I am choosing to write about and analyze happened at A Night To Shine, which is an prom-like event hosted by Tim Tebow for individuals with disabilities. There is a buddy system in place to make sure that all individuals with disabilities are paired with one person (their buddy) and must remain with them for the entirety of the night. My “date” was a 19-year-old female diagnosed with developmental delay. She did not have any obvious physical disabilities and was relatively …show more content…
The wide range of individuals with disabilities that attended the event, were all catered to. The room was full of smiles and abundant energy; there was not a doubt that everyone was having a festive night. Communication is an extremely important tool for occupational therapists to utilize. Relying on what the client says and does not say will make all of the difference in creating an effective intervention strategy and also establishing a positive therapeutic relationship with the client. It is often challenging for individuals with developmental delay to feel a sense of normalcy and they struggle to relate to those without the disability. While I did experience some difficulty in the beginning and mild anxiety (when we could not find her sister), I was able to remain calm and keep my focus on my buddy and keep her as happy and carefree as possible. We both left with smiles on our faces, though seeing her smile meant the