Talking Mats

Researchers from the University of Stirling have devised a new way for people with dementia to make their views known. People with dementia often experience communication difficulties and family, friends and staff in different settings may need to find ways to communicate with them more effectively.

Talking Mats is a low-tech, easily accessible, inexpensive tool that uses picture symbols to help people with a communication difficulty to express themselves more successfully. The simple framework of picture symbols and textured mat allows people to indicate their feelings about various options within a topic by placing the relevant image below a visual scale. It is an approach which helps people to think about issues in a different way.

The Talking Mats and Dementia package has been developed by Speech and Language Therapists and Researchers, Joan Murphy and Jane Macer.

The research that resulted in this package, and the package itself, were funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The full report resulting from the research: Communication and Dementia: How Talking Mats can help people with dementia to express themselves, by Joan Murphy, Cindy M Gray and Sylvia Cox, is published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and is available as a free download from www.jrf.org.uk

The package includes a DVD showing how three people with dementia used Talking Mats, a leaflet on Talking Mats and Dementia, and the excellent source book, Talking Mats: A Resource to Enhance Communication. The inclusion of an extensive symbol pack, comprising more than 50 symbols, a mat and some Velcro ensure that the package contains everything required to get communicating. The package costs £99.95 (including vat), and is available from 1 November 2008.

For further information contact Anna Fenge, Sales and Marketing Co-ordinator, on 01786 467645, [email protected], Talking Mats, AAC Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, FK4 4LA.