BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk// X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sharing personal experience with people who have severe and profou nd communication difficulties. - Dr Nicola Grove\, Director\, Openstorytel lers\, Honorary Research Fellow\, City University DTSTART:20110202T123000Z DTEND:20110202T133000Z UID:TALK27617@talks.cam.ac.uk CONTACT:Sarah White DESCRIPTION:Narrative recall of personal experience is critical to the for mation of personal identity\, is fundamental to the process of decision ma king\, and is one of the main ways in which people make and sustain friend ships over the lifespan. For people with severe and profound disabilities \, this kind of anecdotal storytelling is extraordinarily difficult. Evid ence suggests:-\n• Staff and families tell stories ABOUT people with hig h support needs\, but not WITH them \n• Lives are dominated by routines\ , so there are few reportable experiences. This reduces the likelihood of recall\, limits the potential for social learning and leads to a lack of m otivation to tell \n• Experiences that could be made into stories pass u nnoticed or are told only by staff \n• Social networks are restricted\, so there are few people interested in hearing a story \n• Additional pro blems include the difficulties for families in recalling highlights from t heir children’s lives and the prioritization of choice and control over issues of social inclusion. (Grove\, 2007) \n Storysharing™: is one of t he strands of the Mencap Involve Me project 2009-2011. It is an approach d eveloped over 10 years of research and action learning\, into the ways in which stories are shared between friends in everyday life. Funded by the Partnership Board in Somerset\, nine courses have been run over 3 years wi th 77 service users\, 39 staff\, in 8 residential homes and 1 day centre. Qualitative data were collected\, including: observations of sessions and interviews with staff before and after the project. Groups are now being run by staff\, with people visiting each other to share their stories\, a nd meeting up locally. We are on our way to establishing the main aim of the project: to develop a narrative culture across the service.\nThis pres entation will introduce the principles of storysharing\, demonstrate the p rocess through role play and video/audiotaped evidence\, and discuss the s ignificance of narrative in personal and social development.\n \nNicola Gr ove is Director of Openstorytellers Ltd\, the first company of storyteller s with learning disabilities. She is a retired speech and language therap ist\, with specialist interests in signing and augmentative and alternativ e communication\, and inclusive approaches to subjects in the National Cur riculum\, as well as narrative and storytelling. publications include:-\n \nGrove\, S.\, Grove\, N.\, Myerscough\, T. (2010) Intellectual disabili ties and war: Issues for consideration. Journal on Developmental Disabili ties\, (16)/1\, 82-90.\nGrove\, N\, (2007) Exploring the absence of high points in story reminiscence with carers of people with profound disabili ties Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities\,4\, 252- 259 \n Rudd\, H.\, Grove\, N & Pring\, T. (2007) Teaching pr oductive sign modifications to children with intellectual impairments Aug mentative and Alternative Communication\, 23\, 154-163.\n Grove \, N. & Dockrell\, J. (2000) Multi-sign combinations by children with inte llectual impairments: an analysis of language skills.Journal of Language\, Speech & Hearing Research\, 43\, 309-323.\nGrove\, N.\, Porter\, J.\, Bu nning\, K. & Olsson\, C. (1999) Interpreting the meaning of communication by people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities:Theoretical & methodological issues. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabi lities\, 23\n\nGrove\, N. (2010) The big book of Storysharing:At home\, in school. London: SENJIT/Institute of Education.\nGrove\, N. (2009) Learni ng to tell\; a handbook for inclusive storytelling. Kidderminster: BILD p ublication. \nGrove\, N. (2005) Ways into Literature. London:David Fulton . 2nd Edition of Literature for All: London: David Fulton. Joint winner NASEN book award\, 1999.\nvon Tetzchner\, S. & Grove\, N. (Eds) (2002) N ew developments in Augmentative and Alternative Communication.. London: Wh urr Publishers.\n\nGrove\, N. (2001) See what I mean: guidelines for the i nterpretation of communication by people with severe and profound disabili ties. BILD Publications.\nGrove\, N. & Park\, K. (1996) Odyssey NOW. Jess ica Kingsley Publishers\n LOCATION:Large Meeting Room\, Douglas House\, 18B Trumpington Road\, Cambr idge END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR