Feel more confident communicating from the start

My Meaning gives support workers a practical guide to how each participant communicates, so you can spend less time guessing and more time building a positive connection.

Before a shift, activity or first meeting, you can quickly understand the participant’s communication preferences, important signals, preferred AAC methods, processing time and agreed strategies. This helps create a more consistent experience for the participant and gives you a clearer starting point for support.

A practical communication tool for everyday support

Prepare before you start

Review the participant’s current communication profile so you know the important things to look for before providing support.

Recognise important communication signals

Understand how the participant may express choices, refusal, requests for help, discomfort, preferences or the need for a break.

Use agreed communication strategies consistently

Follow the same practical guidance as other members of the participant’s support team, reducing reliance on verbal handovers or individual knowledge.

Feel more confident when you are unsure

Use the communication profile as a reference point rather than having to guess what a particular gesture, sound, movement or response may mean.

Contribute useful observations

Record meaningful everyday communication experiences that may help the wider team better understand what is working and where communication may be breaking down.

Help improve communication over time

Flag when a strategy does not appear to be working or when you notice a new communication pattern that may be worth reviewing.

Keep observations simple and useful

Provide observation and insigths. Record what happened, what you observed, how you responded and what happened next.

Provide images / video / audio 

Help to provide context or changes and areas for review

Example Records Sent to Clinical Lead

Jordan pushed the plate away, turned their head away and vocalised. I offered the food-choice board. Jordan selected “finished” and moved away from the table.

Keep formal records in the right place

My Meaning is designed for communication guidance and everyday communication observations. Incident reports and other formal records should continue to be documented in the usual systems.