Stories for Health and Social Care

Improving health care for patients with learning disabilities and/or autism

Good communication is at the heart of safe, effective and compassionate health care.

You want your doctor or social worker to be a good listener. Our stories told in pictures will help them explain things to you. Just as importantly our stories will help you to ask questions and be reassured that the professional understands your wishes and concerns. Professionals need to practice their listening skills. Our books will help them to listen to you.

It’s too easy for a professional to assume that you won’t understand. It’s called ‘diagnostic overshadowing’ and it applies whether you have an illness like depression or whether you have heart disease. It’s when the health or care professional thinks that your worries, or your pain are due to your learning disability or because you’re an autistic person.

Time listening to each other will help you to make your own decisions.

Using Books Beyond Words in clinical interactions:

builds understanding and trust between patient and practitioner;
reduces anxiety;
empowers people to be more involved in decision-making and to manage their own health;
improves health care outcomes and reduces health inequalities.
are just as important whether you are physically ill or have mental health issues.

Empowering people to shape the support you give.

Using Books Beyond Words in life planning and social care

Focuses on the things that are important to each person, your likes and dislikes, experiences you’ve had and how these things make you feel. All these things matter!

You can choose a life event or experience to explore: moving house, making friends and having relationships, keeping safe and healthy and finding a job or volunteering, as well as more difficult things like bereavement, abuse and end of life.

Taking the time to listen and understand a person will help social care professionals provide the support each person’s need to live the life they choose.