How to Hear Me: A resource kit for counsellors and other professionals working with people with intellectual disabilities
The WWILD- SVP Association – Disability Training Program – Victims of Crime published How to Hear Me: a resource kit for counsellors and other professionals working with people with intellectual disabilities.
This resource kit brings together much of the knowledge WWILD has gathered over the years about the lives of vulnerable people with intellectual disabilities, and seeks to educate on issues that affect people’s lives, particularly for a counselling context.
Issues such as communication, social disadvantage and discrimination, vulnerability, and cognitive issues are covered, as well as several counselling methodologies that are known to be effective, and how they may be adjusted by counsellors to meet the needs of people with intellectual disabilities.
The kit includes a DVD of demonstrations of the techniques. How to Hear Me was published with the support of the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General Building Capacity for Victims of Crime Services Funding Program.
Download Book Here: How_To_Hear_Me_plus_covers_website version – Final
View the Demonstration videos of therapeutic techniques on YouTube
Hard copies of the booklet and DVD are available from WWILD for $25. Please contact us to order a copy.
Reference: WWILD-SVP Association Inc. (2011) The ‘How to Hear Me: A resource kit for counsellors and other professionals working with people with intellectual disabilities’ , Brisbane, QLD.
Copyright Disclaimer
The ‘How to Hear Me: A resource kit for counsellors and other professionals working with people with intellectual disabilities’ is subject to WWILD SVP Association © 2011.
All resources created by WWILD-SVP Association are under © WWILD SVP ASSOCIATION Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The Disability Support Toolkit
The Disability Support Toolkit has resources for frontline workers supporting people with disability who have been impacted by violence and abuse. The Toolkit is a result of the Disability Pathways Project, which aimed to improve responses for people with disability who have been impacted by sexual assault, domestic and family violence. WWILD clients contributed to this project.
This Toolkit includes:
- Videos to share with clients on how to contact the 1800RESPECT service and how the service works
- Easy English booklets that can be downloaded or ordered free from 1800RESPECT
- Information about the Sunny app.
This Toolkit can be used in conjunction with information provided on our website on Inclusive Practice: Supporting people with disability.
Other Articles/Resources:
Atkinson, Judy (2020) Working and walking alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people: A practical guide for non-Indigenous workers, Australia, May 2020.
This resource is designed to provide information, concepts, practical skills and suggestions to guide non-Indigenous professionals working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and their families/communities, in particular those who have experienced trauma.
Dore, L. 2011, Therapy and People with Intellectual Disability, CAPA The Quarterly; Journal of the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Association of NSW Inc., Issue One.
Family Planning Victoria, 2012, Sexual Assault and Intellectual Disability Resource Kit – Working with Intellectual Disability Clients, Family Planning Victoria & South East Centre Against Sexual Assault, Victoria, available at
http://www.secasa.com.au/pages/working-with-intellectual-disability-clients/working-with-intellectual-disability-clients/
Gallagher, E. 2002, Adult Clients with Mild ‘Intellectual Disability’: Rethinking our Assumptions, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 202-210.
Hagiliassis, N., Di Marco, M., Gulbenkoglu, H., Iacono, T. & Watson, J. 2006, Beyond Speech Alone: Guidelines for Practitioners providing Counselling Services to Clients with Disabilities and Complex Communication Needs, The Bridging Project, Scope (Vic) & Centre for Developmental Disability Health Victoria, Melbourne.
Frawley, P., Wellington, M.,., O’Shea, A., McAurthur, G., Plunkett, K & Stokoe, L. (2019). “Putting it into Practice”: Using Specialist Resources to support women and girls with disabilities who have experiences violence and abuse: Final report and guidelines. Geelong: Deakin University. Research report on the development of the Disability Ability Support Toolkit.
Raffensperger, M. 2010, Facilitating Positive Counselling Outcomes for Clients with an Intellectual Disability, A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences in the University of Canterbury,
available at http://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/bitstream/10092/4947/1/thesis_fulltext.pdf
Other Online Resources:
The Healing Foundation is a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation that partners with communities to address the ongoing trauma caused by actions like the forced removal of children from their families. Our work helps people create a different future. Resources and online training are available regarding the above. Go to: http://healingfoundation.org.au/