Browsing by Subject "osaava kumppanuus"

Aim: Social interaction is the basis for experiencing life and knowing the fact that one even exists. For people with speech impairments the opportunities to be heard and to participate in social interaction depends greatly their communication partner's skills to act as a competent and a guiding partner. In this study, the term communication partner refers to staff working with people with speech impairments. Staff interaction skills will largely depend on the knowledge, skills and attitudes that they have embraced during their education, work and life experience. The purpose of this study was to gather and describe staff observations of interaction when the OIVA-interaction model applied in community. The aim of this study was to provide information about the elements of a successful interaction, as well as to illustrate the factors which are key in developing interaction skills in communities that provide services for people with severe speech impairments. Methods: The research data for this study were collected by the Communication and Technology Center of the Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Tikoteekki). The data consisted of 38 OIVA-interaction model summary forms, which were gathered during the period of 2010-2013 from the communities that provide services for people with severe speech impairments and whom participated in the OIVA-interaction models. Summary forms were filled in by the actual OIVA-counselors. The data were analyzed applying the Grounded Theory method. Results and conclusions: The core category of collaborative interaction learning became the combining theme for the entire data set. The core category consisted of three main categories: community and learning, competent partner and customer's quality of life. The core category describes the collaborative way of working, as well as socioconstructive and experiential learning to improve staff communication skills. Collaborative working practices helped staff to identify the key elements of interaction and strengthen the competent partnership by utilizing these elements. Well-functioning community and reflecting on learning among the members of the community played a key role when adopting new interaction skills. Staff as a competent partner made it possible for their customers to have the best possible quality of life regarding interaction.