How do you communicate with people who can't talk?

[etalns]

I'm trying to write a story but I'm not very well experienced with older people who are unable to speak. How did you usually go about communicating with people who were unable to speak?

Any help is appreciated.

From my experience in the past (although it was with younger children who would likely be incapable of speaking competent English anyways) we would typically use sign language and body language to communicate with one another. Is it similar when dealing with older individuals?

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Sign language, pen & paper, body language.

I've lost my voice almost completely on a few occasions. Block capitals tends to work well. 🙂

- M4H

 

[EatSpam]

I've had to deal with people who are deaf and mute when working customer service. We typically just wrote down our conversation on paper.

 

[etalns]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Sign language, pen & paper, body language.

I've lost my voice almost completely on a few occasions. Block capitals tends to work well. 🙂

- M4H

Great, thanks for the feedback M4H.

When you say sign language, do you mean formal sign language? Or just a system of signals that all humans would understand? (For example, feigning a yawn would show that you are tired, even though it is not proper sign language.)

 

[Aimster]

well if it was a female..

I just whipped it out

..pretty much what is on a guy's mind 24.7

 

[etalns]

Originally posted by: Aimster
well if it was a female..

I just whipped it out

..pretty much what is on a guy's mind 24.7

Thanks for your completely useless response.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Qosis

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Sign language, pen & paper, body language.

I've lost my voice almost completely on a few occasions. Block capitals tends to work well. 🙂

- M4H

Great, thanks for the feedback M4H.

When you say sign language, do you mean formal sign language? Or just a system of signals that all humans would understand? (For example, feigning a yawn would show that you are tired, even though it is not proper sign language.)

Few people would use ASL, since it's pretty much a language that's learned on-demand. When someone goes to pick up a second/third language, it's usually a spoken one. Moreso the "body language extended" idea you made an example of there. 🙂

- M4H

 

[JDrake]

I'd write it down...

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Qosis

Originally posted by: Aimster
well if it was a female..

I just whipped it out

..pretty much what is on a guy's mind 24.7

Thanks for your completely useless existance.

Fixed.

- M4H

 

[Chompman]

Originally posted by: Aimster
well if it was a female..

I just whipped it out

..pretty much what is on a guy's mind 24.7

You beat me to it... 🙁

 

[Looney]

It becomes a game of charade.

 

[Aimster]

Originally posted by: Qosis

Originally posted by: Aimster
well if it was a female..

I just whipped it out

..pretty much what is on a guy's mind 24.7

Thanks for your completely useless response.

How can it be useless?
You responded

Therefore it served its purpose

🙂

 

[Aimster]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: Qosis

Originally posted by: Aimster
well if it was a female..

I just whipped it out

..pretty much what is on a guy's mind 24.7

Thanks for your completely useless existance.

Fixed.

- M4H

I heart you M4H
You're my role-model. I only try to be like you.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: Qosis

Originally posted by: Aimster
well if it was a female..

I just whipped it out

..pretty much what is on a guy's mind 24.7

Thanks for your completely useless existance.

Fixed.

- M4H

I heart you M4H
You're my role-model. I only try to be like you.

Good. You can start by losing about a hundred pounds, that Cheetos-fed face, and cut your damn hair, hippy.

- M4H

 

[Aimster]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: Qosis

Originally posted by: Aimster
well if it was a female..

I just whipped it out

..pretty much what is on a guy's mind 24.7

Thanks for your completely useless existance.

Fixed.

- M4H

I heart you M4H
You're my role-model. I only try to be like you.

Good. You can start by losing about a hundred pounds, that Cheetos-fed face, and cut your damn hair, hippy.

- M4H

You're evil.
Feel good?

 

[tjaisv]

hmm i wonder what HIS pic looks like...

 

[Schadenfreude]

Originally posted by: Looney
It becomes a game of charade.

I've dealt with foreign citizens who do not speak english. This pretty much always turns into a game of chrades until someone comes to translate/finds a translation boook.

 

[TySnyder]

I recently had a tumor in my throat removed and they had to manipulate my vocal cords rendering me without voice still to this day. (Surgery was two weeks ago) Mostly I try to use hand signals and hope that the person I am speaking with can somewhat read lips. I mouth words slowly and dramatically.

TS