LOST IN TRANSLATION

My wife coaches parents of children with autism. She often works with specialists who diagnose these conditions and write reports to explain what each child needs.

The problem is that the language in these reports is too complex. Even my wife, an expert in the field, sometimes struggles to understand them.

Imagine how hard it is for the parents.

She once showed me a phrase from one of these reports: “Alternative augmentative communication with predominantly receptive images.”

I read it three times. It still sounded like a riddle.

This language might make sense to the specialist. But the report isn’t for the specialist – it’s for the parent.

We often use acronyms, jargon or technical terms that make sense to us, but not to our audience.

To be a great communicator, you need to use simple language. Speak as if you’re explaining it to a fifteen-year-old.

Instead of “alternative augmentative communication,” say “using pictures to help your child understand.”