Resources

Mary Hayden offers practical suggestions for law enforcement and court personnel when meeting the particular needs of people with cognitive and other disabilities. It covers the need for clear and concrete communication, appropriate ways to ask questions and clarifying answers, and the need to stay focused and calm, as well as ways of responding to a crime victim. Hayden also discusses the issue of interpreting agreement, suggesting that the person is accompanied by an advocate who knows the individual well. She offers other options where this is not possible. Many of the suggestions are relevant to other areas of life. Keyword: Legal, Searchword: Professionals