ABSTRACT

For good quality medical care to result, the doctor must take time establishing the best possible communication link with the person with intellectual disability.

Taking a history, assessing a patient, making a diagnosis, and determining a treatment or management plan all involve communication. It is the cornerstone on which rapport is established, and is used to convey information and instructions to the patient. However, people with intellectual disability often have major com­ munication difficulties which are one of the most significant barriers to general practitioners providing high quality healthcare in this population.