A referral label and the actual communication needs
An agency requests a CDI for a Deaf adult attending a meeting with a service provider. The referral calls the person difficult but gives no concrete examples. The adult has used another signed language, some home-based gestures, and limited written English in previous encounters. A companion offers to answer every question and says the interpreter need not consult the adult directly. The meeting will use remote video, but the camera is aimed only at the person’s face and the connection sometimes freezes. The provider interprets pauses as evidence that the person cannot make decisions. The CDI must identify actual languages and access barriers, assess appropriate resources and team composition, and prevent unsupported judgments about intelligence or agency from replacing a communication assessment.
1. What should the assessment prioritize?
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Consult the adult through an accessible approach about language and preferences. Seek concrete observations rather than accept the referral label. Assess the language pathway, framing, connection, setting, and available qualified resources. A different language or interrupted channel does not establish incapacity.
2. How should the companion and provider roles be handled?
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Clarify that the adult’s own message and choices remain central. Companion knowledge may help in an appropriate agreed role, but it does not automatically replace the adult. Support direct interaction and explain relevant access issues without diagnosing or becoming the service decision-maker.