Promoting accessible information and communication in healthcare settings is critical for improving better health outcomes. Communicating with a person who is autistic, or has an intellectual or communication disability takes extra time and consideration. In these cases, visual supports can be helpful to reduce reliance on verbal or written communication, simplify and clarify meaning, allow time for language processing and reduce anxiety.

While there are some existing tools available that enhance communication between healthcare providers and service users, in practice, these are not tailored to the mental health needs of adolescents and young adults. To improve the way clinicians are able to communicate with young people about challenging, sensitive and sometimes complex topics, The Alfred ICYAMHWS have developed a platform that enables bespoke creation of visual aids such as social stories, and interest checklists for use in the clinic. The tool also has potential for use when literacy is limited or where languages other than English are preferred.

The presentation will describe the process of development, (inspired by the Mental Health and Intellectual Disability-Youth team) through multidisciplinary and lived experience input. It will outline why VisAid was developed and describe its use in the clinical setting, providing some real-world examples of how VisAid can be used with young people and families in disability/mental health care.

The tool will demonstrate it’s simple, user friendly, customizable design that suits a variety of needs. It will showcase visual communication of common, sometimes sensitive concepts and coping strategies in a safe and supportive way.