Non-formal communication

This page explains what non-formal communication is, who uses it and how to use it, with some top tips. You can also find out about useful communication tools. 

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What is non-formal communication?

How Sense can help

We offer free and impartial information about living with complex needs, including deafblindness.

We also offer services all over the UK, including day services, community support and residential care. Talk to our team to find out more.

Get in touch by phone, email, post or through a BSL interpreter.

Non-formal communication is a way to express your feelings, wants and choices without speaking, writing or signing. 

This can include: 

  • Body language. 
  • Changes in breathing patterns. 
  • Eye pointing. 
  • Facial expression. 
  • Gestures. 
  • Making sounds (or vocalisations). 
  • Pointing. 

For example, a smile is a good sign that a person is happy, and pointing at a biscuit is a great way to let another person know you want it. 

If you’re a disabled child or adult with complex needs, including deafblindness or learning disabilities, you can use non-formal ways to get information and express your feelings, wants and choices.

Who uses non-formal communication?

We all do! It’s how we all start to communicate as babies. 

Non-formal communication may be the only form of communication used by disabled people with complex needs. This can include children and adults with: 

  • Severe and complex learning difficulties.
  • Very severe learning difficulties.
  • Multi-sensory impairments/deafblindness.
  • A diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
  • A learning disability.
  • Behaviour that challenges.
  • Dementia.

Everyone supporting a disabled child or adult with complex needs can use non-formal communication to interact with other people and develop communication skills in a natural, relaxed and enjoyable way.

This includes: 

  • Parents. 
  • Family members and friends.  
  • Speech and language therapists. 
  • Care staff. 
  • Occupational therapists. 
  • Psychologists. 
  • Anyone working for the wellbeing of people with communication needs. 

Before you read on…

  • You can communicate using a mix of different ways (we all do!)
  • At Sense, we use whatever combination of speech, touch, sign or visual language works best.
  • It’s never too late to start.
  • Have a go and don’t worry about getting it wrong.

Top tips for non-formal communication

  • Take time to get to know the person and how they prefer to communicate.
  • Respond positively to every attempt they make to communicate.
  • Be consistent in the way you communicate and support them.
  • Keep familiar routines where possible.
  • Use short, simple phrases to make things easier to understand.
  • Music can help people make choices and express themselves.
  • Keep notes about the different ways the person communicates, so you can check your understanding over time.
  • Talk with family, carers and other people who know them well, so you can build a shared understanding of how they communicate.
  • When everyone responds in a consistent way, it helps give meaning and value to the person’s communication.

Useful communication aids 

As well as observing and responding, there are useful aids that you can use to support people who use non-formal communication. These include:

E-Tran frames 

These are a way of using eye-pointing to communicate through pictures, symbols, letters, numbers and words.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices

Symbols used in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) include gestures, photographs, pictures, line drawings, letters and words.  

Find out more about communication aids and AAC devices.

Other types of communication

These are the main ways of communicating that we use:

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This content was last reviewed in April 2026. We’ll review it again in 2028.