Holistic video analysis gives deeper insights into the communication of persons with deafblindness

The holistic perspective was taught to the participants at Nordic Welfare Centres course Video analysis – A holistic perspective, held last week at Skeppsholmen, Stockholm.

The speakers at the course, Helle Buelund Selling, Sanne Brink, Caroline Lindström, and Camilla Warnicke highlighted the importance of a holistic approach to video analysis in communication research and in practice, to enhance understanding of individuals’ communicative abilities and potential, to support individuals with sensory impairments.

The value of multiple perspectives

– When you only focus on one area, you get a lot of information about that area. But when you do several layers of analyses and put them together, you get more perspectives on the individual and you can more clearly see what potentials and resources they have, says Helle Buelund Selling, Development Consultant, Denmark.

Video analysis is person-centred and the aim is, in relation to people who do not express themselves through what is referred to as conventional expressions, to get better access to what they are actually expressing and in what way. Such analysis will help reinforce the assumptions and hypotheses one makes.

– Through the video analyses, we can see the relationship between the communicators, the communicative resources they use and, not least, the linguistic skills they possess, says Camilla Warnicke, Authorized Interpreter of Swedish and Swedish Sign Language and Deaf-Blind Interpreter, as well as Associated Professor in Social Work at Örebro University.

The power of video analysis

Video analysis as a tool is indispensable for understanding people’s needs and expressions and has long been in use within the deafblind field.

– Everyone needs to be heard, seen and understood. Video analytics as a tool allows us to see the parts we miss in a here-and-now interaction, explains Sanne Brink, Specialist in Special Education, Denmark.

– By analysing the video clip, we can go back and forth, watch it as many times as we need to, and we can magnify the parts we want to highlight in the situation. Being able to have multiple perspectives on the same sample allows us to learn more about the person and gain more knowledge about his or her potential, says Sanne Brink.

A unique insight into the individual’s world

Caroline Lindström, Assistant Head of Operations and Specialist in Special Education, Sweden, adds that the stories that emerge when delving into the material provide a unique insight into the individual’s world.

– Working together in groups with video analysis brings out many reflections and can lead to new knowledge that will be important in future work. Everyone who contributes to a video analysis has their own unique perspective based on their own background, education, and practice. When you share this, you can build new hypotheses about what is happening and come up with interventions that you might not have thought of on your own, she says.

Upcoming seminar

This autumn, a seminar will be held with all the Nordic networks from the deafblind field, bringing together experts to contribute their different perspectives. The seminar will provide a platform for discussing holistic approaches, ensuring that professionals across the Nordic countries can benefit from and contribute to the evolving body of knowledge.

– That seminar will be a unique opportunity to unite our efforts and insights across the Nordic countries. By sharing our diverse perspectives and experiences, we can develop more comprehensive and effective approaches to support individuals with deafblindness, says Gøran Gregor Caspian Andreas Forsgren, senior adviser at Nordic Welfare Centre.