Design of a non-verbal method of communication using cartoons

Introduction. Nursery care to patients with serious disorders of language expression is complex and arises nervousness in the patient, his relatives and in the professionals caring for him. Objective. Our aim has been to design a number of drawings which allow us to improve our ability to connect with patients suffering from serious disorders of verbal language. Material and methods. We have applied a booklet of drawings, representing the most common needs of this kind of patients, to a group of 34 patients affected of severe dysarthria or motor aphasia. Results. Most of our patients have used this booklet to express their basic needs and that has resulted in a lower degree of anxiety in these patients. Conclusions. Our intention was not to design a new language but to use a very simple form of language, visual language, to standardize the most basic communication with patients affected of severe language disorders. We invite other groups on neurological nursing in our country to use this strategy so as to connect with their patients.