3.3 Describe how behaviour can be interpreted as an expression of communication

This guide will help you answer 3.3 Describe how behaviour can be interpreted as an expression of communication.

People use more than just words to express how they feel or what they want. Behaviour is a powerful way that many people communicate. This is true for everyone, but especially important in health and social care. There are many reasons why a person may not use spoken language to communicate. They might have a learning disability, dementia, mental health needs, speech problems, pain, or trauma.

Understanding how behaviour serves as communication lets workers respond in a supportive and respectful way. By recognising what behaviour might mean, care workers can improve how they meet people’s needs. This can help create a safer, calmer, and more supportive environment for everyone.

What is Behaviour as Communication?

Behaviour means any way a person acts. This includes actions like shouting, walking away, hitting, sleeping, or refusing food. Communication is sharing information, feelings, or needs. Not everyone uses speech, signs, or written words to do this. People show how they feel or what they want through their actions, too.

When people cannot use, or struggle with, spoken language, behaviour often takes over as the main way to express feelings or make needs known. For example, a person with dementia may hit out when feeling afraid or confused. Someone living with a learning disability might scream when upset rather than saying, “I’m angry.”

Common reasons why people use behaviour for communication:

• Cannot speak or write fluently
• Has speech or language difficulties
• Feels distress or pain
• Wants attention, help, or a break
• Needs to avoid something
• Feels frustration, fear, or confusion
• Lacks other ways to express a need

Types of Behaviour That Communicate

Some behaviours are easy to understand. Smiling, frowning, waving, or pointing are clear signals of what someone feels. Other behaviours might be harder to interpret. Aggression, withdrawal, or refusing care can puzzle staff unless they look for meaning beneath the surface.

Behaviour that can carry a message includes:

• Non-verbal cues: facial expressions, gestures, posture, eye contact
• Active behaviour: walking away, hitting, shouting, pacing
• Passive behaviour: refusing food or medication, sitting in silence, withdrawing from activities
• Repetitive behaviour: rocking, tapping, chanting

Each type of behaviour can tell staff something about what the person wants, feels, or needs, depending on the situation.

Why Behaviour Replaces Words

Some people do not have the language skills needed to say what they want or feel. This could be the result of:

• Learning difficulties
• Autism or neurodevelopmental differences
• Dementia or brain injury
• Mental health problems
• Stroke or physical illness affecting speech
• Cultural or language barriers

Pain, fear, or confusion might also stop someone from speaking up. If a person cannot put their needs or feelings into words, they may use their body instead. For example, a person in pain may moan, rock, or hold part of their body. Someone feeling scared may jump, hide, or shout.

Sometimes the environment makes communication through words too difficult. Noise, unfamiliar people, or not enough time can make talking nearly impossible. In these cases, behaviour rises in importance as the main means of expression.

Interpreting Behaviour in Practice

To interpret behaviour as communication means trying to understand what someone is telling you through their actions. This can help get to the root of needs, feelings, or problems.

A staff member can look for clues by thinking about:

• What happened just before the behaviour started? (triggers)
• What is the person trying to get, avoid, or express?
• What does the person’s history or care plan tell you?
• Has something changed in physical health, routine, or relationships?
• Are there signs of pain, boredom, or distress?

For example:

• A person with dementia shouts at tea time. Could they be in pain, hungry, confused, or overwhelmed?
• An adult with autism bangs the table when asked to wash. Are they anxious, unable to understand the request, or trying to delay the task?
• Someone withdraws from a group activity. They may feel tired, sad, or unwell.

Looking for patterns can help you figure out what the behaviour “means.” The same behaviour can mean different things for different people or at different times, so knowing the person is important.

Barriers to Understanding Behaviour

Sometimes workers can misread or ignore behaviour. This might happen because:

• The behaviour is seen as “bad” or “attention-seeking”
• Staff do not have enough time or training
• There is too much focus on stopping the behaviour rather than understanding it
• The person cannot explain their actions afterwards

If staff label behaviour as “challenging” without searching for the reason, they may miss out on what the person is trying to communicate. This can result in unmet needs, more distress, or increased risk.

Being patient, showing curiosity, and keeping an open mind can help break down these barriers. Workers need to look at the whole person, their background, health, environment, and how they have reacted in the past.

Supporting Communication Through Behaviour

Workers can support people who communicate through their behaviour by:

• Building strong, trusting relationships
• Learning about the person’s history, likes, dislikes, and preferred ways to communicate
• Keeping to routines as much as possible
• Noticing small changes in behaviour and recording them
• Using calm body language and facial expressions
• Giving people time to respond
• Offering choices in a simple way
• Reducing noise and stress in the environment
• Looking for physical reasons for distress, such as illness, hunger, or tiredness

Sometimes a behaviour support plan will be set up. This is a plan made with the person, their family, and professionals. It explains what certain behaviours usually mean, what triggers them, and how staff should respond. Such plans encourage safe, consistent, and compassionate responses.

Using Observation Skills

Care workers must watch carefully and listen to people’s non-verbal signals. Good observation skills involve:

• Noticing changes from the person’s usual behaviour
• Understanding facial expressions, tone of voice, or the way someone moves
• Watching how the person reacts to certain people, places, foods, or times of day

Keeping clear, detailed notes about behaviour helps build up a picture over time. Sharing this with the rest of the team, families, or health professionals can help everyone support the person better.

Recording and Reporting Behaviour

Recording behaviour accurately supports communication, care planning, and safety. Good records should include:

• Description of the behaviour (what happened)
• When it happened (time, day, circumstances)
• Who was there
• What happened before and after the behaviour
• How staff responded
• Any changes in health, medication, or environment

Reporting patterns to senior staff, health professionals, or families can lead to more support or assessments if needed.

Person-centred Approaches

Each person’s behaviour is unique. What means “angry” for one person may mean “afraid” for another. Person-centred care puts the person’s preferences and needs first. This means not judging people for their behaviour but trying to understand what is being said through their actions.

A balanced approach to “listening” to behaviour can mean:

• Asking, “What is this behaviour telling me?”
• Checking if the person is trying to signal a need or feeling
• Involving families or advocates when necessary
• Respecting the person’s rights and dignity at all times

Non-verbal Communication and Culture

Body language and gestures often mean different things in different cultures. For example, eye contact can show interest in some cultures but be seen as rude in others. Care workers should try to learn about what certain behaviours mean for each person, especially if they have come from another country or background.

Behavioural Expressions Linked to Dementia

People living with dementia often find it harder to use language over time. They might express themselves by:

• Wandering – perhaps trying to find something or someone familiar
• Shouting, hitting, or throwing objects – showing pain, discomfort, or distress
• Refusing food or care – possibly signalling confusion, dislike of taste, or embarrassment
• Repeating words or actions – might be trying to find comfort

Understanding these behavioural expressions helps care workers give support that meets real needs and eases distress.

Behaviour and Mental Health

People with mental health challenges may express distress or needs through their actions. Someone with anxiety might pace or fidget. A person with depression may sleep more or become withdrawn. With psychosis, a person may appear frightened or angry.

Rather than assuming someone is being “difficult,” staff can see how the person’s behaviour is their way of coping or reaching out for help.

The Impact on Care

Seeing behaviour as communication means care shifts from controlling or stopping actions to understanding and supporting the person. This helps:

• Reduce distress for the service user
• Improve relationships between staff and those in care
• Cut down on the need for restraint or medication
• Support choice, dignity, and quality of life

Strategies for Better Support

There are practical steps that workers can use to respond to behaviour as communication:

• Approach calmly and with empathy
• Use clear, simple language or gestures
• Check if the person’s basic needs are met – food, drink, pain relief
• Offer reassurance and comfort
• Adapt the environment to reduce stress
• Give choices and control where possible
• Get a second opinion or advice from more experienced staff or specialists if unsure

Challenges Faced by Workers

Trying to interpret behaviour can be challenging. Workers might feel unsure, frustrated, or overwhelmed. Different people will react differently to the same behaviour. It takes patience, reflection, and practice to get good at recognising behaviour as communication.

Support from colleagues, management, and training can increase confidence and skills.

Final Thoughts

Understanding that behaviour is a form of communication sits at the heart of person-centred care. Everyone in health and social care has their own way of making their feelings and needs known. For some, spoken words might be out of reach, but actions always “say” something.

Taking time to notice, record, and respond with care makes a difference to people’s lives. It turns behaviour from something to manage into something to understand. By treating every action as a message, care workers can give safer, more responsive, and more compassionate support.

Each day offers fresh chances to listen — not just with our ears, but with our eyes, our empathy, and our actions. This respectful and open approach creates positive connections and improves the experience for everyone receiving and giving care.