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Recommendation
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Benefit
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Caveat
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Disability types
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Position yourself directly across from the child
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Eases direct view of the interviewer, enhances ability to lip read, and read body language
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Lip reading is only 30% effective, requires many skills
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All children
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Position yourself at child’s level
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Sets up equality in the relationship
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May be awkward seating for interviewer
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All children
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Leave adequate space between you and the child
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Offers sense of safety in your presence
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Ask parent about personal space preferences
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Autism; ADD/ADHD, Deaf, hard of hearing; Vision impaired
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Allow the child to establish eye contact with you. Do not force eye contact
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Child feels more at ease when eye contact is not demanded
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Eye contact is not pleasant or possible with some children
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Children from some cultures unlike ours; Children with disabilities with sensory issues, such as autism, Deaf and hard of hearing
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Use natural or lamp lighting
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Reduces or eliminates distress from lighting
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Lighting can be distressing or painful, fluorescent lights in particular; Inadequate lighting difficult for those with vision and hearing disabilities
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Autism; those with vision problems and light sensitivities, Deaf and hard of hearing
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Sit away from a window or light source
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Child can see you well
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Light may cause child to be unable to see you well
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Deaf and hard of hearing children; children who are blind or have vision disabilities; children with autism
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Let the child select where to sit, then you accommodate
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Allows child initial sense of respect from the responder
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May be difficult for child as they are always told, not asked, what to do
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Child with mental retardation, ADD/ADHD
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Avoid touching in most cases
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Less touching is less risk of inadvertently distressing the child
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The touch could be similar to the suspect’s contact, child may be touch toxic
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Most children with Autism
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Respond kindly but not enthusiastically to a child’s hug
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This honors the child’s training, but doesn’t feed into it
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Hugging children not known to you increases their vulnerability overall. Be aware, child may have been trained to have affectionate behavior with anyone
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Children with Down’s Syndrome, other children with mental retardation
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