Background: People with complex communication needs vary in terms of their underlying disability and the methods and strategies they use to communicate.
Objective: This article describes the varied communication profiles that a general practitioner is likely to encounter in patients with disabilities, and the various types of augmentative and alternative forms of communication that might be used in such consultations.
Discussion: This article provides strategies to facilitate doctor-patient communication involving patients with complex communication needs, some of which are illustrated in a case study of a young woman with an intellectual disability.