The words to use
- Home position
- Where your hands rest between gestures, such as loosely together on the table. It stops a gesture turning into a fidget on the way down.
- Congruence
- When your face and body match what you are saying. A held smile while giving bad news is the commonest mismatch.
- Stop signal
- A gesture agreed before treatment, such as a raised hand, that means "stop now". It only builds trust if you honour it the first time.
- Reasonable adjustment
- A change a university must make so that a disabled applicant is not disadvantaged, such as extra time or a briefed examiner. Ask in writing before the day.
