What can we learn from the families we support and work with?
This video is a celebration of families and what we can learn from them. The moving and thoughtful words of the families who made this video will help you to learn from the experience and understand the perspectives of the families that you work with.
New module here!
“Five Things You Can Do,” is a list of things you can think about and do when you are supporting a person whose behavior is troubling you.
This is not a list of “quick fix” strategies for stopping unwanted behavior. It is a list of ideas for uncovering the real things that a person might need so that you can be more supportive.
This module includes video presentations from David Pitonyak and Peter Leidy.
On successful completion of this module, you will be able to
– Explain the importance of getting to know the person.
– Understand that all behavior is meaningful.
– Describe the need for people to have a support plan.
– Consider your own support needs.
– Explain why we should always assume competence.
Learn more about all of our modules here.
The largest part of David Pitonyak’s work involves meeting people who are said to exhibit “difficult behaviors.” Most of these people exhibit difficult behaviors because they are misunderstood and/or because they are living lives that don’t make sense. Of they are lonely, powerless, or without joy. Often they feel devalued by others or lack the kinds of educational experiences that most of us take for granted. Too often their troubling behaviors are the result of an illness, or even a delayed response to traumatic events. You might say their behaviors are “messages” which can tell us important things about their lives. Learning to listen to the person’s difficult behaviors is the first step in helping the person to find a new (and healthier) story.
Peter Leidy has been learning from people with disabilities since 1983. Leidy is a consultant, facilitator, listener, learner, improviser, and speaker who focuses on personalized supports and community membership for people with disabilities. Leidy promotes positive support, inclusion, building healthy relationships and thinking differently about people who are called “challenging.”
Dave Hingsburger will change the way you think about your work and the way that you support people. Our new module ‘Me and Mine’ explores the importance of self and the need to help the people you support to develop a stronger sense of self.
Why do the people you support try to please you? How do you control these people? How can you help people to build and defend their sense of self? All of these questions and many more will be explored and answered in this enlightening and groundbreaking module. This module features presentations from Dave Hingsburger, John Raffaele, and Joseph Macbeth.
Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to:
– Explain why “me and mine” is the most important boundary.
– Understand the importance of self and the difficulties and challenges that the people you support may have in developing a strong sense of self.
– Understand the power that your role provides to you, and the the potential implications of that power.
– Describe how easily “self” can be violated.
– Implement practical everyday approaches that will help the people you support to develop an authentic voice and a strong sense of self.
Learn more about this new module here.
