Heather Simmons shares an insightful story illuminating the idea that people of all abilities have the ability to learn giving the opportunity.
Although Heather was originally from Scotland she now lives in Perth Australia where, with her husband Richard Hill, they operate a company called h2 Training and Consulting that focuses on training staff who work with and for people with disabilities.
Heather has worked extensively in diverse roles with the disability sector since 1994. Including roles as a support worker, group home manager, team leader, and development worker.
Heather has many stories to tell… and her passion is working in the ‘grey areas’ of human services. She loves the challenge of finding ways of applying the ideas she talks about everyday to the day to day practice of working in the disability.
Are you training staff that are new to the field? Check out our module “Introduction to Your Role”. This module , written by David Pitonyak, provides the perfect platform to embed understanding, respect, and person-centered values. Having spent most of his career working with people who are said to exhibit “difficult behaviors”, Pitonyak explains that most people exhibit difficult behaviors because they are misunderstood and/or because they are living lives that don’t make sense. “Introduction to Your Role” is a great module to help your new and experienced training staff help the people they support better.
This module offers a succinct introduction to the role of the support staff person, and therefore is a great starting place for new employees and people who are new to the field.
This module includes video presentations from Lynda Kahn, Gary Kent, Sam Sly, Dave Hingsburger, David Hasbury, Simon Haywood, Marc Tumeinski, Beth Mount, Bernard Carabello, Simon Duffy, and Margaret Cushen.
On successful completion of this module, learners will be able to:
– Define and describe a developmental disability and its causes.
– Describe other commonly associated conditions.
– Explain how a developmental disability can impact the person’s life.
– Describe a range of experiences that impact the person’s life including segregation, congregation, negative perception and treatment, socal devaluation, loneliness, poor health, poverty and abuse.
– Explain the importance of the person’s history and the involvement of their family.
– Define John O’Brien’s five valued experiences and explain how they can support a good and meaningful life.
– Using the Code of Ethics developed by the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals you will be able to explain the purpose of the following concepts and how they refer to your role:
person-centered support
promoting physical and emotional well-being
integrity and responsibility
confidentiality
respect
justice, fairness, and equity
relationships
self determination
To ask questions or for information about our free trial please email hello@openfuturelearning.org
In our new module “Autism and Sensory Processing” we use a series of interactive films and activities to help your staff understand how their own sensory processing system works. This module expands on the learning provided in our module “Autism“. Understanding and gaining insight into your processing system takes time and effort. Understanding someone else’s requires really careful observation, imagination, and empathy. With the aid of experts, Judith North and Simon Haywood, you will learn how your processing works and in turn we will teach you how to better understand and assist the processing realities of the people you support.
Watch this great excerpt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHwbFjObpPo
On successful completion of this module, your staff will be able to:
– Explain what processing is.
– Describe the strengths and limitations of their own processing system.
– Understand why processing and processing difference matter when working with people who have autism.
– Gain insight and understanding into the experiences and challenges of people living with processing difference in a world that is insufficiently aware and adapted to accommodate it.
– Refreame some “challenging behavior” as strategies for managing difficult (sometimes unbearable) processing challenges.
– Reflect on the life choices made by people who experience processing difference and how these need to be understood and supported.
