|
|
|
Mentoring a Spirit of Gentleness for Individuals with Disabilities |
|
· Quality of Life · Links |
Gentle TeachingGentle Teaching is a non-violent approach for
helping people with special needs that focuses on four primary goals:
These four goals contribute to building a sense of companionship and community for the person. Gentle Teaching does not focus on compliance or obedience, but focuses on teaching Individuals to feel safe with others. In order for this to happen, we must look at ourselves as caregivers. Looking at ourselves is assessing how we use our Tools (our hands, eyes, words and presence) to facilitate an understanding of safety with those we work with. We learn best when we feel safe. If the Individuals we work with do not feel safe, the learning environment is non-existent. Gentle Teaching uses the relationship between the Individual and the Caregiver as the foundation for teaching. This relationship requires a feeling of companionship. But some Individuals with cognitive impairments or challenging behaviors do not develop effective strategies to experience a feeling of companionship. As a result, they may not feel safe. By trying to teach and provide a feeling of safety, we improve their quality of life. View the Quality of Life section to learn how Globe Star puts Gentle Teaching into effect. For more information on Gentle Teaching, see the Gentle Teaching International Website. |