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Mentoring a Spirit of Gentleness for Individuals with Disabilities |
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· Quality of Life · Links |
How We TeachGentle Teaching uses the relationship between the Individual and the caregiver as the foundation for teaching. When a trusting relationship has been established, the Individual learns to value the skill being taught from valuing the relationship with the caregiver. Unlike in a token-economy system, the learning process has meaning. Teaching the Individual to experience companionship is more important than controlling his/her behaviors. Before we develop teaching goals for an Individual, it is important to assess the Individual's Quality of Life Values, Sense of Companionship and Community, Quality of Life Elements, and Quality of Life Assets. From this, an Individual's plan outlines both formal and informal teaching directions. The formal direction helps the caregiver to teach the Individual the particular goal. The caregiver values, teaches, and protects the Individual during the teaching process, and in return, the Individual reciprocates the value of the teaching. The informal direction outlines meaningful daily activities that support the teaching goals. See the assessment and handbook for Teaching the
Dimension of Quality of Life. It
explains how to develop a teaching plan to facilitate improving the
Individual's quality of life. Also see the
Teaching Form, which identifies with caregivers the
methodology of teaching. |