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First
Contact - Charting Inner Space
By
David Hingsburger
This
unique book is written especially for those
who work directly with individuals who have
significant developmental disabilities. The
book begins by challenging the reader to reflect
on how they "see" a person with a significant
disability. Moving past pity and on to personhood,
First Contact suggests that the most important
aspect of serving those with significant disabilities
is to actively "meet" the person behind the
disability. First Contact gives the reader
ideas and suggestions for establishing contact,
rapport, and relationship with individuals
within their care.
The
5 steps to First Contact when working with
a person with a significant disability are:
- Play:
re-developing the spark for your work and
life. Play with sound, tone, scent, taste,
texture..; read books on creativity and
creative thought, share ideas. Approach
work, and life, like it's a science project.
Keep data - share discoveries - shout "Eureka"
when you discover something new. It's fun.
- Watch:
keep your eyes open and your mind engaged.
Sometimes the reaction you get will be so
minuscule that it could pass unnoticed.
Establish a baseline and check your observations
with others.
- Respect
all kinds of communication: People communicate
in all sorts of way. Become an expert in
the language that the individual uses. Respect
their language as real. They may have twenty
two ways of saying "no". Learn them. Document
them. Record them in a communication dictionary.
- Employ
Empathy . . . Real Empathy: Empathy
means making yourself sensitive to who they
are and how they feel. As a professional,
you need to be able to use empathy - but
as a tool. Empathy should allow you to get
a firm grasp on where to go and what to
do. It is what allows the individual to
become a true Self Advocate.
- Acknowledge
Contact: when contact happens, acknowledge
the specialness of the event. Allow yourself
to feel first awe, then honour and then
finally validation. Make sure that when
contact happens, you say "Hello, glad to
meet you" in whatever way is necessary.
First
Contact is an honest discussion of both humanity
and uniqueness. This book suggests that those
with significant disabilities can be active
"self-advocates" for change in their lives.
It further suggests that working with people
with significant developmental disabilities
is a joyful process of discovery, of diversity,
of divinity.
A
great resource for all frontline support
workers but especially for those supporting
individuals with significant developmental
disabilities. Easy to read, empowering for
both the individual and the person providing
the support.
| Available
from: |
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Diverse
City Press Inc.
P.O. Box 738
Magog, Quebec
J1X 5C6
Telephone/Fax: (877) 246-5226
Web site: www.diverse-city.com
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Description
of Resource: 36 pages, soft cover
Approximate
Cost: $5.00 each; $2.50 per copy for bulk
orders of over 10 copies (Canadian)
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