Center for Disabilities Studies : Community Education
The Center for Disabilities Studies held a series of seminars during the spring and summer of 2011 to provide up-to-date information, ideas and inspiration for professionals working with people with disabilities and their families/caregivers. Each training course was designed for both new and experienced direct support professionals, managers and administrators.
A description of each training course that was offered can be found below. Please contact Debbie Bain at dbain@udel.edu to learn when these and other courses will be held in the future.
Strategies to Effectively Support Adults with Autism
Direct Support Professionals are invited to learn alongside their peers as we journey through an interactive training focused on providing participants with the necessary skills to support individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD's). This training is aimed at providing practical tools to staff in order to help the individuals we serve maximize their potential across the critical areas in their life. The journey will begin by understanding the nature of ASD's and current issues as well as some of the basic concepts essential to effective teaching. Moving forward, we will discuss strategies for enhancing independence in everyday life, developing support networks, facilitating self-determination, as well as fully grasping and balancing the dignity of risk. Finally, we will work to "translate” action planning into actual life-planning and discuss and design methods for implementation that focus on effective teaming.
New Visions Training
New Visions includes a discussion surrounding the rights of people with disabilities, the history of treatment of people with disabilities, People First Language, and an introduction to different types of disabilities. This seminar, designed specifically for those new to the field of disability, uses interactive training techniques to present basic concepts and to promote discussion about current issues and future advancements to support people with disabilities. Participants will also examine the benefits of person-centered approaches such as Essential Lifestyle Planning. Empowerment and self-determination, including a discussion noting the responsibilities of direct support professionals in encouraging and teaching self-advocacy skills to individuals with developmental disabilities, will also be explored. DDDS funded agencies should note that NEW Visions not only fulfills DDDS’ annual staff in- service requirements, but can be directly substituted for the following DDDS courses: Client Rights, Intro to ID, DD and ECD.
Awareness and Action
Awareness and Action is a three-hour interactive program for people with disabilities and their direct support staff, family members and/or professional staff. The training teaches people with disabilities to identify cases of abuse and gives them the tools they need to report abuse and protect themselves from victimization. Awareness and Action also helps those serving in a support role to understand the importance of timely and effective response to abuse while providing strategies to support individuals with disabilities to recognize and respond to abuse. The training promotes safety and awareness. Curriculum focuses on neglect and physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse. Fact sheet
Working with Families
This 8-hour training seminar is split over two days. Participants are required to register for both Parts 1 and 2.
A family-centered approach is a way of delivering services and supports that recognize that each family is unique with its own values, abilities and challenges. Focus is on identifying and building upon the family’s existing strengths and targeting goals that are in synch with both the needs of the individual with the disability and the overall concerns of the family. It’s about balancing the needs of multiple audiences while taking into consideration the capacity of the service delivery system. In a family-centered approach, families are active partners in planning outcomes and identifying the services and supports that are needed for their son or daughter. Successful implementation of a family- centered approach requires that outmoded ideas or prejudices about families be replaced by a view that promotes the central role of families in care-giving and decision-making. It is a point of view that assumes that families are partners with professionals and decisions involve a team process.
For more information
Debbie Bain
(302) 831-8733
Michele Sands
(302) 831-3038
