Fundamental Principles of Support
This is 2,219 characters long. While it varies by individual, I expect it will take about 4 to 6 minutes to read.
This is Sasaki from the Yokohama Developmental Clinic and Counseling Room.
In this article, I will be writing on the theme of "What are the fundamental principles of support?"
There is no one-size-fits-all method
The ways in which characteristics related to developmental disabilities manifest are extremely diverse, and there are many situations where it is difficult to judge how to approach them. When considering support, I believe it is necessary to first grasp the principle of "what it means to provide support."
I believe that providing support means sustaining those individuals. Thinking of it this way, it is necessary to provide support in the direction where support is needed.
For example, let's think about this in terms of our daily lives.
I have severe nearsightedness and astigmatism, so glasses or contact lenses that provide the correction I need for daily life are very helpful. However, even if someone said, "These are just fashion glasses, but this shape is trendy right now, so you'll look stylish! You said you needed glasses, so try these," my problem of "not being able to see" would not be solved. The problem I am struggling with is "not being able to see," not "fashion."
In this case, even if there is support in the form of glasses, if there is a mismatch regarding "where the difficulty lies (not being able to see)," "what the purpose (need) is (for vision correction)," and "who it is for (that it leads to an improvement in my quality of life)," there is a very high possibility that it will not be good support, even if it was intended well.
In other words, it is necessary to consider what the individual or their family is struggling with and what kind of disability characteristics are at the root of that problem. Based on that, I believe it is important to think about concrete support strategies and to make environmental adjustments and modifications suited to those disability characteristics.
Fundamental principles of support based on disability characteristics
It is said that developmental disabilities involve differences in brain function, or in other words, biases in cognition (how one perceives and feels about things) (= different brain types).
Some professionals, supporters, individuals, and family members might think that if they could just improve and overcome the areas where cognitive characteristics are weak, the problems would become less noticeable. Of course, the way cognitive characteristics of developmental disabilities manifest changes with age and environment, but that person's brain type does not change. Therefore, we do not believe that the main goal should be to bring them closer to so-called neurotypical development.
The principle of support for developmental disabilities is to reduce the difficulties faced by individuals with developmental disabilities and their families by providing support tailored to their cognitive characteristics. And I believe it is important to think about support with the goal of enabling them to live as themselves within the local community, while fostering a sense of self-affirmation that "my life right now is not bad at all" for the individual.
TEACCH and SPELL
When considering support for developmental disabilities, references include the SPELL support framework from the National Autistic Society in the UK, which has a proven track record in autism spectrum support, and the TEACCH Autism Program based at the University of North Carolina in the United States. I have written about each of these in previous articles, so if you have not read them yet, I hope you will take a look.
We have many colleagues both in Japan and abroad, including the TEACCH Autism Program and the National Autistic Society, who are leading the way in supporting people with autism. By exchanging information and collaborating with such colleagues, we hope to build a better future for autism support in Japan together with people with autism, their families, and those involved.
PEACE
Based on what I have summarized so far, we also have important core values. That is PEACE. It is an important principle of support for our past and future efforts, and it is the "core" way of thinking for us.
Summary
In this article, I have written about the fundamental principles of support.
Support is not just something you do; the support a supporter wants to provide and the support necessary for the individuals involved do not always align.
The important thing is not "What to do," but "Why is that support necessary?"
To that end, it is extremely important to grasp the principles of support.
By referring to the National Autistic Society's SPELL framework, the TEACCH Autism Program based at the University of North Carolina, and our own philosophy, PEACE,
please consider your daily support while being mindful of whether you are always following these concepts.
I hope this article provides even a small hint for your daily life.
Yokohama Developmental Consultation Office
Koei Sasaki
In 2023, we aim to continue improving our professional expertise in support and plan to hold many training sessions. Currently, we post information about these sessions on the Peatix website. We would appreciate it if you could check the details, and we hope to have the opportunity to work with you.
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