If you have a friend, a loved one or you are working alongside someone who is facing intellectual or developmental disabilities then it can be hard for all parties involved. Despite what you may think, however, you do have the skills and the character to be able to deal with this kind of situation, but it will take some work on your behalf. Simply because people are struggling, it doesn’t mean that they cannot achieve what they want, it may simply be that they need a different approach that will help them to learn and to advance, be it in their lives or their careers.
If you find yourself in this kind of situation then here is how you can best care for someone who has these kinds of disabilities.
Seeking Help
The first step is to ensure that you have some support and advice from one of the many excellent disability services that we have in our society. There are charities and government organizations which have been set up specifically to help those who are struggling with a disability and those who care for these people. You will find a wealth of support and help which you can then use to make things easier, for everyone involved. You are not the only one going through this kind of thing, which is exactly why it is important that you reach out and get some help.
Working On Your Patience
The biggest characteristic which you are going to need in this kind of situation is patience, which will require from work by you. When we grow up around people we are fully able mentally, we can wrongly assume that everyone is going to learn and develop in the same way, and at the same pace. This of course is not the case at all when it comes to those with developmental or intellectual disabilities, which is why you will need to stay calm and patient and have faith that in time, the person will grasp what you are showing them.
Being Creative
Creativity is going to play an important factor here as you look to find the way in which the person is going to adapt best to what you are saying and what you are showing them. Most people who do have disabilities like this merely need a different approach to the rest, when it comes to learning something new. It may be for example that they require visual simulation rather than just being spoken to, or perhaps they require aural support too. As you try different approaches you will begin to understand how their mind works and from there you will find that things are much easier in the future.
Knowing When To Include and Exclude
If you have someone in the workplace who has these disabilities then it is important to try and understand when they should be included with everyone and when they should be excluded. For example, it may be that a group workshop doesn’t give them the support they need in training and that they need a one-on-one approach instead. Conversely, however, you cannot continuously separate someone with disabilities from others, because they can end up feeling ostracized and not included with everyone else. This is something that will take time, and as you continue to learn more you will get a much better sense of when to work alone with that person, and when to bring them into a group setting. This is a challenge but it is one that gets easier over time.
There is no right or wrong answer per se when it comes to caring for someone who’s facing these difficulties. Ultimately you simply have to make sure that you are constantly trying to give them the best care that you can, and seeking ways in which you can make their life better. Whilst a person’s disabilities may restrict them in some aspects of life, it is important to remember just how valuable they are and how much they are able to do.
