Live Abiliities Strategy
We believe in taking the 'DIS' out of ability.
We value challenges and our differences. In fact, we face them upfront with integrity. We learn to understand them and embrace them but not let them hold us back. We cannot change the reality of our differences, but THAT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!
We nurture our spirits and dreams in our lives. We become the best we can be one small step by one repeated step by one back step by another and another small steps to change into becoming!
(READ THE STORY OF HOPE!)
We discover dreams, personal strengths and value the whole person. We use these strengths to face the challenges of our differences.
We discover ways to use our strengths in many situations. We search out resources and technology to in 'able.
We share in learning. Together we build ideas to navigate skill building. We listen to try new things.
We try. We do over. We discover joy in doing. We practice. We try again.
We share with others and to become change agents.
We ARE the change agent.
We're S.M.A.R.T.
What do you want to achieve? – Getting to your dream takes many very tiny steps... and each step can have a plan to achieve... take your time to do one tiny step at a time and celebrate each steps success.
Take time to answer—who, what, where, when, how come?
Now answer these three questions—How much? How often? How many?
Can it be done? Is is possible to do this? Can you do this alone or do you need others?
Does this goal fit with your dream. Will doing this keep you on your path?
Give yourself a date and or time to finish this... Now get S.T.A.R.T.ed
We S.T.A.R.T.
We islolate skill sets that are needed to live purposeful lives and break learning bits down into manageble steps. We work with change agents to understand needs.
We enjoy as we discover how to best experience this learning by roleplay, experiment, see, taste, touch, hear, feel. We learn to laugh as we try something new.
We have fun! We do it. We believe individuals learn best through experience: the opportunity to see, taste, touch, hear, feel to try something new. We laugh! We do it again.
We find community resource people called "Trail Markers" to apprentice change agents in new skills. We empower these resources with tools, strategies and support.
We build change agent resource teams to teach peers. Our resource teams pay their knowledge forward to peers to help them navigate new skills and opportunities.
S.T.A.R.T. steps to learning
It takes 8 healthy inputs to receive 1 healthy OUTPUT – most often we miss important steps in the teaching and learning becomes fraught with missing pieces and filled with frustration instead of joy.
Preview the options of how to teach and make a backup plan. Make the initial calls, visit the site and discover the details. This helps avoid failure in the first teaching/learning session. Find the choke points and barriers before so you are prepared.
"Watch me do this." Demonstrate the process with the person observing only. There is no need to learn in the first process. Person can ask questions and answer as simply as you can. During the demonstration show, guide, read, point out, role model, dramatize, and laugh alot! Make this fun. Share some of the funny things that happened to us when we tried this the first time or funny things you know have happended.
"Watch me and you can help." Repeat the experience with person contributing pieces of the learned task. Make sure the learning piece is small enough for succcess. Involve person in the task in fun ways, for example if this is a large process allow a person to complete the final step so we build from the end to the beginning.
"This time you can try it." Repeat the experience with person contributing more pieces of the learned task and begin to step away. Work together. Note that this step may need to be repeated a number of times until person is secure and has the ah ha!
"Wow, you can do it! Show me how." Encourage person to tells you what to do and enjoy the process in becoming a partner in “persons” learning.
"You can do it!. I don't think you will need me much." Person shows me as I watch and then let go. This is person's time to do it without help but encouragement. Do not hurry person. Provide time to think and move to the next step.
Person skillfully and a bit fearfully completes the process, while you sit in a parking lot waiting or stay close to the phone to guide. ‘I Can’, can take a while and when learning is mastered move on to the Next Step in the purposeful adult journey.
At this point you may need to return to teaching and support if the person has a day that is very stressful, they are hungry, sick, cold, hot, tired, on new medication. If this learning experience needs to be repeated I recommend you go back to Step 3 and have a good time together. "Let's work together today, I like working with you."
Mastering C.A.L.M.
Anytime change is required it can be confusing, frustrating and overwhelming – here is how we manage getting through the barriers. Remember, be appreciative and grateful. It is impossible to be both angry and appreciative. When you appreciate something, gratitude takes the place of agitation, frustration and unhappiness.
1. Take your time, do not hurry yourself or another person!.
2. Be careful with your tone of voice, know your body language, use care in communicating.
3. Move to an safe non-threatening area if that will help person process.
4. Be patient.
Ask questions kindly using who, what, where, when, and how come. Avoid asking why.
Reassure person with "I know you can deal with this. I am willing to help you."
Look past the speakers words to discover what the message is. If it is unclear ask "show me, I want to understand.
Discover one thing you can do about it and set a S.M.A.R.T. goal to make it happen.