I remember once reading a quote (but can't find the source) - "How you spend your day is how you spend your life." Even thinking of 'spending' my life is sobering, as if I am making withdrawals each day. Nevertheless, the quote reminds me of how some people with intellectual disabilities spend their days and their lives.
Some people spend their day waiting for and riding on vans. This could involve hours.
Some people spend their day waiting for the next activity to start. They are rewarded for waiting patiently.
Some people are given things to color or pegboards to place different colored pegs in. These are given knowing that the person really enjoys to do them but sometimes they are not offered other things that they might like even better that would increase their pride, socialization opportunities, and productivity.
Some people spend their days stuck in fairly non-productive self-stimulatory behavior such as spinning tops, flapping magazines, touching objects repeatedly, switching light switches on and off, lining objects up, etc. People with autism have this characteristic - it's called stereotypical behavior.
Everyone has the right to spend their days and lives however they like (as long as it doesn't hurt or infringe on another's life). I think we all just have to make sure that when we are supporting someone with an intellectual disability who may not have the self-direction skills to determine their next activity, that we help them to discover all the things the world has to offer.
Maybe they are working on that pegboard because they like it. Or maybe they have learned to be patient and work on the pegboard until something more interesting is offered. This distinction matters.
Maybe they want to spend their day running their hands under water for hours or flipping a toilet seat up and down numerous times. But more likely they are stuck and need some help moving on to something more productive. Possibly, they are thankful for being moved along. Some autistic people who have written memoirs of their thought processes have said that is the case. They were thankful for being directed to something more productive so that they could live a full life.
So, are you supporting another person to live a full life? While you're at it, are you letting daily time-draining activities keep you from living your own productive and full life and reaching your own goals?
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