Developmental Disabilities Experience

Experience

Developmental disabilities are a diverse group of physical, cognitive, psychological, and sensory impairments that begin during growth. Developmental disabilities can either be acquired or congenital. People with developmental disabilities typically progress more slowly than peers and in some instances, fail to achieve milestones in one or more of the developmental domains. Consequently, a significant challenge for people diagnosed with a developmental disability is the limited ability to function in areas of daily living such as, independent living, communication, social and interpersonal skills, and self-care.

I have been employed in several positions, which addressed behavioral health and the challenges associated with developmental

In addition to my position with the Bethel School District, the Lane County Developmental Disabilities Department also employed me.

The Lane County Developmental Disabilities Services strives to provide a responsive, cooperative lifespan delivery system of support, training, care, monitoring, protection and crisis response for persons with developmental disabilities and their families. Services are designed to maximize opportunities for self-determination and self-sufficiency.

As a Life Skills Mentor through Lane County, I instructed students diagnosed with Autism, implementing interventions prescribed by individual treatment plans. This involved teaching students social skills, focusing on nonverbal cues and maintaining conversations through modeling or role-playing. In addition, I assisted students in developing self-awareness, identifying sensory and emotional needs. Additional targeted objectives included: developing and maintaining relationships, navigating school, basic money management and utilizing public transportation.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to relocate to the United Kingdom where I was employed by Greenbank

Positive behavior supports is a behavior management system that serves as a guide in understanding a person’s challenging or inappropriate behavior. Typically, a person’s inappropriate behavior serves a function or purpose. It is not uncommon for people to receive reinforcement of their behavior in their environment. For instance, a child might seek attention through unsuitable behavior in the home environment. The response from the parents or caregiver can unwittingly reinforce the behavior through their response to the child. Thus, the child learns to exhibit this behavior in order for his/her needs to be met. One means of addressing a person’s challenging behavior is having a professional undertake a behavioral assessment that identifies and describes the function of the behavior. Through an assessment, positive behavior supports can be identified, developed and implemented through actions plans or goals. However, in order techniques to be effective at decreasing inappropriate behavior, they should be evaluated for effectiveness, feasibility and appropriateness for the person. In addition, strategies should be practical, so parents, schools, or others can implement the techniques