INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT SERVICES
This kind of support reflects the needs of every human being:
- Consultations
- Assistance
- Work with family
- Individual planning
- Independence trainings
How does the support work?"Everyone should be allowed to make mistakes and to learn from them."
The person interested in receiving the offered support comes to the office, either by him/herself, or accompanied by parents or by other agency worker. We inquire what he/she needs and what we can do for him/her. For example, some people need assistance to travel to work or a sheltered workshop. Others spend a lot of time at home with their parents and they would like to make a change in their lives. Sometimes the person needs to learn to know the time and orientation in it so he/she learns not come late to work.
Once we know the individual's needs and interests we get together and start thinking what could be changed and how. Gradually, we get to know whether there are things that the person can learn, in which areas he/she could improve. We also learn in what areas people need support, because they cannot manage them on their own. There are different kinds of support. The user can come once a week to consult how well he / she copes with getting up in the morning. Or he / she can explore various leisure activities with his assistant to find out what he / she would like to do in his / her free time. Also, travel training (e.g.) can be performed, lasting several years. If things go well, the skills of the person get better with the time and the individual plan is updated and changed. Regular revisions of achieved improvements are undertaken.
In some cases persons with learning disabilities can learn new skills easily and are able to do certain things by themselves or with little assistance. At another times people are improving slowly and need extensive and long term support.
Case example:
Helena lives with her mother. Although the mother is old enough to retire, she must go to work to be able to pay for rather high rent and other services. Helena works at a sheltered workshop and because of problems with concentration she cannot travel by herself. She needs everyday support on her way to work and back. Despite the fact that she knows how to go there and what station to get off, she cannot go by herself because of problems with crossing the street. Thanks to the support of an assistant, both Helena and her mother can go to work.