Choice Control
Participants like to make their own decisions about what they will do and when. This is a part of feeling in control of our world and provides us with the sense that we are capable, independent and valued.
Someone with an intellectual disability may not do tasks fully independently because they don’t understand why they must be done, do not grasp concepts of time, cannot initiate tasks or complete all the steps without help etc. It can be difficult to tell when they need support and when they are communicating a preference e.g. for someone who doesn’t shower without a prompt, do they have difficulty getting started or would they prefer to shower at night?
This can result in people with disabilities being directed in what to do and when, and in turn this can result in feelings of resentment and anger towards staff. It can also result in the person not learning to be independent, as people underestimate their abilities.
When making requests of the people we support at Easy iCare we offer them the greatest level of control over the decision to act, that they can manage.
