Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse
And Prevention-September 23, 2014
David V. Whalen
Trainer/Consultant
www.disabilityawarenesstraining.com
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
“A person who is severely impaired never
knows his hidden sources of strength
until he is treated like a normal human
being and encouraged to shape his own
life.”
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
“all kids desperately want to succeed”
Robert White
“to believe that all kids from birth want
to learn and be successful”
Julian Siegel
“It’s easier to build a child than to repair
an adult”
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Disability Awareness
Disability awareness helps “to remove
barriers so that responsible, selfsufficient people with disabilities can
assume risks, make choices and
contribute as they wish… this is a vision
in which we all win.”
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Why Disability Awareness?
 Avoidance
 Rights
 Marriage
 Transportation
 Discrimination
 Policy
 Respect
 Integration
 Housing
 Relationships
 Employment
 Dignity
 Inclusion
 Education
 Funding
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Why “Awareness”
Promotes:
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Combats:
Dignity & Equality
Shared Experience
Protection of Rights
Integration
Expanded Opportunity
Social & Other Inclusion
Empathy
Education
Employment
A Richer & more Diverse
community for
EVERYONE in the
community
 “Caretaker” Mindset
US vs. THEM Mindset
Curtailed Rights
Segregation
Limited Opportunity
Social & Other Exclusion
Sympathy (poor them!)
Avoidance
Not in My Back Yard
(NIMBY) Syndrome
 A Divided & Inequitable
community
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Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Inclusion
Inclusion is a term used by people with
disabilities and other disability rights
advocates for the idea that all people
should freely, openly, and without pity
accommodate any person with a
disability without restrictions or
limitations of any kind
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Diversity
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Race
Ethnicity
Religion
Culture
Gender
Generational
Sexual orientation
Disability
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
The Disabled perspective
The media relies on the fact that all of us are familiar with
certain stereotypes:
1.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
The elderly
People w/disabilities
Teenagers
Redheads
Athletes
Professors
‘Little people’
Obese people
Politicians
Librarians
a. are jolly
b. are absent-minded
c. are hot tempered
d. are not intelligent
e. disrespect adults
f. make false promises
g. are senile
h. aren’t scholars
i. only read books
j. only have jobs in movies
Stereotyping is LABELING! It distorts the truth
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Acceptance
An expression of the feelings we develop
about ourselves and about diverse
groups. Some level of understanding
must come before achieving any genuine
acceptance of other people. This is
particularly true for those with different
abilities, customs, values, and sexual
orientation
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Behavior
Refers to our ability to interact with
different people. It indicates our ability
to perform tasks with comfort and ease
in our interactions with people who are
different from us
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Knowledge
The foundation for all other areas.
Information about other people is
necessary before we can understand
someone else’s feelings, thoughts, and
motives. Only then can we begin to know
how our own feelings, thoughts, and
routines impact others
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Disability Awareness
Accessibility/Accommodations
Education/Transition
Employment
Spirituality
Advocacy
Municipalities (Town Hall Training)
Transportation
Recreation/Leisure
Person First
Health Care
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Definitions
Statistics
 18.6% of the U.S. population 16-64 years
 41.9% of the U.S. population 65 years and
over
People 5 years and over
Percentage with selected disabilities
Area
13
Any
Disability
Sensory
Disability
Physical
Disability
Mental
Disability
Self-care
Disability
Number
United
States
308,167,527
19.3%
3.6 %
8.2 %
4.8 %
2.6 %
New
York
19,464,264
20.6 %
3.2 %
8.0
4.7
2.8 %
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Numbers
• Intellectual Disability; 2-3% of population
(7M)
• Cerebral palsy; 700,000 Americans
• Post-polio syndrome; 1M survivors (433,000
report paralysis)
• 8M Americans with visual impairment
• Stroke; 4.5M survivors
• 3.2M wheelchair users/30M individuals with
ambulation challenges
• 910,000 people in Assisted Living facilities
• Autism; 1 in 68 children
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Disability Awareness
Accessibility/Accommodations
School/Transition
Employment
Spirituality
Advocacy
Town Hall (Municipalities)
Transportation
Recreation/Leisure
Person First
Health Care
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
www.fr-dat.com
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Victimization and the
Disabled
• 4-10 times higher (In 2007 estimated 5M
Individuals with developmental disabilities
victimized-70% not reported to law
enforcement)
• Often victimized repeatedly by the same
individual
• Officer usually the first to interact
• Never assume that IWD suffer less emotional
trauma and psychological injury than other
crime victims
• Communication by officer often key to
defusing anxiety and getting accurate
responses
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Abuse-Myths; Dr. Dick
Sobsey
• Families of people with disabilities are always
under increased stress
• Inappropriate behavior and psychological
disturbances are direct outcomes of
developmental disabilities
• People won’t attack a defenseless person
• Human service professionals choose careers
working with vulnerable people because of a
strong need to help others
• People with intellectual disabilities don’t
suffer from abuse because they don’t
understand what is happening to them
Myths about Abuse BOTH facilitate and rationalize it
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Bullying
• 40% of kids that are bullied have a disability;
many of them physically assaulted
• 50-60% do not tell anyone
• 9 of 10 elementary school students are bullied
- Stanford study
• Career bullies slightly more likely to serve
prison time, also tend to suffer from
depression, up to 50% also have a disability
• Kids routinely victimized exhibit higher
levels of depression, anxiety, and suicidal
thoughts
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Definitions
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Emotional Disability (Mental Health)
Physical Disability
Learning Disability
Sensory disability
Intellectual Disabilities
Developmental Disabilities
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
How Do Disabilities Present
1. Obvious; individuals who use a
wheelchair, individuals who have
certain outward characteristics
2. Non-obvious/hidden; disability is not
visually evident until discussion
becomes more involved, response is
unusual, person identifies, or it is
manifested
3. Evident shortly after encounter by
discussion, appearance or response
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Definitions
Emotional Disability – Mental Health
 Affective disorders
• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
 Schizophrenia
 Anxiety disorders
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Phobias
Panic disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Personality disorders
Eating disorders
Psychoses
ADD/ADHD
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Co-Morbidity
• Refers to two disabilities that may
be evident in an individual but not
necessarily because an individual
has one or the other.
• Individual will have two
disabilities that have a
relationship;
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Cerebral palsy-Seizure disorder
ADHD-Learning Disability
Anxiety-Depression
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
ADHD
2 ADHD children in every classroom in USA
11% of population
Most common:
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Behavioral referral to health care
professional
Referral/diagnosis in special education
Behavior problem in classes
Diagnosis in child MH facilities
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
ADHD-Academics
• 33% have academic problems (sp ed,
probation, drop out, held back) vs 2% of
controls
• 48% have at least 1 year of special ed
placement vs 3% of controls
• 12% vs 5% have been held back a grade
• 9% drop out vs 1% of controls
• ADHD adolescents a full grade lower than
controls, with twice the rate of absences
• Total annual cost per child $4900
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
ADHD
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Symptoms:
• Actively does not follow adults requests
• Angry and resentful of others
• Argues with adults
• Blames others for own mistakes
• Has few/no friends, has lost friends
• Is in constant trouble in school
• Loses temper
• Spiteful or seeks revenge
• Touchy, easily annoyed
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Emotional disturbance
(i)
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
A condition exhibiting one or more of the following
characteristics over a long period of time and to a
marked degree that adversely affects a child’s
educational performance:
An inability to learn that cannot be explained by
intellectual, sensory, or health factors
An inability to build or maintain satisfactory
interpersonal relationships with peers and
teachers
Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under
normal circumstances
A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or
depression
A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears
associated with personal or school problems
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Children and Depression
• family history
• linked to an imbalance of brain
chemicals-neurotransmitters
• Some causes: meds, illness, stress
• before puberty, equal in sexes,
between 15-18y/o, twice as likely in
females
First signs;
Sad, bored, irritable, behavior, school
problems
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Children and Depression
Symptoms:
• long term irritability, sadness, loss of
pleasure in activities once enjoyed
• change in appetite that may lead to problems
maintaining a normal weight
• sleeping too much or not enough
• feeling hopeless, worthless, guilty
• difficulty concentrating, thinking, or making
decisions
• recurring thoughts of death or suicide
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Mental Health perception
The MacArthur foundation (2001) research on
mental illness and violence:
“Mental disorder” and violence are closely
linked in the public mind. A combination of
factors promotes this perception:
sensationalized reporting by the media, popular
misuse of psychiatric terms, and exploitation of
stock formulas and narrow stereotypes by the
entertainment industry. The public justifies its
fear and rejection of people labeled “mentally
ill”, and attempts to segregate them by the
assumption of “dangerousness”
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Definitions
Physical Disability
 Cerebral palsy
 Stroke victims
 Amputees
 Severe arthritis
 Spinal cord injury
 Leukodystrophies
 Multiple Sclerosis
 Muscular Dystrophy
Sensory Disability
 Hard of Hearing /Deaf
 Visual Impairment/Blind
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Learning Disability
Learning Disability: a disorder that affects people’s
ability to either interpret what they see and hear or to
link information from different parts of the brain.
These limitations can show up in many ways - as
specific difficulties with spoken and written
language, coordination, self-control, or attention.
Such difficulties extend to schoolwork and can
impede learning to read or write, or to do math.
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Learning Disability-Signs
• may have trouble learning the alphabet, rhyming
words, or connecting letters to sounds
• may make many mistakes when reading aloud, and
repeat and pause often
• may not understand what he or she reads
• may have real trouble with spelling
• may have very messy handwriting or hold a pencil
awkwardly
• may struggle to express ideas in writing
• may have trouble remembering the sounds that letter
make or hearing slight differences between words
• may learn language late and have a limited vocabulary
• may have trouble understanding jokes, comics,
and sarcasm
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Learning Disability-Signs
• may have trouble following directions
• may mispronounce words or use a wrong word that
sounds similar
• may have trouble organizing what they want to say or
not be able to think of the word needed for writing or
conversation
• may not follow social rules of conversation and
may stand too close to listener
• may confuse math symbols and misread numbers
• may not be able to retell a story in order
• may not know where to begin a task or how to go on
from there
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Learning Disability
Impact of LD without supports or services:
-35% of students with LD drop out of High School
-Greater risk of substance abuse, depression, suicide,
psychiatric problems
-31% of adolescents with LD will be arrested 3-5 years
out of High School
Estimates range from 40% to 65% or even higher for
inmates and parolees who have learning disabilities,
mild intellectual disability, ADHD, and psychiatric or
addictive disorders, or some combination thereof.
As many as 65% of the children incarcerated in juvenile
correctional facilities prove to be eligible for special
education services.
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
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The yca met ot his col bland oft he
No orth thous andso fy ear sapo.
The ylivebint ents.
They fo llow ebth erein beer whichmove
Gfrom m qla ceto pla celook inpfo rfoob.
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Among the learning disabled
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Bruce Jenner
Cher
Stevie Wonder
Henry Winkler (The Fonz)
Tom Cruise
Charles Schwab
Bob Weir
Whoopie Goldberg
Thomas Edison
Albert Einstein
Leonardo DaVinci
Nelson Rockefeller
General George Patton
Woodrow Wilson
Babe Ruth
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Definitions
Developmental Disabilities
 Attributable to a mental or physical impairment, or
combination
• Intellectual disability
• cerebral palsy
• Epilepsy/seizure disorder
• autism
• neurological impairment
 Manifested before 22 years old
 Likely to continue indefinitely
 Results in three or more substantial functional limitations
in:
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•
self-care
receptive and expressive language
learning
mobility
self direction
capacity for independent living
economic sufficiency
 Need for special services that are lifelong or extended and
individually planned and coordinated
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Cognition
Development is defined as thinking, problem
solving, concept understanding, information
processing, and overall intelligence
ID (MR) characteristics:
• Learning; delays, slower pace, difficulty in
applying
• personal care
• communication, speech
• social skills
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Socially Difficult Tics and
Obsessions
• Vocal tics that involve inappropriate
language
• Motor and vocal tics that have a
sexual context
• Motor tics that are complex and may
seem aggressive
• Misunderstood obsessions which
may appear to indicate mental
illness
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Tourette Syndrome (TS)
• Tics increase as a result of stress, anxiety,
excitement, and fatigue.
• Motor Tics (42); examples include eye
blinking, hitting self, pulling at clothes,
finger tapping, hair tossing
• Vocal Tics (21); yelling, sniffing, barking,
humming, coughing, hissing
• Complex Tics; repeating phrases, words,
parts of words; animal sounds; stuttering;
amplitude of speech; muttering
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Tic
An involuntary, repetitive
motor movement or
vocalization.
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Autism
Neurological disorder, usually appears in first 3 years of life
Characteristics;
• communication; delayed or no language development, words
with no meaning, gesturing, short attention span
• social interaction; spends time alone, less responsive to social
cues
• sensory impairment
• play; lack of spontaneous or imaginative play
• behaviors; overactive or passive, tantrums, may lack common
sense, may show aggression, needs routine
Clearing up the myths; may make eye contact, smile/laugh, show
affection, display emotions, respond to their environment in
positive or negative ways
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
High Functioning Autism
Individual will have average to above
average intelligence and will be able
to verbally communicate needs and
wants.
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
High Functioning Autism
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Social situations confusing
Hard to make small talk
Usually strong, narrow interests
Behavior may seem odd, quirky
Literal, concrete, highly logical
thinker
Finds security in repetition
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
High Functioning Autism
•
•
•
May be considered rude with no
intention of being so
Stress when routine suddenly
changes
Lack of empathy (may not grasp
other’s feelings)
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Behavior Challenges
 Why they present themselves
 How they present themselves
 How to respond
Definition:
1. The manner in which one behaves
2. (Psychology) The actions or reactions of
persons or things in response to external
or internal stimuli
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Behavior Challenges
Why they present themselves
 Difficulty focusing attention
 Poor impulse control
 Failure to recognize potential dangers
 Short frustration tolerance
 Overreaction to stimulus
 Easily confused
 Inability to grasp concepts
 Inability to perceive time/space relationships
 Poor memory – can’t remember/can’t forget
 Locked into developmental stage due to disability
 Lack of appropriate life experience
 Medical issue
 Inability to communicate
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
The jails are full of your failures-all of you. Your
state didn’t ask you to be a teacher. You came
and offered yourself as a teacher. And I want to
challenge the right of any person to be a teacher
of another unless that person will exhaust every
resource to be a better and better teacher. If
these men and women had had the kind of
teachers that this government expected them to
have, I question whether the jails would be
full…It is a race between destruction and
education. I am a teacher, and destruction shall
never win.
Elizabeth Farrell
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
How do we describe people?
System Centered
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•
•
Focus on labels
Emphasize deficits
Invest in testing
Depend on professionals
Generate written reports
See people in the context of the service
system
• Emphasize difference
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
How do we describe people?
Person Centered
•
•
•
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•
See People First
Search for capacities
Get to know the person
Depend on families & staff
See people in the context of their
community
• Bring people together based on
common experience
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Higher Education
• Equal opportunity to participate in
athletics
• ADA Coordinator
• Residential Living
• Athletic events accessibility
• Signage
• Accommodations
• Access
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Universal Design
Differs from accessible design;
Rather than adapting a “standard” environment
until it becomes
“usable by most,”
UD specifically seeks to create environments
which most easily provide the maximum degree
of ease [and enjoyment] of use to the widest
possible variety of potential users.
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
The Disability Perspective
What people want – Quality of life
 Quality of Life Dimensions
•
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•
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•
material well being
physical well being
personal development
emotional well being
self-determination
social inclusion
rights
interpersonal relationships
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Disability Perspective
“We are for difference: for respecting
difference, for allowing difference, for
encouraging difference, until difference
no longer makes a difference.”
Johnetta B. Cole
President of Spelman College
Atlanta, Georgia
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Parents part
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Be knowledgeable of your child’s disability
and needs
Understand how your child’s disability
affects their daily life
Talk to your child’s teacher(s) early in the
school year
Find out what is the best way to contact the
teacher and in turn, you
Explain any special equipment, meds or
special alerts
Create and communicate your future goals
of success for your child
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Parents part (cont)
7. Provide evidence and strategies to
increase your child’s success
8. Monitor both implementation and
progress of your child’s IEP or 504
9. Do not wait to let your concerns be
known, contact the teacher immediately
and address your concerns
10. Remember you can at anytime
contact the district’s Special ed dept
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
The Disability Perspective
 Why self advocacy is essential (quality of life!)
• No one knows better what it is like to have a disability
than a person with a disability!
• Builds competence and changes negative
images
• Provides valued roles
• Gives providers and parents an opportunity to hear
direct comments about the quality of services which
self-advocates receive
• Advocates exercise their rights by making decisions on
their own
• Helps to strengthen, identify and develop a
sense of pride
• Can be a defense against negative life
experiences
 You have rights!
Source: Warren-Washington ARC Self-Advocacy Group, September 1987
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Self-Determination
Transition-aged students with disabilities
lag significantly behind their peers…
The ability to make one’s own decisions
has a significant impact on an
individual’s self esteem and self
efficacy, and is closely linked to quality
of life issues
(Abery & Eggebeen, 1993)
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Self-DeterminationComponents
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•
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•
choice making
decision making
problem solving
goal setting and attainment
independence, risk taking and safety
self-observation, evaluation, and reinforcement
self-awareness
self-instruction
self-advocacy and leadership
internal locus of control
positive attributions of efficacy and outcome
expectancy
• self-knowledge
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Gatekeeper-Al Condeluci
someone who is already accepted and
included in the culture and has some formal
or informal influence within the culture
optimistic
social risk takers
open to new ideas
tend to be younger
more women than men
highly social and good mixers
tend to have respect and influence in the
community
more creative and flexible
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Together Including Every
Student (TIES)
-Williamsville
-Amherst
-Frontier
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
The Disability Perspective
General Rule:
 describe the person, not the disability
 refer to a person’s disability only when it is
relevant
 avoid words designed to evoke pity
PERSON FIRST LANGUAGE LAW
SIGNED INTO EFFECT JULY 2007
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Today in Disabilities
We Strive to Know and Do More
 Disability Etiquette – The Basics
• Ask before you help – don’t assume
• Be sensitive about physical contact. PWDs
consider their equipment part of their personal
space
• Think before you speak. Speak directly to
him/her
• Respond graciously to requests
• Do not exclude people from activities. Let
individuals judge what they can and can not do
Source: Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Today in Disabilities
We Strive to Know and Do More
 Take the time to learn what is “politically
correct”
• Put the person first (“person with a disability”
rather than “disabled person”)
• Avoid outdated terms (handicapped, crippled)
• Avoid “victim” or “suffers from”
• Say “wheelchair user” not “wheelchair bound”
Source: Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
A Credo for Support
Do not try to change me, you have no right.
Help me learn what I want to know
Do not hide uncertainty behind professional
distance
Do not use theories and strategies on me. Be
with me.
Do not try to control me. I have my right to my
power as a person
Do not be charitable towards me. Be my ally
against those who exploit me
Do not try to be my friend, I deserve more than
that. Get to know me. We may become friends
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
A Credo for Support (cont)
Do not help me, even if it does make you
feel good. Ask me if I need your help. Let
me know how you can best assist me
Do not admire me. A desire to live a full
life does not warrant adoration. Respect
me for respect presumes equity
Do not tell, correct, and lead. Listen,
support, and follow. Do not work on me.
Work with me
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved
Niagara University FR DAT
• Website; frdat.niagara.edu, links,
community resources, training
information, on line training (coming)
• FR DAT office 716-286-7355
• One stop disability information center
• Future planning; on-line training,
podcasts, apps, disability specific
training
Copyright 2006-2008 David V. Whalen…All rights reserved