Own Initiative Model
Basic assumptions
The Own Initiative Model (OIM) is based on the assumption that people with an intellectual
disadvantage can increase their insight into their own possibilities and limitations through
training. This brings popular theories and ideas on learning, instruction and intellectual
limitations up for discussion. The OIM’s main premise is that the problems people with an
intellectual disadvantage encounter when applying acquired skills, mainly originate from a
lack of learning experiences. The second principle is that training should be focused on the
acquisition of those skills that will enable people to generalise. The benchmark for training
success is the application of learned practical skills in a day-to-day environment. The OIM
works on the assumption that people need to learn, not only the practical knowledge and
skills, but also how to approach new situations, i.e. they have to learn to generalise. This
implies that, during the training, they learn to reflect on the way in which acquired knowledge
and skills are used in everyday situations. The third principle relates to the ideas (practice
based theories) of counsellors, parents, work supervisors and teachers. They often assume
that people with an intellectual disadvantage cannot think for themselves. Counsellors
always try to make situations understandable, solve problems in advance, point out possible
errors and provide instructions on how to act/behave, where possible. This inadvertently
promotes acquired dependence. People learn that, if something is difficult, they will be
dependent on their counsellors and, in particular, will not have to think for themselves and try
to find a solution.
Key principles
Experience has shown that the application of the OIM demands a fundamental change in
ideas on, and working with, people with an intellectual disadvantage. To work with the OIM 5
different key principles need to be taken into account. The first three are the core of the OIM,
the last two could be considered preconditions.
1. General skills
2. Acquisition of general skills
3. Coaching when applying skills in everyday environment
4. Training as part of a more extensive plan for the future
5. Incorporation of the OIM in the organisation
The following is a brief description of each of these principles. The second part of this book
includes more detailed descriptions, illustrated with examples, and with the emphasis on the
first three principles.
General skills are the intellectual skills used to define and regulate our actions. The OIM is
based on three different general skills:
1. Orientation: consider before you start and make a plan;
2. Implementation: consider whilst you are implementing it and check that you are
actually achieving your goals;
3. Evaluation: check that you have achieved your goals and look back and learn from
your actions.
In many situations it is important to consider – before you act – what is expected of you, what
you know already and what you should do, instead of acting impulsively without further
reflection. This applies in particular to people, who would like more responsibility and
become more independent, e.g. at home or at work. They need to establish themselves how
they should act in specific situations and how they can solve specific problems.
The OIM gives people an insight into their own approach and provides them with the
knowledge and experience to improve this approach. This will enable them to deal with the
various situations and problems they will encounter in their everyday lives.
With OIM training people are involved in a practical way, but practical tasks are a definite
learning tool. For example, someone will bake a cake, in the first place to learn general skills
and only in the second place to learn how to bake a cake.
Learning general skills
The second principle of the OIM is based on learning and the instruction of general skills.
Learning tasks are designed, and specific tasks or skills used as a means or work
assignment, in order to promote learning. The instruction and associated learning
assignments are not focused on the implementation of specific tasks or skills, but on the
transfer of knowledge about, an application of, general skills. The instruction helps the
individual to consider, and specifically improve, his own approach. The issue is to ‘learn to
learn’: ‘I can teach myself, for example, how to prepare a meal or do the shopping’.
The instruction that is part of the OIM is focused on the transfer of knowledge on the how,
why and when of the three general skills. Overall this can best be typified as directive at an
intellectual level and non-directive at implementation level. This implies that the individual’s
thinking patterns are controlled by explaining and giving information, without telling him how
to complete the work assignment. The nature of the instruction changes during training. As
the individual acquires more skills there is a transfer from ‘thinking controlled by the trainer’
to ‘self control by the individual being trained’. As training progresses the trainer will
disappear more and more into the background, as the trainee becomes more capable of
functioning according to the acquired approach.
Coaching in day-to-day environment
Skills training is not an objective as such, but a means to promote independence, initiative,
flexibility, quality and responsibility in everyday life. The learning of skills is followed by the
conversion and application of these skills in the day-to-day environment, i.e. generalisation.
Individuals need to realise that skills they have learned from instructions for specific work
assignments can also be applied in many everyday situations. But they need support from a
coach, who helps them to recognise situations in which it would be advisable to apply their
general skills. Coaching is intended to give people the scope to think for themselves and do
the things they can (learn to) do themselves. Coaching also sets limits and introduces
frameworks. The coach will create safe situations, address people on the basis of their
knowledge and abilities, and support them in the generalisation of acquired skills into
increasingly different situations. The coach will always focus on the individual’s ability to
learn and use this as a starting point to evaluate, together with the individual, where limits
should be introduced and what scope is required to practice ‘safely’. Room to practice also
means room to make mistakes, and learn from them. If the coach adopts this approach, the
limits will gradually shift and the individual will learn to take more responsibility, to become
more independent, to act correctly and delivery quality, to take the initiative and be more
flexible. At the same time the coach will disappear progressively into the background. The
individual will have more and more positive experiences and will learn to handle situations
that are not immediately successful.
Support plan
Training and coaching in the OIM are focused on the realisation of individual learning
objectives. Depending on the objective and abilities of the individual in question, an
evaluation will be made to define whether the OIM is suitable. It should provide the individual
with an insight into the way in which he should approach situations or tasks and teach him
alternative general skills for improvement. The application of the OIM should not be separate,
but fit within the development of a specific individual. The fourth basic principle of the OIM is
best described as Personal Future Planning (PFP). PFP is not an OIM, but the application of
the OIM should be justified on the basis of a plan focused on the future. The OIM should tie
in with the possibilities and ‘desired’ future (living, working, leisure time) of an individual with
an intellectual disadvantage. The person in question should be in agreement, after all he
defines what he wants to do with his life. This also means that, after a certain time, an
individual should be able to make different choices on the basis of experience, and should be
able to change direction.