My Way
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Life is as unpredictable as the pattern of a snowflake and so, children and adults with a learning disability (especially ASD) and challenging behaviour need to be subjected to a variety of situations in order to learn flexibility as rapidly as possible. They must realize that they are a part of this world…..not the centre of it. If you want the person you are thinking of now, to have the best shot at a ‘normal’ life full of choices, decisions, freedom and fun, then start as soon as you can – it’s never too early or too late! A stable routine is in all of our lives; wakeup - eat - sleep. Yet surrounding these routine tasks are inconsistencies, all of which shape our existence as highly intelligent mammals. Our ability as a species to socialise, analyse, create and destroy is what makes us human. Just because an individual may struggle with some of these aspects does not mean they cannot learn or should not be given the opportunity to learn. Our personality is what makes us individual, for some this means jest, for others it may mean arrogance, optimism, selfishness or simply embracing life. An individual with special needs, learning difficulties, disabilities, or whichever title you choose, has no more or less right to the basic human entitlement to be different. They may just need a helping hand to experience and see both sides of life’s coin.
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About the Book
This book puts into words the experience I have gained over the years of working with individuals with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour. I have attempted to describe my perspective, not as the only method or even the most efficient one, but the method I have found to be most effective both short and long term - My Way! My desires for this book are definitely not riches or a recognised status, just the fundimental hope that if just one individual or family can benfit from hearing a different perspective, and a child or adults future is changed for the better because of it, then all the cost and time was well worth it! As cheesy, tacky or self-promoting as that may sound, the fact of the matter is it's true, why else do we work all the hours god sends for a poor rate of pay in an underated industry?!
About the Author
My name is Adam Garland and since about 2002 I have worked with individuals with special needs in schools, colleges, sports sessions, residential holidays, day trips, residential units, family homes and on holidays with the individuals and their respected family. I have worked with young children on early intervention programs, older children/teenagers/adults on emergency intervention, individuals of all ages on progression or issue specific strategies, and most of all family units including older and younger siblings as well as extended family. So as you can see my experienced is quite wide ranging, however throughout all of this work and volunteering it has become increasingly apparent that individuals that exhibit aspects of challenging behaviour, if left unchallenged or indulged, often develop to utilise more volatile behaviours leaving them very much isolated from the local community. This then lead me to look into what the parents/families/professionals of the individuals, I was working with, needed to support them. The answer to this, more often than not, was someone who could be hands on, with the specialist knowledge, and be able to support everyone involved to enable the person they cared about to have the future they deserved. So here I am, doing everything I can to make that happen!