PURPOSE

All people learn, grow, and change as they mature.  The purpose of this section is to become familiar with the "adult life cycle" and recognize that as a person matures their needs, choices, and the type of supports they want will also change. Honor each individual's right to make choices and provide the the kind of support that match their wants.

1. Identify how life stages influence how we make decisions.
2. Describe how to provide the right kind of support at the

    right time based on an individual's stage of life.
3. Identify the difference between real and artificial choice.

INTRODUCTION

Growth and development throughout one's life is natural. The transition from adolescence to adulthood usually provides a sense of freedom and increased opportunities to experience real choice. Many individuals with disabilities never experience the stages of adult development; decisions are made for them in childhood, adolescence, and throughout their adult life.

Adult development is recognized as a natural process of maturing that occurs in stages. As a Support Broker it is important to recognize and support an individual, in part, based on their life stage of development. For example, your support and interactions with a nineteen-year old who has just graduated from high school will be much different than your interactions with a forty-year old man who has been employed and living on his own since his early twenties. With the nineteen-year old, you may find that a gentle nudge is needed to inspire attainment of a goal. However, with the forty-year old who has more life experience, your gentle nudge may be seen as more of an intrusion. Instead, as an adult peer, you will listen and provide support as requested.

Idahoans with disabilities who seek services through the My Voice, My Choice program option will require Support Brokers to develop plans that provide greater access to activities, freedoms, and work opportunities. To best serve adults with disabilities, Support Brokers need to honor the adult voice. Individuals with disabilities are NOT large children; they are maturing adults with real life experiences. The job of the Support Broker is to hear that voice and advocate for the person-centered plan to reflect the strengths of the individual. Goals and aspirations will look much different for people as they age.

The Support Broker will be challenged to provide the right kind of support at the right time and to help others in the support circle to recognize the adult with a disability as a legitimate decision maker guided by his or her life experiences.

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