Wheelies and Ramp Tricks

A classmate of mine, Chloe Welsh, posted the talk by Dallin H. Oaks entitled "Good, Better, Best" and said this about it, "This is the....talk that differentiates between good, better, and best decisions that we will have to make in our lives. I really enjoyed this talk because we can relate it to every single decision we make in our lives, recreational or not." Through last weeks lesson and this weeks I have found that this talk, and her words, could not be any more true. There will be many decisions in my future that will have to be made and I will have to decide which option will be "best." This talk is one to keep.

To help make things accessible at a facility, I liked the simplicity of it all found in the readings. 

Can't be much more simple than that.

From my practicum and from my past experiences with those who have disabilities I have found that honesty is the best way to do things. Honesty with yourself and with those you interact with. Trying to dance around a topic doesn't accomplish much.

Also, another thing I want to have access to and be able to quickly refer to is the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. It was when things started to change for the better for those with disabilities and has changed the way just about everything is built.

PERMA-nent Tricks I'm Keeping

One of my classmates said in their blog last week that, "Despite all of our differences, political, religious, income, we are all more alike than different." I want this to be something I will always remember and retain throughout the rest of my life. Who doesn't need that reminder practically daily?

Something from this weeks lesson that I want to always have with me was the video of Shawn Achor explaining what Positive Psychology is. He does it with such clarity, simplicity, and joy that I couldn't help but love every second of it.

Another part of this weeks lesson I want in my arsenal is the PERMA model itself. It can't get any more clear than it does in the lesson materials.

One thing neat that I learned about myself this week through the lesson was what my character strengths are. This knowledge will help me immensely as I strive to reach out and better myself and others. Using my strengths will be that much easier now that I better understand what they are.

Funny enough, this week I went to town on my practicum and very quickly learned that there is a lot of wiggle room needed. I found that I would have a game plan, but it wouldn't always go how I planned. Back up plans are incredibly important and can help everything run smoothly. Always have a backup plan!

In the past I found that positive thinking was incredibly helpful when working with those who have disabilities. It can be challenging and frustrating at times, so thinking positively helped a lot. What I also learned was that positive thinking is key to helping absolutely everyone to be happy, disability or not. This lesson about the PERMA model and positive psychology taught me so much more about what this all means.

A site that helped me a lot this week was the Positive Psychology page on the University of Pennsylvania website. The part I enjoyed the most of this site was the frequently asked questions page. One part really caught my attention. It was in response to "Is positive psychology just about making people happy?" It said, " Positive psychology is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. According to Seligman (2002), positive psychology has three central concerns: positive emotions, positive individual traits, and positive institutions." It obviously said more, but that was the part that taught me the most and that I really wanted to remember.

What's In My Magic Hat Now?

Mental disabilities have such a wide spectrum from severe to mild that it can be hard to know how to properly act or talk about them, let alone how to act around someone with one. One disability that has always been curios to me has been Aspergers Syndrome. Thankfully there was a video provided this week that really opened up my eyes to it and what it is exactly. Hopefully this video will not only help myself but others as well as I continue on throughout my life.

There was also a site that I found in my studies recently that has really helped me learn about what one can do to help others who are suffering from a brain injury. This was spurred by an assignment from this week, but the article/website itself is full of amazing information. It is the "Brain Injury Association Of America" site. Check it out! 

There was a quote posted by one of my classmates last week that I feel is completely applicable to this weeks lesson as well. It is by Shannon L. Alder and says, "Never give up on someone with a mental illness. When "I" is replaced by "We", illness becomes wellness." I love this! This is a great way to look at any sort of illness and to make it into something positive. There is always something to be learned from any sort of illness. This quote was posted by Benjamin Bisnett, just as a 'by the way.'

A recurring theme in all of my studies is to treat everyone equally. From my experiences in the past this could not be more accurate. Although disabilities can have a wide range of severity, that concept of treating everyone the same and equally doesn't change. I know that as I worked with people with varying disabilities that all of them had this in common. I taught swimming for years and no matter what was going on in someones life they were all there for the same reason, to learn to swim. So although my methods were different at times, what we were ultimately doing was the same and I strived to treat each swimmer the same. I felt this made all the difference in the world!

Cutting Edge Tools!

In this weeks toolbox I wanted to save the link for Elder Hollands talk, "Like a Broken Vessel" so I can always refer back to it and remember his wise council. Not only does it help me remember how real all mental illnesses are, but it also helps give me that eternal perspective in it all. That the Lord has a plan for every one of us and that plan is so incredibly individualized.

Another link I found extremely useful for this weeks activities in which I used to help me with the Application Submission was this article about helping children with ADHD focus. I feel like it really gave me some good points to focus on and to add to my tool box for future reference. This will be especially useful as many people, even those without ADHD or ADD, can have problems focusing. I am excited to use this information in my future endeavors (even if those endeavors are just with my own children.)

From our readings I found the above information to be of the most use and something I want to always be able to use in the future. These simple facts can go a long ways, especially if I need it to help educate coworkers on the basics of mental illnesses.

Something I loved from one of our classmates posts last week was this video called "The Power of Teamwork - Funny Animation." She also had this to say about the video, "This video can be used to teach people the importance of teamwork in the work environment, when we work with people with disabilities. It takes teamwork to figure out just the right way to work with those we serve, whether they have disabilities or not." What more can I really say about it? I am really excited to now have this video to share with others as I go throughout my career and teach the importance of teamwork and looking out for everyone.

Now, to talk about something I have learned from past experiences, I can think of no better thing than my experience as an ABA instructor with an incredible little boy with autism. The biggest thing I learned from that experience is how important patience is, giving positive reinforcement, how important a routine can be, and how much those with disabilities can teach. Those are just a few of the things I learned, but there was so much more. I honestly know and believe that those with disabilities are there to help teach those around them, to which I am very grateful for.

Finally, through my practicum this week I learned how key it is to be proactive with your work. You can't let a day go by or you'll get behind.

+ More Things To Remember

People-First Language

This video literally changed my way of thinking. I never realized how simple it can be to say things correctly. At least this video made it seem so. Addressing the person and then the disability and not classifying the person as the disability (if that makes sense.) Hopefully this video will be something I can always look back on and continually learn from.

Now, along with the People-First language, one of my classmates said something really profound. "I learned recently that the question we need to ask is not, “What’s wrong with you?” but instead, “What happened to you?” and look at the person and their story rather than their diagnosis.  This is not only people-first language, but a people-first thought process and interaction." I LOVED this! It helped me realize that it's not just a matter of changing the way I say things, but the way I think and act. For me I picture it starting with speech and then moving to thoughts and actions.

Also form this week was this list of terms will be something I can refer to at any point to better help me in my career. I would also hope it would be something I will be able to use to help my future coworkers or employees (depending on how awesome I am in my career (you may chuckle now)).

Something from my practicum this week I learned and want to remember is how key it is to have a plan. Just like how each lesson of this class has had a general outline of what to accomplish throughout the week, doing the same for the practicum has been so helpful! Definitely something to remember when in the work force with projects as well.