National Association of

Residential Providers for Adults

with Autism
NARPAA ECLASS
Autism Education for Direct
Care Staff
www.narpaa.org
 MODULE SIX

PHILOSOPHY VALUES

www.narpaa.org
 MODULE SIX

As a result of completion of this module,

the participant will be able to:
• Explain the principles that underpin the
philosophy and values of developmental
disability support services.

• Compare what advocacy IS and IS NOT.

 INTRODUCTION

While all organizations providing services to

people with disabilities are most likely to
have their own philosophy, value statements
and policies, there are some internationally
accepted principles that should apply to all
services. We are not suggesting all
organizations should adopt the following
principles, but rather that organizations
should understand the purpose of philosophy
and value statements.
 INTRODUCTION

Philosophy and value statements are not

just concepts, but are statements of
purpose and should underpin the
nature of the support received. Indeed,
our very performance should be
measured against these statements.
 INTRODUCTION

The following provides some basic

principles that you may find useful when
reviewing or developing philosophy and
value statements, and policies. Please feel
free to use these as you see fit.
 ENSURING OPPORTUNITIES

Encouraging individuals to exercise an

increased amount of control and choice
in their lives, services and support.
 ENSURING OPPORTUNITIES

Providing opportunities to maximize

personal growth, talents and
responsibilities.
 ENSURING OPPORTUNITIES

Assisting individuals and their families to

plan and assess services and supports,
and participate in the community.
 ENSURING OPPORTUNITIES

Increasing the knowledge, skills and

abilities of everyone whose actions
impact the lives of people who have, or
are at risk of having, a developmental
disability.
 ENSURING OPPORTUNITIES

Promoting responsibility, accountability

and interdependence in all service
system participants, thus fostering
dynamic, responsive and creative
programs.
 ENSURING OPPORTUNITIES

Promoting and utilizing broad public

participation in the design, development
and provision of services and other
support opportunities.
 ENSURING OPPORTUNITIES

Promoting the use of local resources and

natural supports for individuals so as to
reduce reliance on external services
and supports.
 ENSURING OPPORTUNITIES

Encouraging the use of best clinical

practices and understanding that
everyone has the right to effective
support.
 ENSURING OPPORTUNITIES

Ensuring an environment free from harm

and promoting dignity and a belief in
human values.
 EMPHASIS

An emphasis on human dignity and a

conviction that each person is unique and
capable of growth is the key to
Developmental Disabilities Programs. The
thrust for providing services to persons with
developmental disabilities calls for instilling a
sense of self-determination and individual
participation in life’s decisions about where
to work, how to play and where to live.
 EMPHASIS

It also calls for community settings and

integration with people who do not have
disabilities (The Developmental
Disabilities Program (DDP) of the
Disability Services Division of the
Department of Public Health and Human
Services (DPHHS)).
 ADVOCACY IN RELATION TO
PHILOSOPHY AND VALUES

It is this role that allows us to support

people with disabilities and in some
ways advocate for them. It is through
this role that allows us to exercise and
promote the philosophy and values
outlined above.
 ADVOCACY IN RELATION TO
PHILOSOPHY AND VALUES

As Support Professionals we should all

work to relate to the public in a way that
assists the people we support in getting
their needs met. Our role, in this sense,
is to help the community in general to
better understand and develop healthy
informed attitudes about and toward
people with disabilities.
 ADVOCACY IN RELATION TO
PHILOSOPHY AND VALUES

The following is adapted from “Public

Relations” in “A Competency Based
Training” (LaVigna and Willis, 1999)
although the original source is
unknown. It provides an overview of
what your role as an advocate is and
perhaps more importantly, is not.
 ADVOCACY IS
1. Helping people help themselves.
2. Building confidence so people are able to
help themselves.
3. Supporting efforts toward independence.
4. Providing necessary tools for appropriate
decisions and appropriate action.
5. Informing people of their rights.
6. Helping people have their rights recognized
 ADVOCACY IS
7. Analyzing a problem and pinpointing areas of
responsibility.
8. Stating options available to resolve a problem.
9. Providing technical assistance and training.
10. Providing assistance in locating appropriate
services.
11. Referring to appropriate agencies.
 ADVOCACY IS
12. Lobbying for necessary legislation.
13. Agitating to get legislation implemented.
14. Organizing for change.
15. Initiating new services.
16. Investigating grievances.
17. Following up on complaints.
 ADVOCACY IS

18. Going to court when other avenues have failed

to get results.
19. Bringing groups together for mutual support and
action.
20. Advocating and/or interceding on behalf of
people only when they are unable to help
themselves.
21. A partnership with mutual sharing of information,
tasks and action.
 ADVOCACY IS NOT
1. Taking over a person's life (or problem) and
making all decisions for him/her.
2. Squelching efforts of self-help.
3. Reinforcing feelings of helplessness and
dependence.
4. Keeping people in the dark while doing
everything for them.
5. Keeping people uninformed about their rights so
they will have to rely on the advocate for
everything.
 ADVOCACY IS NOT
6. Discouraging people from becoming activists.
7. Making excuses for unavailability or inadequacy
of services.
8. Making decisions for people.
9. Controlling people.
10. Persuading people to accept "make do"
services.
11. Closing the door to people because "there's
nothing I can do to help."
 ADVOCACY IS NOT

12. Keeping "hands off" of politics.

13. Accepting the status quo when legislation is not
implemented.
14. Seeking individual solutions to group problems.
15. Accepting unavailability and inadequacy of
services.
16. Denying existence of problems reported.
 ADVOCACY IS NOT
17. Dropping a complaint after initial contact.
18. Filing a lawsuit as the first approach to a
problem.
19. Working only with individuals when others share
a mutual problem.
20. Interceding on behalf of people who can help
themselves.
21. A parent/child relationship.