Keepsake Crafting with the Developmentally Disabled
Millions of people around the world have Developmental Disabilities
This condition results in substantial limitations in 3 or more major life activities:
- Self care
- Receptive and expressive language
- Learning
- Mobility
- Self-Direction
- Capacity for independent living
- Economic self-sufficiency
Family members, friends and members of the community play a key role in helping to enrich the quality of life that people with these disabilities have. By providing them with opportunities. Opportunities to decent health care, and a clean and healthy living environment. Opportunities to develop life skills in the hope of one day living Independently. Opportunities to explore the world, and their own Creativity!
There are many ways you can help someone with a developmental disability. The most important, and first step, is to care enough to get involved. Help one person, and that will motivate others to help one person. That is all any one of us can do, we can’t change the world, but we can add value to the people around us.
It doesn’t mean giving up all of your free time. Just take it one step at a time. One activity at a time. This is an important part of humanity, helping each other through this thing called life.
This is my little brother David, he is Developmentally Disabled. He is a very important part of our family, and I wouldn’t want to imagine a life without him. He has taught us so much about compassion and unconditional love. He is someone that I admire and look up to every day. If I have a problem he listens to my every word, and then gives me the simplest advise that is spot-on, and lifts me up. It shows me that even though he doesn’t always know how to express himself, deep inside his brain he understands way more than most people give him credit for.
But, that being said, daily life is not always easy for him or those around him. It takes a lot of love and understanding to provide for someone with these types of disabilities.
Lastly, please keep in mind that Developmentally Disabled Adults deserve the compassion and understanding to be treated as adults and not as children. Please find crafting projects and activities that are for adults, not something you would provide a child.
Here are a few books that are great to get you started on learning more about working with adults that have these types of conditions:
Activities for Adults with Learning Disabilities
How to Teach Daily Living Skills to Adults with Developmental Disabilities
I hope the ideas you find on my website will help you on your mission to improve the life of someone with a Developmental Disability!
Keepsake Crafter