The song ‘Seven Ways to Cause a Crisis’ highlight what do we do that actually causes a crisis to happen in someone’s life? What do we (ie: support staff, team, system. support plan) unintentionally do that causes crisis in the … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Intellectual Disability
Three Things
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This video explores what we can do to better listen to people who are in direct support roles in order to improve the quality of life of both the support professional as well as the person being supported. Direct … Continue reading
Welcome to Holland
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Welcome to Holland is a brief essay written by Emily Perl Kingsley about her experience of raising her son with Down Syndrome.
Everyone Can Learn
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Heather Simmons shares an insightful story illuminating the idea that people of all abilities have the ability to learn giving the opportunity. Although Heather was originally from Scotland she now lives in Perth Australia where, with her husband Richard Hill, … Continue reading
How Not to Handle Rejection
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Enjoy this short excerpt from our series of Side by Side modules on Relationships, Dating, and Intimacy written by Dave Hingsburger. There is no “best way” to deal with rejection, but there are a lot of bad ways. The module … Continue reading
A Thought about Sex and Disability
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SEX…have I got your attention? In this video, Gary Kent gives everyone something to think about. Kent sheds light on the idea of how people with disabilities have a lack of control over their own lifes. His blunt and straightforward example of how even the opportunity to have sexual relations is controlled by others, gives us all something to think about.
SPEAK TO THEM
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This video explains that although we trust doctors and psychologists, who have extensive years of education to inform us about disabilities, the reality is, sometimes the best way to learn from and understand the people we support is to SPEAK … Continue reading
Understanding and Promoting Rights
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Your staff can now learn about “Understanding and Promoting Rights” with either our long or new short version module. But first watch this fun music video we made about rights, community and more! Our new module “Understanding and Promoting Rights … Continue reading
DROWNING BY DAVID PITONYAK
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It might seem odd that a professional would ignore someone who is drowning. But as David Pitonyak explains, this happens all the time in our field. People who have disabilities and difficult behavior are often overboard and terrified, and we … Continue reading
Relationships, Dating, and Intimacy by Dave Hingsburger
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Relationship, Dating and Intimacy expert, Dave Hingsburger, shares with you his knowledge about the importance of assisting the people we support with developing positive relationships, experiencing dating and intimacy in order to have a fulfilled life. This side-by-side module allows the people who receive support and the people who provide support to learn together. Continue reading
TRAINING GROUPS OF STAFF JUST GOT EASIER
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We just made it a lot easier to train groups of staff. Gather a group of staff, choose one of our modules, and then using our new administrative functions you can assign and issue certificates to all learners. Warning this … Continue reading
Autism and Sensory Processing
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Understanding and gaining insight into your processing system takes time and effort. In this module, with the help of Judith North and Simony Haywood, we use insightful films and commentaries to help staff workers to understand their own processing abilities in hopes of them being able to better assist and understand the people they support. Continue reading
Johnny ran. That was his problem. He was what the staff called a runner.
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Open Future Learning gives your staff three ways to learn: 1 = With the people they support: Our Side by Side Modules let your staff use the time they spend with people to learn with people. 2 = In groups: Our … Continue reading
ALL BEHAVIOR IS COMMUNICATION
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P.S. We just released a new short version of our module “Abuse Prevention.” After completing this new bite size 80 minute module you will be able to: – Describe what abuse is, along with the signs, symptoms, causes, circumstances, patterns, … Continue reading
Five More Things You Can Do
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David Pitonyak is back with another five things you can do to support someone who has behavior that is challenging. When the person you support is going through a difficult time, friendships, a positive identity, fairness, and fun are commonly … Continue reading
NADSP & Open Future Learning
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Yeah we did it! Our learning modules are now officially accredited by the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals! Direct Support Professionals can now use our modules to complete the national credentialing program. Contact us at hello@openfuturelearning.org for more information. The … Continue reading
Boundaries by Dave Hingsburger
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Boundaries are the most important social skill for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. In this module, David Hingsburger explains how boundaries that are a learned skill that needs to be taught, and how how to teach them. Continue reading
Active Support
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Active support is an approach that was developed to help combat the lack of engagement in meaningful activities and relationships experienced by people who receive support. Active support is about doing with, not for or to. Continue reading
National Direct Support Professional Week!
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To celebrate National Direct Support Professional Week we share this film. Being in human services is cool because … Words by Dave Hingsburger
We Work Together
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This new module, written by the great John Raffaele, uses 12 wonderful short films to tell 12 memorable stories that will help your staff member to learn how they can be a bigger and better part of your organization.
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Five Things You Can Do
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This module, created by David Pitonyak, explains the importance of staff members getting to know the people they support. They need to understand that all behavior is meaningful and the importance of having support plans in place. Continue reading
Who Am I?
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This side-by-side module, by David Hinsburger, was designed to help the people you support to understand and use words to confidently describe who they are. Most importantly this module will help explain what a disability is and help them to like who they are. Continue reading
Autism Remastered
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Written by Judith North, this is our remastered module about Autism. Continue reading
Intensive Interaction
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This module, Intensive Interaction, is based on an approach to teaching communication skills to people with autism and/or profound intellectual disabilities. This module will help staff members understand what Intensive Interaction is and how to support the people who need it. Continue reading
Introducing Side by Side
What if support staff and the people they support could use the time they spend together, to learn together?
Side by Side has been designed so that people who receive support and people who provide support can learn together.
Learn more: http://www.openfuturelearning.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=login.newlearningmodules
The Moth Project
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“Every family member has a story.” Here are a few of the amazing family members who took part in our collaborative project with “The Moth.” These parents had stories to spare! It was an absolute privilege and a gift to … Continue reading
Me and Mine
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Dave Hingsburger will change the way you think about your work and the way that you support people. Our new module ‘Me and Mine’ explores the importance of self and the need to help the people you support to develop … Continue reading
Do the Write Thing
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We are excited to announce the release of our newest module Do the Write Thing. Behind every word we write, there is a person. But paperwork is loathed by almost every support professional in the field of human services. What … Continue reading
Naturally
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Really excited to share our new music video “Naturally”. We collaborated with the brilliant Michael Steinbruck to bring you this song about the right of people to build a home and live in the community.
The Moth & Open Future
We are pleased to announce that we have recently embarked on a collaborative project with The Moth and we are now seeking to connect with family members of people who have an intellectual disability.
We want to help support professionals to do a better job of relating to, understanding, and working with the families of the people we support. The experiences and stories of family members are rarely openly shared and are often misunderstood.
The Moth will be facilitating a series of professionally supported workshops within the five boroughs of NYC to help participants to shape their life experiences into well crafted stories that can be presented to members of the local community. Open Future Learning will in turn build a module that incorporates these stories.
If you are or if you know a family member that might be interested in taking part please contact us.