Module 5: Making encounters happen
As discussed in Module 3, people with intellectual disability often miss out on opportunities for encounter because of community attitudes, communication differences and staff practices.
Disability support workers can try to amend this situation by pro-actively trying to facilitate opportunities for encounter, when it is appropriate to do so.
As discussed in Module 3, people with intellectual disability often miss out on opportunities for encounter because of community attitudes, communication differences and staff practices.
Disability support workers can try to amend this situation by pro-actively trying to facilitate opportunities for encounter, when it is appropriate to do so.
When
(and when not) to initiate encounter
As a disability support worker, there are times you need to make a judgement on whether it is appropriate or not to support a service user to initiate encounter with others.
Seizing opportunities for encounter
One of the essentials of Person Centred Active Support is 'every moment has potential'. This also applies to supporting people with intellectual disability out in the community. There are many moments when there a potential for encounter when it might be appropriate for you to provide support to initiate an encounter.
Without support there may be many 'missed opportunities'. For example, when someone in the community communicates that they are ready and willing to interact - for example, by making eye-contact or smiling - but the person with intellectual disability misses the signs or seems unsure how to respond.
Another example for a missed opportunity is when the person you are supporting seems keen to initiate encounter with another person, but is not sure how to do it.
Sometimes you will join a service user in situations where there are 'natural' opportunities for encounter. For example, by participating in a shared-purpose activity with other people where it is common for strangers to interact with each other. If you notice that the person you support is excluded from such interaction, it might be appropriate to try and facilitate their engagement.
Letting go
Even when going out to public places, people often expect to be left alone and have their privacy respected. This does not mean that they are acting in an 'exclusionary' way towards a person with intellectual disability. They may be wary of strangers, tired, in a hurry or not in the mood for conversation.
Sometimes a person's body language will tell you that they are not interested in any sociable interaction. For example, they will avert their eyes or turn their face away.
It is every person's right to keep to themselves, and it would be inappropriate and unhelpful for you to try to initiate an encounter despite signs that they are not interested.
As a disability support worker, there are times you need to make a judgement on whether it is appropriate or not to support a service user to initiate encounter with others.
Seizing opportunities for encounter
One of the essentials of Person Centred Active Support is 'every moment has potential'. This also applies to supporting people with intellectual disability out in the community. There are many moments when there a potential for encounter when it might be appropriate for you to provide support to initiate an encounter.
Without support there may be many 'missed opportunities'. For example, when someone in the community communicates that they are ready and willing to interact - for example, by making eye-contact or smiling - but the person with intellectual disability misses the signs or seems unsure how to respond.
Another example for a missed opportunity is when the person you are supporting seems keen to initiate encounter with another person, but is not sure how to do it.
Sometimes you will join a service user in situations where there are 'natural' opportunities for encounter. For example, by participating in a shared-purpose activity with other people where it is common for strangers to interact with each other. If you notice that the person you support is excluded from such interaction, it might be appropriate to try and facilitate their engagement.
Letting go
Even when going out to public places, people often expect to be left alone and have their privacy respected. This does not mean that they are acting in an 'exclusionary' way towards a person with intellectual disability. They may be wary of strangers, tired, in a hurry or not in the mood for conversation.
Sometimes a person's body language will tell you that they are not interested in any sociable interaction. For example, they will avert their eyes or turn their face away.
It is every person's right to keep to themselves, and it would be inappropriate and unhelpful for you to try to initiate an encounter despite signs that they are not interested.
How to make encounters happen?
Creating an inviting atmosphere
When accompanying a service user in public, you can help set-up a mood or atmosphere that is more inviting for other people to make contact.
If you and the service user seem to be having a good time, other people might want to make contact and be part of the fun too. But if you and the service user (or group of service users) focus your full attention exclusively on each other, others might shy away. While friendly interaction between the support worker and a service user can be a great thing, try also to stay attuned to the environment and the people around you.
Responding to opportunities
When a stranger initiates conversation, or even just hints that they are interested in conversation by making eye contact, smiling or moving closer, there might be an opportunity for encounter!
If the service user has not responded to that opportunity, it might be because they have missed these signs, or might not know or be unsure how to respond.
You can support them by directing their attention to these signs and subtly prompting their response.
The video below shows an example of a support worker supporting a person to respond to an opportunity for encounter.
Creating an inviting atmosphere
When accompanying a service user in public, you can help set-up a mood or atmosphere that is more inviting for other people to make contact.
If you and the service user seem to be having a good time, other people might want to make contact and be part of the fun too. But if you and the service user (or group of service users) focus your full attention exclusively on each other, others might shy away. While friendly interaction between the support worker and a service user can be a great thing, try also to stay attuned to the environment and the people around you.
Responding to opportunities
When a stranger initiates conversation, or even just hints that they are interested in conversation by making eye contact, smiling or moving closer, there might be an opportunity for encounter!
If the service user has not responded to that opportunity, it might be because they have missed these signs, or might not know or be unsure how to respond.
You can support them by directing their attention to these signs and subtly prompting their response.
The video below shows an example of a support worker supporting a person to respond to an opportunity for encounter.
Prompting a person with disability to initiate encounter
If you notice an opportunity for encounter but the person you support does not respond, you might be able to gently prompt them to initiate contact with someone else on their own. This way they will get to 'practice' more direct contact with others without your involvement.
Making an introduction
When the opportunity is there – for example, a person has made eye contact and smiled at the person you support – but he or she seems unsure how to respond, you might help by informally introducing them to the other person. A simple friendly and straight-forward introduction is sometimes all that is needed to get a conversation started.
The video below shows examples of support workers supporting service users to initiate conversation through prompting and making an introduction.
If you notice an opportunity for encounter but the person you support does not respond, you might be able to gently prompt them to initiate contact with someone else on their own. This way they will get to 'practice' more direct contact with others without your involvement.
Making an introduction
When the opportunity is there – for example, a person has made eye contact and smiled at the person you support – but he or she seems unsure how to respond, you might help by informally introducing them to the other person. A simple friendly and straight-forward introduction is sometimes all that is needed to get a conversation started.
The video below shows examples of support workers supporting service users to initiate conversation through prompting and making an introduction.
It is important to avoid those practices that might prevent encounters from happening. As you remember from Module 4, sometimes people with intellectual disability miss out on opportunities for encounter because they are taken out to community places in large groups.
Sometimes support workers prevent an encounter between a service user and others in order to avoid embarrassment or in order to get on with other plans. Sometimes, a person with intellectual disability misses out on an opportunity for an encounter because the support worker interacts on their behalf.
If you, as a support worker, avoid these practices, the person you support will benefit from more opportunities for encounter with other members of their community.
Activity 4
Should a support worker proactively try to initiate encounters for a service user who is shy, and usually prefers to avoid social interactions with strangers?
Write down some examples of tactics you have used to initiate encounters for the person you support?
Should a support worker proactively try to initiate encounters for a service user who is shy, and usually prefers to avoid social interactions with strangers?
Write down some examples of tactics you have used to initiate encounters for the person you support?
Conclusion
It is easy to miss out on opportunities for encounter, especially for people who are less experienced in interacting with strangers. Through very simple acts - such as making a brief introduction or prompting a service user to initiate conversation on their own - support workers can help service users overcome these difficulties and experience encounter and greater social inclusion. These support practices are easy to master and very effective, but require support workers to be alert to opportunities for encounter when accompanying a service user in the community.
It is easy to miss out on opportunities for encounter, especially for people who are less experienced in interacting with strangers. Through very simple acts - such as making a brief introduction or prompting a service user to initiate conversation on their own - support workers can help service users overcome these difficulties and experience encounter and greater social inclusion. These support practices are easy to master and very effective, but require support workers to be alert to opportunities for encounter when accompanying a service user in the community.