Active Support

Enabling and Empowering People with Intellectual Disabilities

Jim Mansell, Julie Beadle-Brown

• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781849051118
• eBook ISBN: 9780857003003
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Developmental Psychology
• Index: Psychology

Active Support is a proven model of care that enables and empowers people with intellectual disabilities to participate fully in all aspects of their lives. This evidence-based approach is particularly effective for working with people with more severe disabilities, and is of growing interest to those responsible for providing support and services.

The authors provide a comprehensive overview of Active Support and how it can be used in practice, based on the theory and research underpinning the methods involved. They describe how to engage people with intellectual disabilities in meaningful activity as active participants, and look at the communication style needed to foster positive relationships between carers and the people they are supporting. Highlighting the main issues for those trying to put Active Support into practice, they explain what is needed on a day-to-day basis to support the implementation, improvement and maintenance of the approach, along with possible solutions for the difficulties they may encounter. Finally, they look at how to integrate Active Support with other person-centred approaches, drawing on examples from various organisations and individual case studies.

The definitive text on Active Support, this book will be essential reading for anyone professionally concerned with the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities, including psychologists, behaviour specialists, social workers, care managers, occupational therapists and inspectors and regulators of services, as well as families.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• PREFACE
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Engagement in Meaningful Activity and Relationships
• 3 The Enabling Relationship
• 4 Organising Staff Support
• 5 Practice Leadership
• 6 The Organisational Context
• 7 Integrating Active Support with Other Person-Centred Approaches
• 8 Conclusion
• Appendix 1: Summary of the Levels of Engagement Reported in Available Studies and Additional Analysis of Available Data, with Adaptive Behaviour Scale Part 1 (ABS) Score Where Available
• Appendix 2: Summary of Data on Engagement and Support from Staff Following Implementation of Active Support
• References