A Support Worker in Empowering People with Learning Difficulties - Essay Example

In the last few decades, the outlook towards disability and people with disability has undergone a dramatic change. Disabilities of any types, is no more a subject of heated discussion and something to be looked down. The best thing the changing times have given to the persons with disabilities is a sense of social acceptance as individuals who have equal rights. They are being recognized as persons with potentials and as such, efforts are being made to provide them with opportunities to become financially independent. The changing socio-economic status of the people with disabilities has significantly contributed their empowerment and the changing statistics in the number of disabled people, throughout the world, has now been taken as a challenge, both by the disables and the governments. “Recognizing that people with disabilities are important contributors to society and that allocating resources to their rehabilitation is an investment” (WHA58.23). The governments are keen to promote policies and create facilitators so that disabled people become differently abled persons and contribute positively towards national growth. The people with disabilities, on the other hand, are intent on overcoming the disadvantages of their disabilities and confidently strive towards financial independence. This very positive attitude among this segment of society has impelled the government and voluntary agencies to redefine their goals with regard to long term objectives, policies and plans for the people with disabilities. There has been an insistent paradigm shift in the perception of disability, especially in UK and USA, which has moved from the medical description to the socially acceptable models of disability with its wide ranging implications. According to WHO1 there are around six hundred million people living with disability of various types. 80% of these are living in under developed and developing countries (2005). The number of disabled people is increasing because of various factors like population growth, misuse of drugs, accidents, war casualties, landmines, HIV/AIDS, poverty and lack of medical facilities, chronic diseases, increase in life expectancy, environmental causes etc. The growing number of people with disabilities has necessitated our need to improvise and improve the existing infrastructure of rehabilitation and other services that are needed to counter the growing menace of external factors that lead to the disabilities and provide a solid platform for the disabled to rehabilitate their life. The changing scenario of the cause and effects of the disabilities, has prompted a renewed attempt to know whether the role of social workers is still vital as facilitator in the rehabilitation process of the people with disabilities especially when the focus has changed from the medical perspective of disability to the newly formed social model of disability? I would, therefore, be emphasizing the relevance of my role(S) as support worker who is able to act as an effective facilitating agent to empower the differently abled persons, especially people with learning disability and to instil self confidence and self esteem in them on a sustainable basis under the changed environment, backed by socialist perception of disability. An in-depth discussion of the various types of disabilities would be taken and needs and requirements of the people with disabilities with regard to the extent and degree of their disabilities would be studied and analysed, with special emphasis on people with learning disability. Disability, through the ages, has been perceived as that limiting factor which inhibits a person to carry out his social obligation towards his family and society at large, due to some physical or mental impairment. The physical and mental limitations of the persons thus made him an object of pity and charity. Persons described under this model of charity were deprived of their rights as an individual and were totally dependent on others for their daily subsistence. It was also looked down as social stigma and a threat to the social norms and social institution. But with the advancement of the medical science, disability became more pronounced but less threatening. With the help of innovative medical aids and appliances, physical disability was conquered to some extent and people started developing more hopes and made efforts to contribute towards socio-economic activities. Another factor that helped changed the views towards this segment of the society was the medical practitioners themselves, who not only defined the degree and extent of the disability but made efforts to enlighten the public of the misfortunes of the disabled people and helped integrate them in the lives of the mainstream population. Though medical science smoothed their social integration, the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century, which was profit oriented, did not recognize them as an equal and fitting contributor as a worker in the industries. Their disabilities were considered to be the limiting factors which directly clashed with the capitalistic goals of the owners and thus the disabled were deprived of their chances to become financially independent. The last 4-5 decades have seen significant changed in the understanding of the plight of the people with disability. Efforts have been made to overcome the prejudices of the people to acknowledge disabled person as an individual with equal rights and issues, related with their welfare, are being handled with sensitivity and care. In UK and US, perception of disability has undergone a drastic transformation. Concept of disability has moved beyond the constraints of the medical terminology and has embraced a socially relevant stance keeping their all round welfare as the main objective in all their policies and plans. The challenges of the not so visible disabilities, like learning disability, has been taken up on priority basis, mainly because of the initial intangibility of the problems, which are not only difficult to segregate but which are proving to be equally complex to understand and interpret. The theoretical model of disability, also widely known as social model, ascribes to the concept of disability as initially observed by the disabled group but later taken up by the society or non disabled segment of society and elaborates on the needs and requirements of the disabled population in order to provide them with requisite infrastructure and opportunities so that they can become financially independent and socially integrated. “It changed the centre of analysis from focusing on individual’s medical conditions to social structures, institutions, environments and attitudes” (Kwiotek). The model is largely supported by the non disabled people and contribution of the disabled population has been confined to their opinions. Active participation of the disabled population in the conceptualization and formulation of the so called model of disability and subsequently the policies and plans, has not been given priority. The world body like United Nations has come with universal statutory drafts like ‘UN Standard Rules on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities’ for the countries so that people with disability are provided with adequate infrastructural facilities and non discriminatory laws to promote financial independence and empowerment among the people with the disabilities. “Human competencies interact with the environment in a dynamic reciprocal relationship that shapes performance. When functional limitations exist, social participation is possible only when environmental support is present” (IOM2, 1997). The social model of disabilities which advocated the support system of the existing environment as a major enabling factor that facilitates integration, both at physical and intellectual level, was the most prominent model to define the disability as per the environmental constraints within which it exists. This model was eagerly adopted in UK and subsequently improvised by including the contributions, made by the disabled population to make it a success. The UK model was more appreciated because it took into account the sensitive issues of the disabled population and incorporated the inputs into the more scientifically developed model to make it socially acceptable one. Whereas the ongoing research on the model in US is still primarily focussed on the scientific innovations and improved infrastructure for empowering the disabled population. The social model of disability has become much more popular and effective because of its inherent sensitivity towards the external factors that influence the level of disability in the person. Though Terzi in her article says “the social model presents a partial and, to a certain extent, flawed understanding of the relation between impairment, disability and society” (2004), she nevertheless agrees that “the social model acts as a powerful and important reminder to face issues of inclusion as fundamental, moral issues” (2004). Apart from the improved infrastructure and accessibility, the role of social workers as facilitators in the process of empowering the disabled population is extremely important. Social workers and volunteers are integral parts of the implantation of the policies and plans of the government. My role is not just confined to being the support worker but it goes beyond the call of the duty to become their friends and well wishers who boost their confidence and help them to adopt new ideas and technologies. My work also involves, creating awareness and sensitivity towards the disabled people and disseminate information regarding myths and prejudices that are detrimental to the growth of society as a whole. As a support worker, I like to project correctly the image of the disabled population as differently abled persons who are able to contribute constructively to the socio-economic development of the society. My role as support worker is highly significant and relevant mainly because of the hidden problems that a normal person is not able to observe while interacting with the persons with learning disability. Learning disability can be defined as the disability where persons find it difficult to coordinate and co-relate information received and respond with an appropriate action and reaction. The organization and processing of information in certain sequence so as to come to a desired result is not possible because of the problems in the brain. The different parts of the brain, storing information, are unable to coordinate and thus their responses are slow and often inaccurate. “The difficulty has to do with the understanding or using written or spoken language. The problems are based on brain structure and function: a case of poor wiring in one or more areas of the brain” (internet). Learning disability or the developmental disability as the neurological science calls them, are normally characterized by high IQ which is not discernable chiefly because of the uncoordinated processing of the information by the brain which is often taken as low IQ. Another main point of the learning disability is that despite high IQ, they work below their intellectual capabilities and are often identified as persons with learning disability, much later in life. It often takes years to identify them because often their slow and inaccurate responses are taken as normal. My role as support worker facilitates better understanding of the challenges faced by the persons with learning disability and everyone associated with them. “In the past 20 years or so, the number of children diagnosed as learning disabled has steadily increased, and children with learning disabilities (LDs) now form the single largest category of students receiving special education services” (Swerling). The most common learning disability is Dyslexia which causes problems with reading and is increasing becoming common among the students. The others areas where it affects can be seen are writing, calculation, reasoning, language and motor skills. The other learning disabilities that are better known are cerebral palsy and autism which are related to motor skills. It is chronic in nature and in most cases, the person with learning disability is able to concentrate only on one area and therefore achieve success in one area of their life while remaining totally immune towards other areas. The neurological science confirms the irreversibility of the process but early deduction and intervention goes a long way in rehabilitating the young ones. “CBR workers provide information to people with disabilities and their families, .. CBR worker also acts as an advocate for people with disabilities by making contacts with schools, training centers, work places and other organizations to promote accessibility and inclusion” (JPP3,2004). My role of support worker, therefore, is highly pertinent and crucial in identifying the children with learning disability. The early deduction of the disability enhances the chances of rehabilitating the child with much more understanding both from the parents and the teachers. The collective efforts from all above three participants help the child to achieve a semblance of consistency in executing a set of instructions. I have observed that my experience has given me patience and knowledge about the various aspects of the disability and I am better equipped to impart appropriate strategy to the parents and teachers alike so that the combined efforts of the three could make much deeper impact on the child’s learning abilities and help him evolve as an independent and self sufficient adult. Another major aspect of my role is spreading a general awareness about the learning disability among the public so that a congenial and encouraging environment is built for the child with learning disability and thereby providing an all round understanding of the disability that is increasing becoming common. The support worker acts as a link between the complexities that is represented by the learning disability and people who are directly affected by the disability. They not only alleviate the worries and tensions of the parents but guide them through an emotionally challenging journey at the most crucial time of their life. Dissemination of information about learning disability greatly reduces the anxieties of the parents and helps them to cope with it with more understanding and sensitivity. Thereby, lending credibility and trust to my role as an effective support worker. Learning disability is the most scientifically complex disability encompassing a number of variations that not only confound the ordinary people but present a challenge for the medical fraternity as well for the psychologists and social scientists alike who are left with the task to, not only unravel the mysteries of the brain but also to evolve ways and means to cope with the socio-psychological affect of the disability. The task of the support worker involves multi pronged activities like acting as guide and counsellor to the parents and teachers, a psychologist while identifying the disability through the series of symptoms exhibited in the course of the different activities of the children and finally as a facilitator in integrating the child in the social setup. The need for the support worker has been acknowledged, especially by the parents of the children, identified with learning disabilities. I empathize with the parents and like to provide the parents with emotional support to understand the complexities of the problems, both of the disability and the child and later guide them to formulate strategies that best suit the child and the his environment. “Effective advocacy can transform the lives of people with earning disabilities by enabling them to express their wishes and aspirations and make real choices” (NHS, 2003). My experience has shown that the gentle guidance actually lays the firm foundation of confidence and inner strength in the parents which makes the tremendous mark in the life style of the parents and translating directly into the life of the child in question. Listening to the problems of the children, parents and everyone, who is affected by the challenges faced by the persons with disability, forms my one of the most important facilitating factors that helps mitigate the myriad problems, thus created. The reflective practice therefore, becomes one of the crucial elements of meeting the challenges of the people with learning disability. Gillie Bolton has described the reflective activity as something beyond the physical superficiality of the disability and encompasses the situation and its affects on the wider perspective. According to her ‘reflective practice is a process of learning and developing through examining our own practice, opening our practice to scrutiny by others, and studying texts from the wider sphere’ (Bolton, 2001, p.4). The learning disability is the most misunderstood disability which exists today. The early symptoms are not easy to identify and are often taken as that of low IQ. The environmental factors causing the disability are making the learning disability a social concern. While the basic cause of the disability may vary, the socio-psychological affect of the disability, on the various people are wide ranging especially when it is not deducted timely. Through the use of reflective activities, support workers are able to learn more deeply about the problems faced by everyone who is affected and thereby help evolve new strategy and action plan to overcome their barriers of socio-psychological problems. As Donald Schon says in his book The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action (1983), ‘a kind of reflection on their patterns of action, on the situations in which they are performing and on the know-how implicit in their performance. They are reflecting on action and in some cases, reflecting in action’ (1983, p.55). Empowerment of this particular segment of society needs to be addressed urgently because timely intervention can save the parents and the society as a whole, from the mental agony of worry and anxiety for the safe and healthy future of their children who have learning disability. The child or the person with the learning disability is a very confused individual because despite being aware of its surrounding and the affects on others, the person is unable to control his responses which are inarticulate and uncoordinated. This places him in a very precarious position vis-à-vis his friends who make him a butt of their joke at his clumsiness and secondly, lack of understanding generates frustrations and depression in the person resulting in low self esteem. Listening to his woes gives an insight on the various types of new challenges that a child in his dilemma encounters. On the other hand, the parents of the children with learning disability are equally at odd with the situation and may be described as the next worst affected people. If the disability is not identified, the emotional stress combined with the physical exhaustion of coping with needs of the child makes the parents very frustrated because they are unable to help their child. It also fills them with the guilt over their role in causing this disability. Listening to them is highly recommended mainly because it not only provides a huge relief to the parents who can share their experiences with someone who understands the problems but they also learn to handle their children with more patience and sensitivity. The teachers too, have the added responsibilities of coping with the child with special needs while at the same time tackling other children. They may suffer a feeling of inadequacy if they start blaming themselves for their failure in teaching to the child with learning disability. They might also feel frustrated and angry if the child continues to fail to understand. Hence learning disability makes different people react differently causing untold emotional trauma to lots of people who come in contact with these children or persons with learning disability. Again, the importance of support worker, become relevant when their intervention in handling the cases of the children with learning disability is concerned. They help diagnose the disability at an early stage and inculcate better understanding of the same in the parents and teachers alike so that together they can prepare an action plan that best suits the child under the given environment and condition. The support worker’s counselling to all the affected parties, holds the key to a sustainable development of the child into a responsible adult. The Government is committed to work towards the welfare of this segment of the society. “The three Government departments have joined forces to demonstrate their collective resolve to improve the outcomes for all learners with learning difficulties .. are given the best chance to achieve their full potential” (DH,2007). With emphasis on participaory approach, I believe that support workers have a very important role to play in the overall social integration of the people with learning disability. The learning disability, highlighted by a complicated medical system with an equally terrifying external affects, needs partnership based social movement that can help secure persons with learning disability their rights as citizens of the state with equal rights. Reference Bolton, G. (2001). Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development. London. Paul Chapman. Department of Health, UK. 18 June, 2007. New Cross-Government Strategy for Supporting Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities. Ref. 8428. Available from: [Accessed on 24 March 2008]. Enabling America: Assessing the Role of Rehabilitation Science and Engineering. (Institute of Medicine. (1997). Chapter 6, pp 148. Available from: [Accessed on 24 March 2008]. Joint Position Paper (2004).CBR: A Strategy for Rehabilitation, Equalization of Opportunities, Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities. Available from: [Accessed on 24 March 2008]. Kwiotek , Rita G., PhD Student , Department of Sociology & Political Science, National University of Ireland, Galway. Available from: [Accessed on 24 March 2008]. Learning Disabilities:Understanding the types, causes, symptoms and Diagnosis. Available from: [Accessed on 24 March 2008]. Schon, D. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New York. Basic Books. Spear-Swerling, Louise , Sternberg, Robert J. Curing Our Epidemic of Learning Disabilities. Questia Journal. Vol.79. 1998. Available from:< http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst..> [Accessed on 24 March 2008]. Terzi, Lorella. (2004). The Social Model of Disability: A Philosophical Critique. Journal of Applied Philosophy 21 (2), 141–157. doi:10.1111/j.0264-3758.2004.00269.x Valuing People: More choice and control for people with learning disabilities. Chapter 4. 2003. HMSO. Available from: [Accessed on 24 March 2008]. WHO. 58 World Health Assembly. 14 April 2005. WHA58.23. pp108. 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