subject: Support Plan [print this page] Adult day training can be a perfect stepping stone to help disabled people transition from school to everyday employment. The services provided by adult day training programs are designed to help participants learn social and adaptive skills that will benefit them in their daily interactions with other people. A successful adult day training program will help the participant achieve goals and learn valuable lessons.
One of the most important things a person involved with adult day training will learn about is goal setting. With the help of a provider, the participant will establish specific, measurable goals that are to be achieved within a certain timetable. It is an important skill for anyone to learn. When participants achieve their goals, they grow in confidence and begin to see that they can perform difficult tasks by remaining focused.
It is also the provider's responsibility to help participants achieve their goals. Some of the goals set may be very hard for the participant, and they may have never done something with such a degree of difficulty. They need to know that they are not alone, and providers can help fill this need. They can provide encouragement and break goals down into step-by-step formulas that may be easier to comprehend. Some of the more long-term goals can be restructured to reflect changes as time goes by.
Participants in adult day training programs develop individual support programs. Individual support programs describe the specific goals the participant wants to meet throughout the course of the program. Goals should always be positive and reflect a realistic expectation of what a person can get out of the adult day training program. They will also identify objectives for how they will achieve those goals. It is in the participants' best interest to continually reflect over those goals and objectives and reread them throughout the time they spend in the adult day training program. Again, the participants will have the assistance of a provider to ensure that this takes place.
A common thing that disabled people want to get out of adult training programs is employment opportunities. If this is truly what they desire, then their goals in their support plans should reflect as such. Goals should be more specific than just to merely find a job upon completion of the adult day training program. Examples of specific goals include identifying particular services or industries that the participant is interested in working in and setting a goal to be in contact with at least one potential company per month.
Adult training programs place a strong emphasis on volunteering in the community. This can be a big selling point for potential recipients of adult day training as community involvement may be just what they are looking for. In addition to providing recipients with a good time, they also learn important social skills and ways to interact with people. There should be a few goals that deal with volunteering.
If a recipient of adult day training has a majority of goals that focus on future employment, the provider should also set goals in his or her training to make sure the recipient is given opportunities. Adult day training can be mutually beneficial for both the recipient and the provider as the recipient develops and strong support plan and the provider helps him or her to achieve important goals.
