Walking the Talk - A DSP Perspective
My husband and I have been sharing a home with a man named Frank for 18 years. The title of this column Walking the Talk comes from my experience of living with Frank and having all my philosophies put to the real life test. Frank has become a teacher, mentor and true friend who has guided my life purpose in profound ways. I’d like to share a bit of our life together with all of you.
To begin I’ll start with Frank’s life story. Frank was born 70 years ago i
n Dover, NH and he and his older sister, Patricia, were brought up by their grandparents. They experienced a relatively happy childhood filled with love, good care and their best interest at heart. Strong work ethics and family values were the prevailing messages instilled into their beings.
Strangely enough, because of these qualities Frank’s family upheld, they took a priest’s advice to send Frank to Laconia State School and Training Center after Frank repeated the first grade a couple of times. Frank’s family believed he could be “helped” and “fixed” out of his learning disabilities but actually more damage was done to his soul that could have ever been imagined.
No commentsAnother NH DSP Graduates From the College of Direct Support!
Folks, the list is growing! And it’s growing in all corners of the state -
Today we add Lisa D’Orsi from Residential Resources in Derry to the list of the College of Direct Support graduates. Well done, Lisa!
No commentsDougie’s Big Day
DSP Kris Simmons spoke at Weare Middle School’s career day today and brought Doug, a Moore Center client who works at Logo Loc, along to co-present. They gave talks to 6th graders, explaining some of the departments of the Moore Center and Employment Support.
They discussed how the Moore Center has employees which support people with disabilities at their job, and the different job sites that Moore Center supports One student even knew a client from Wendy’s and another said he’d seen shelf blockers at the Hannaford in Goffstown.
Doug explained what he did and answered questions. Doug’s personality shone through and he made a few funny remarks; he showed kids his wallet and said that he works to make money.
Kris’s daughter said that her teacher polled the class later and asked which presenter was their favorite (the were up against a fireman and a nurse) and Morgan reported that about 17 hands raised for Dougie with comments like “Can Dougie come back tomorrow?” As the students left the room, many high-fived Dougie.
“I hope that my talk about people with disabilities being ‘just people’ who work like everyone else resonated with the students,” Kris said. “I encouraged kids to talk to people they see and treat them like anyone else. My daughter said that some kids came up and said that her mom’s job sounds so cool.’”
Congratulations to the Following College of Direct Support Graduates!
A BIG Congradulations are in order for the following recent College of Direct Support completions in the 2008 TD Banknorth Scholarship program:
Robin Carlson - (yes, the Robin Carlson we all know and love from “Walking-the-Talk” here on www.nhdsp.org) Robin comes from the Dover area.
Heather Wible - Heather is a hard working DSP who works for Community Services Council in Concord.
Stella Scott - Another dedicated DSP from Residential Resources in Keene.
Russ Warshaw - An all round great guy and a hard working DSP who works for Crotched Mountain in Greenfield.
Jonathan Dash - Another all round great guy and dedicated DSP from Crotched Mountain in Greenfield.
Mary Johnson - A dedicated, hard working Super DSP from LifeShare in Manchester.
Finally, a special thanks to all of those who have helped these DSPs succeed in the program; supervisors, test-proctors, family members who may have put family activities on hold while DSPs were busy studying.
No commentsAutism: The Musical Review
Hi folks. I took a look at the HBO autism documentary for DVD Verdict. Here’s a snippet:
Films like Autism: The Musical will help shed light on autism and its effects on everyone the disorder touches. Less about the actual musical production and mor
e about the people affiliated with it, the documentary offers a stark and brutally honest perspective from the people affected most by autism.
Director Tricia Regan catches many authentic moments from the people in front of her lens, and that includes parents, teachers and the kids themselves. Nothing is sugar-coated, and the tribulations are given as much exposure as the joy (and there is joy, for there is much love to be found in the film).
Read the whole thing here.
No comments“The Legislative Process”
The Governor’s Commission on Disability, The Statewide Independent Living Council, The State Rehabilitation Council, Services for Blind and Visually Impaired, and Granite State Independent Living
Present a Training Workshop on:
The Legislative Process
Friday, May 30
8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Legislative Office Building
(located directly behind State House)
1 commentPowerful Tools for Caregivers: Class Leader Training
The Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire will offer Powerful Tools for Caregivers: Class Leader Training on June 24-26, 2008 at the E.F. Lane Hotel, in Keene, NH. This is the first time this nationally recognized program has been offered in New England. Seats are limited; sign up today!Dates: June 24-26, 2008
Times: Tuesday-Wednesday: 8am-5pm; Thursday: 8am-1pm
Location: E.F. Lane Hotel, 30 Main Street, Keene, NH
Registration Fee: $750*
*Includes continental breakfast and lunch all three days, program licensing fee, and all program materials.
*Does not include dinner and accommodations.
*Participants must register in pairs. Space is limited to 10 pairs of participants.
Workshop Instructors: Legacy Caregiver Services, Portland, OR
For More Information and to Register: Visit http://www.iod.unh.edu/events.html#caregivers or call 603.228.2084
Walking the Talk - A DSP Perspective
The beginning of all understanding is innocent. Fortune I found i
n a Chinese fortune cookie.
This nugget of wisdom helps alleviate some of the guilt I feel for the way I acted and thought about people with disabilities when I first came into the field 24 years ago. I was aweful! I wasn’t abusive, mean spirited or negligent but just plain ignorant about people with developmental disabilities and their history of oppression, constant rejection and presumed incompetence. Even though I graduated from college with a BA in psychology nothing prepared me to see people with disabilities as valuable members of our society.
In fact, quite the opposite was true. I had been conditioned and even trained to believe that people with disabilities were chronically sick, helplessly incompetent and endlessly in need of charity.
One of my first experiences being around people with disabilities was when I was in junior high. I was in a church youth group and we volunteered at the Special Olympics. Iwas an “Official Hugger” and greeted total strangers at the end of a running event with a great big hug. As an added bonus to this youth group volunteer experience we went on a field trip to Laconia State School to see where all the people we hugged actually lived. Imagine being 13 years old and seeing hundreds of people living under bizarre circumstances away from their families. Many emotions were evoked such as pity, fear, helplessness and benevolence.
1 commentA Star in the Making
Article Date: Friday, April 18, 2008
Who among us hasn’t stood before the mirror in their bedroom, belting out the vocals to a favorite song playing on the radio, dreaming of one day being able to perform in a packed club or concert hall?
Come on, be honest. Nearly everyone can relate to this fantasy.
For one talented Lakes Region resident, this fantasy has become reality. His name is Bill Gage, and his star is on the rise.
Forty-two year old Bill Gage grew up in Laconia and still resides there to this day. His rock and roll journey started in his bedroom as a young man, where he would crank up the volume on his record player and sing along to his favorite rock bands. He would really get into the music, acting out his performances as if he was truly playing before a packed house. His older brother, John, vividly recalls how animated Bill was, even at a young age.
“When I would hear Bill jamming in his room, I would be drawn to it,” recounted John. “I would look in, and not only would he be jamming along with the stereo, but he would have a couple of TV’s going. If he wasn’t singing, he would break into a skit mimicking what was happening on a show. He’s always been very creative and interested in performing.”
No commentsSchool is in Session!
Scott Trudo kicks off the eleven-week College of Direct support course, being offered to the public from Moore Center. Eighteen enrollees are scheduled for training in the course, the cutting-edge web-based curriculum designed for Direct Support Professionals.
Learn more here.
