One of the statements people hear from us all the time is, \u201cWe presume competence in everyone.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s one of the most important aspects of our philosophy.\u00a0 As we reach more people with our concepts, we\u2019re beginning to get asked what we mean by that on a regular basis.\u00a0 So, I thought I would take a moment to explain what makes this belief so important in what we do.<\/p>\n
On the surface, presuming competence must seem like an obvious way of life.\u00a0 We do it with people we interact with every day.\u00a0 When you meet someone for the first time, you don\u2019t assume they are unable to understand you, relate to you, or interact with you.\u00a0 You assume they are competent to do so without even giving it a second thought.\u00a0 Unless, that is, they \u201cappear\u201d to have some sort of condition or disability that causes most people to jump to the opposite assumption.\u00a0 And it\u2019s not your fault!\u00a0 We\u2019ve been conditioned to take this road for years by the very professionals that claim to have the best intentions for those they represent.<\/p>\n
How many times have you heard: \u201cThey will always have the mind of a 10-year-old\u201d, \u201cThey are severely disabled\u201d, \u201cThey are non-verbal\u201d – a term they we take as meaning \u201cunable to communicate\u201d, or even \u201cThey have problem behaviors\u201d?\u00a0 All these statements lead us to believe the person they are referring to is unable to relate to us or understand what is happening in their situation.\u00a0 As a result, we place them in an environment we deem as \u201csafe\u201d or \u201cappropriate\u201d.\u00a0 It\u2019s rare they are given the opportunity to demonstrate otherwise.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve all heard the stories of the person in the hospital trapped in a comatose condition where they are unable to communicate or react to the circumstances around them. We hear how they had to lie there while everyone stood around them, talking about them more as an object than a human being and not being able to do anything about it.\u00a0 We always have the same response: \u201cHow terrible\u201d, \u201cWhat an awful situation\u201d.\u00a0 Now imagine having to live your life that way, every day, regardless of where you are or who you\u2019re with – even by your own family, doctor, or teacher!\u00a0 You\u2019re trapped in a body where you\u2019re unable to control your own movements or have the means to express yourself in any way and no one seems to want to help. Wouldn\u2019t that frustrate you to the point you might have \u201cdifficult behaviors\u201d?<\/p>\n
By presuming competence in everyone we serve, we simply treat them with the same respect and dignity everyone deserves.\u00a0 We talk TO them, not ABOUT them.\u00a0 We treat the 30-year-old as an adult, not the 10-year-old everyone has been told they are.\u00a0 We view behaviors as a means of trying to communicate, not a problem that needs to be trained out of them. \u00a0And most importantly, we make helping them find a voice of their own our top priority.\u00a0 Finding a way for someone to express their feelings, dreams, and desires is the only way to truly humanize them.<\/p>\n
Now\u2019s the time when we hear: \u201cBut surely you don\u2019t believe there is no one with true mental disabilities that come with honest limitations.\u201d\u00a0 Of course, we don\u2019t!\u00a0 But what\u2019s the bigger sin: Treating someone that may be in that condition with the same respect and dignity as anyone else, or treating those that simply haven\u2019t found their voice as someone who doesn\u2019t deserve the chance to try?\u00a0 We simply choose to treat everyone the same instead of selecting who deserves respect based on our own biases.\u00a0 This gives us an opportunity to open doors for many that would never have been given a chance to look for that door by most others.\u00a0 THAT is what truly sets us apart.\u00a0 You can see it in the way we talk to those we serve.\u00a0 You can see it in what we expect from those we serve.\u00a0 And most importantly, you can see it in the way they respond and the progress they make.<\/p>\n