Discovery Skills: Relationship Map

Purpose

Identifies who is in the person’s life and provides a picture of relative importance; that is who is closest to the person and who is further away. It is also used to see who should contribute to a person centered plan (or person centered description).

Instructions

Place the person’s name in the center. Then ask the person who is in their life in each of the four areas shown and how close to the person are they. The closer they are the closer their name is to the center. As people are added you can check about how far away from the center they should be listed by asking if they are closer or further away then someone who has already been listed. For people who have trouble with written names you can use thumbnail photos. Note that there are people who have very few or no one close to them. For these people doing the relationship map can be depressing and it might not be helpful.

Discovery Skills: Like & Admire – Talk To and Listen To

Purpose

To learn what to include in the section of the plan that introduces the person and to learn who is more likely to know what is Important To the person (who to listen to as opposed to who to talk to). Plans and other documents that describe a person should begin with what we like and admire about the person rather than what is wrong with them. And when we are talking with the people who are to contribute to the plan we need to be able to sort those people who have a personal connection from those who only have a paid relationship.

Instructions

When you are talking with people who have been identified as among those who should contribute to a plan, ask them:

  1. What do you like about it…
  2. What do you admire about it…
  3. When was the last time you had fun together…

​Listen for someone who shares things they like and admire you would expect to hear about people without disabilities labels of the same age. Where their responses indicate that they have a personal relationship and respect the person, use their answers in the like and admire section of the plan and ask them additional discovery questions.

Discovery Skills: Reframing Reputations

Purpose

To help people see that many “negative” behaviors reflect the circumstances that people are in and the absence of important aspects of what is Important To.

Instructions

When someone we are asked to support comes to us with a “negative” reputation (i.e. someone is engaging in what would typically be called challenging, problem or risky behavior), you want to help others reframe their interpretation of the actions.

To best use this tool, start by talking with people who have a genuine relationship with the person – those who speak respectfully, can see the person as fun. (See also the “like and admire” tool to help with who to listen to). Then ask them to describe the “negative” side of the person’s personality. For example: stubborn, obsessive, aggressive, resistant, intimidating, perfectionist, too talkative, etc.

Discovery Skills: Two-Minute Drill

Purpose

To learn what is most Important To and Important For the person and the critical aspects of support; to learn the “top tips” for support. It is also useful when you only have a few moments of someone’s time and want to make the best use of it. It is the discovery version of the “elevator conversation”.

Instructions

In 2 minutes tell me

To be asked of those who know and care

– “It is flu season and the staff or family member who typically provides services is suddenly sick. I am the relief staff and have not met the person being supported before. You are busy only have 2 minutes to fill me in –

  • What should I know, and
  • What should I do to make it a meaningful, safe, and enjoyable day for the person?”