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Hawkeye2
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Registered: 04/05/04
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Working with the mentally disabled
#5830996 - 07/07/06 10:27 AM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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My mom works at a home for the mentally disabled. It's not like an asylum, everything is really relaxed and pretty much everyone there is functional, they just...I'm not quiet sure what's wrong with some of them, they are just a little....immature? But all of the patients are "with it" and know what's going on. Anyway, she got me working there as a volunteer a few hours a week this summer, in between my normal job, so I'm really excited but also very nervous because I'm not quiet sure how to act around them. When I went to visit, I was expecting them to be a little less, for lack of a better word, intelligent. So I smiled and nodded alot, sometimes I couldn't really follow what they were saying, but pretended to be able to, and I think some of them knew this and made me feel kind of stupid (everyone really liked me though). Anyway, has anyone else had experience working around mentally disabled people? I've been told to treat them just how you'd want to be treated, but there's no doubt about it, interacting with them is certainly different from interacting with people that don't have these kinds of disablities.
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AA2277
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Registered: 05/06/06
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Re: Working with the mentally disabled [Re: Hawkeye2]
#5831014 - 07/07/06 10:37 AM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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dude, i have to deal with tons of kids, deaf people, blind kids, "disabled" people all the time. I volunteer at a hospital also, so its crazy...
generally I just treat them like i would treat anyone else that i just met. Ask them waht they like to do, if they say checkers, play checkers. If they try to talk to you, just listen and dont try to get too deep into conversation, because ive had that lead to some bad places, trust me.
and,,,,,hmmm,,,,,
dont be afriad to ask your mom or other people that work there to go work away from the people if you get uncomfortable, its totally understandable, give it time and it will be like second nature.
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Hawkeye2
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Re: Working with the mentally disabled [Re: AA2277]
#5831101 - 07/07/06 11:14 AM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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Thank you for the advice! It definitely helps me get an understanding of how to act. My mom told me, after they met me, they want me to take them on the computer and play games with them. That's cool, I'm still really nervous because I don't want to be condescending and make myself or them uncomfortable!
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Penguarky Tunguin
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Registered: 08/08/04
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Re: Working with the mentally disabled [Re: Hawkeye2]
#5831108 - 07/07/06 11:17 AM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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Yeah, I've worked with a few mentally different abled people before and the best way to be is calm and positive and treat everybody as you would a child. No yelling or scolding or bad facial gestures. Just keep it cool and friendly and like AA said, take a break if you need to.
You should be fine.
-------------------- Every mistake, intentional or otherwise, in the above post, is the fault of the reader.
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AA2277
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retards are people too!
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Penguarky Tunguin
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Registered: 08/08/04
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Re: Working with the mentally disabled [Re: AA2277]
#5831380 - 07/07/06 12:25 PM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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Stop....
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rod
Ψ


Registered: 06/29/05
Posts: 3,727
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Re: Working with the mentally disabled *DELETED* [Re: Hawkeye2]
#5831424 - 07/07/06 12:33 PM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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Post deleted by rodReason for deletion: c
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Hawkeye2
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Registered: 04/05/04
Posts: 626
Last seen: 13 years, 3 months
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Re: Working with the mentally disabled [Re: rod]
#5831451 - 07/07/06 12:38 PM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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Thank you
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