Individual Supports
Individual Supports
Our focus at Advocacy Services Unlimited is on creating personalized plans that meet the unique needs of each individual. Our team of experienced professionals is passionate about helping people with intellectual disabilities achieve their goals and live meaningful lives. Whether it’s developing social skills, building relationships, or improving communication, we are committed to providing the highest level of support possible. Individual supports are provided on a one-to-one biases.
Supports should lead to opportunities for community involvement and development of individual interests. Individual supports may include:
-
Personal assistance. Adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (and parents of minor children with I/DD) should be able to hire and fire personal assistants to help them perform everyday activities, make decisions, and exercise control over their lives.
-
Communication. People learn to communicate in many ways, such as personalized gestures and sounds, picture symbols, manual signs, and spoken language. Support must be available to help improve an individual’s communication and social interactions as well as reduce challenging behaviors.
-
Assistive technology. People must have access to devices, services, and training that enhance independence, mobility, communication, environmental control, and self-determination. The ways assistive technology can be used must be assessed throughout a person’s life cycle and as needs change. Designers, manufacturers, service providers, educators, and people with I/DD and their families should be educated about the benefits of technology.
- Supports must be individually planned and applied according to the principles of person-centered planning, self-determination and individual outcomes, flexible funding, and team collaboration. The individual supports must be independently and regularly monitored for quality, safety, and effectiveness​.