(2017) | Useful to Parents Centers and other service providers working with families of children and youth with disabilities, especially those with intellectual disabilities. Available in English and Spanish.
Charting the LifeCourse Toolkit is designed to help caregivers understand the meaning of respite, learn from real life examples, and create a respite plan that enhances the lives of all family members. It’s meant for family caregivers of a child or adult with a disability, chronic condition, or functional limitation (or professionals who work with family caregivers). The toolkit, which is available in English and Spanish, is built upon the Charting the LifeCourse Framework, which was created BY FAMILIES to help individuals and families of all abilities and all ages:
- develop a vision for a good life,
- think about what they need to know and do,
- identify how to find or develop supports, and
- discover what it takes to live the lives they want to live.
The toolkit isn’t all about respite, to say the least. It’s strongly focused on helping individuals and families create a life trajectory built on a solid foundation of preparation, self-exploration, person-centered planning, and putting support structures in place across the lifespan. Find tools, conversation guides, supporting materials, and videos on the Charting the LifeCourse website.
For a quick view of how all the parts, materials, and videos go together, download the LifeCourse infographic, from:
http://lifecoursetools.com/wp-content/uploads/Life-Course-Toolkit-Menu-updated-February-2017.pdf
Begin exploring the toolkit in 20 different languages:
http://www.lifecoursetools.com/lifecourse-library/foundational-tools/
Explore the transition-related tools, Daily Life & Employment (20-page guide for youth and families) and Focus on Transition (4-page guide), beginning at:
http://www.lifecoursetools.com/lifecourse-library/exploring-the-life-domains/daily-life-and-employment/
Developed by Missouri Family to Family, housed at the UMKC Institute for Human Development, Missouri’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.