Mark Topps’ Post

The CKC is the first comprehensive online learning program focused solely on disability management and leaves of absence in the workplace. Learn more here: https://ow.ly/BqoC50Qi5uE

Are you really giving clients a choice? For a long time, I was only giving choices to clients that I approved of. This goes as far as with little children, what toys I thought they should play with and how they should play with them. Now, I know it is not about them but my biases. It took me a long time to see what I was doing, and I am still learning every day. Shifting from thinking that “I know what is best” to learning how to truly listen to clients and address ableism within yourself and your organization is essential to providing meaningful and safe services to our clients. https://lnkd.in/g2ht7zc5

The intricacies of #Section504 compliance can be overwhelming. Learn how your district can enhance support and inclusivity for students with disabilities with best practices in monitoring, timely training, and leveraging technology. 🔗https://lnkd.in/e5-83hRk #specialeducation #studentsuccess

It’s #LearningDisabilityWeek and this year’s theme is "Do you see me?" It’s about being seen, heard and valued. Together, we can all make a difference by challenging the barriers people with a learning disability face and celebrating the things people with a learning disability bring to society. For resources and support check out the Mencap pages >https://lnkd.in/d_-myFr

Are you really giving clients a choice? For a long time, I was only giving choices to clients that I approved of. This goes as far as with little children, what toys I thought they should play with and how they should play with them. Now, I know it is not about them but my biases. It took me a long time to see what I was doing, and I am still learning every day. Shifting from thinking that “I know what is best” to learning how to truly listen to clients and address ableism within yourself and your organization is essential to providing meaningful and safe services to our clients. https://lnkd.in/gFMmbiRK

Today is Key Word Sign Awareness Day. At The Disability Trust, we celebrate and appreciate the value Key Word Sign (KWS) and other methods of communication can have on the people we support. Matt from our Illawarra services has used Key Word Sign along with other forms of Augmentative and Alternate Communication (AAC) to communicate since he was a child. He accesses a number of our services including Supported Independent Living and Sport and Recreation services, in which he uses KSW to interact with staff. One of the challenges Matt and other individuals who use AAC methods face is ensuring methods of communication are reciprocated in the surrounding environment. It is important to us that we support and invest time to train our staff in KWS to be able to respond and communicate with clients in a meaningful way. The staff who support Matt participated in KWS training, learning how to best listen and interact with him. Since training, the Trusted Clinical Services team has worked with both Matt and his support team to ensure they can continue to listen and communicate with each other day to day. Every method of communication is valid, let’s celebrate together! Pictured is Matt communicating with Trusted Clinical Services Senior Manager, Evelyn.  #KWSAD2023 #KWS2023 #EveryoneCommunicate #AllCommunicationIsValid #Communication #EngineeringTheEnvironment

The intricacies of #Section504 compliance can be overwhelming. Learn how your district can enhance support and inclusivity for students with disabilities with best practices in monitoring, timely training, and leveraging technology. 👉https://lnkd.in/e7PehFFH #InclusiveEducation

Become a Compassionate Caregiver: Certificate III in Individual Support :white_heart: Do you have a kind heart and a desire to make a difference in someone's life? Looking after others can be an incredibly rewarding experience. The Certificate III in Individual Support at CBTC equips you with the skills and knowledge to provide compassionate care and support to individuals in need. This program covers a variety of areas, including: :point_down: 1. Understanding aging and disability: Learn about the challenges faced by older adults and individuals with disabilities. 2. Providing person-centered care: Develop the skills to tailor support to each individual's unique needs and preferences. 3. Communication and interpersonal skills: Foster positive and respectful relationships with the people you support. If you're passionate about helping others and making a real impact, this program could be your calling! :arrow_right: Visit our website to learn more and start your journey in supporting others! :globe_with_meridians: www.cbtc.edu.au

Sometimes, it’s the simplest change that can make a difference in someone’s experience at a work conference! We’ve been enjoying the Rethinking Disability Conference so far and looking forward to sharing more about the Ontario Corporate Training Centre at our session today at 10:45AM. Will you be joining us? #rethinkingdisability #diversityandinclusion #inclusionmatters #workplaceculture #workplaceinclusion #ontariobusiness

Trauma-informed caregiving & education is one of the key essential training - that should be mandatory, foundational & continual - for all levels of care staff & practitioners who work with the vulnerable or with children, even if the service might not identify trauma as it’s primary business. When we are attempting to make changes that for the person will invoke fear, anxiety & distress, understanding the mechanisms behind self-regulation, a felt sense of safety, threat responses, etc. and how these impact upon and are linked to learning, behaviour, presenting conditions, etc. would be helpful to practitioners to better understand the mechanisms of therapeutic change for the treatment they are providing, and whether the method could actually achieve what they are trying to, and therefore avoid scenarios like this.