Person-Centered Thinking is a humanistic approach that emphasizes the importance of understanding and valuing each individual as a unique person. It involves shifting the focus from a traditional task-oriented approach to an individual-centered approach, which takes into account the desires, needs, goals, and preferences of the person being served. Person-Centered Thinking recognizes that people have the right to make choices and have control over their own lives, promoting self-determination and independence.

By implementing Person-Centered Thinking, individuals receive better support and care tailored to their specific needs and desires. It encourages active involvement of the person in decision-making processes, ensuring their voice is heard and respected. Person-Centered Thinking also promotes the building of meaningful relationships and connections, fostering a sense of community and belonging. It values the person's strengths and capabilities, empowering them to reach their full potential and live a fulfilling life.

In summary, Person-Centered Thinking offers a compassionate and respectful approach that supports individuals in achieving their goals and living a life that is meaningful to them. It prioritizes their unique preferences and choices, promoting self-determination and fostering a sense of belonging within the community.

Key Lesson Concepts:

• Person-Centered Thinking focuses on valuing each individual as a unique person.
• It involves shifting the focus from a task-oriented approach to an individual-centered approach.
• Person-Centered Thinking promotes self-determination, independence, and the right to make choices.
• It encourages active involvement of the person in decision-making processes.
• Person-Centered Thinking fosters meaningful relationships, connections, and a sense of community.
• It values the person's strengths and capabilities, empowering them to reach their full potential.

Christopher's Story

Christopher is an adult who has a developmental disability. Christopher received special

education services from his school district until he was no longer eligible at age 22. Throughout

his childhood, his mother received respite services from the state to help care for him. Most of

the respite workers who came to his home were re-assigned elsewhere, or left the job for new

opportunities, after about 6 months to a year. Christopher always considered them his friends,

but once or twice a year someone new would show up, and that was when Christopher knew

he would probably never see his friend again.

When he turned 22, Christopher began attending a day program called United Abilities, where

he participated in social activities with other people who also had developmental disabilities. At

24 he moved into a group home with 5 other residents called The Sunshine House. There were

several restaurants close to The Sunshine House, but Christopher received 47 dollars and 26

cents per month in what was called Personal and Incidental Funds from the state, which meant

that he could only buy lunch about once a week. Most days he ate PBJ or baloney sandwiches

made by staff at The Sunshine House. Sometimes the jelly was raspberry, and the little seeds

made his teeth hurt. Sometimes there was too much mayo on the baloney, and the whole thing

would fall apart. Although they usually didn’t say anything, Christopher could tell the staff at

The Sunshine House were annoyed with him when they had to get up from their nice takeout

lunches to clean up the mess.

Christopher wanted to work and earn his own money, so that he could have nice lunches like

other people. When he was 26 the state Department of Rehabilitation found him a job at a

large grocery store, bagging groceries and collecting carts from the parking lot, and a jobcoach

to assist him. Christopher worked 5 days per week, Saturday through Wednesday. He wished

that he could stay home on Thursday and Friday, but residents of The Sunshine House were

required to be occupied outside the home from 9 to 3 on Monday through Friday. So,

Christopher continued to attend The Sunshine House on his days off. He was glad that he had 2

consecutive days off, because not all of the Department of Rehabilitation clients did. And he

was proud that now he could always buy his own lunch!

Christopher and the other 5 residents at The Sunshine House are each assigned 20 minutes in

the morning to shower and use the bathroom. Another resident, Jerry, goes from 7 to 7:20,

Christopher’s turn is from 7:20 to 7:40, and Christopher’s roommate William goes from 7:40 to

8. Christopher can perform his personal hygiene tasks independently such as; brushing his

teeth, washing his face, shaving, taking a shower and combing his hair, but Jerry requires staff

assistance to complete his. Sometimes it takes Jerry and his staff an extra 5 or 10 minutes,

which means Christopher has to hurry to finish on time, or else his roommate will be mad at

him. Christopher has asked the Resident Manager if he can trade times with Jerry, so this

doesn’t happen. Christopher thinks this is a great solution, because it also means he can catch

the bus that gets him to work 10 minutes before his start time, which his jobcoach says is what

good workers do. Besides, Jerry likes to sleep in a little anyway! But the Resident Manager says

that Jerry has had this schedule for 10 years, since before Christopher moved in, and it would

be too disruptive to change it. The Resident Manager also says that Christopher will have a new

Resident Goal, which is “Christopher will be more cooperative with his peers.”

Christopher is 28 now and has been a grocery bagger for 2 years. He has seen many of his

coworkers be promoted from Bagger to Checkout Clerk, and he would like the same

opportunity. Christopher is told that first he needs to improve his keyboarding skills, but the

store does not train this, because the Checkout Clerks already have the fundamental abilities. In

the evenings at The Sunshine House, while the other residents are watching YouTube videos or

chatting on Facebook with their smartphones, Christopher has built a portable cash register

simulator so that he can learn, using discarded items he found in the recycling. He has an old

Nokia flip-phone for a 10-keypad, a cracked silverware organizer for a money tray, and a melted

plastic spatula for a bar-code scanning wand. Christopher knows what the cash register looks

like, and he knows what his hands are supposed to do – now he just needs someone to help

him practice! He asks his group home staff to help him, but they say that this is an occupational

activity, not a residential activity. So, Christopher takes his simulator to United Abilities and asks

the Program Manager if staff can role-play as customers to teach him. The Program Manager

says that she wishes she could help, but Thursdays are Bowling Day, and Fridays are Movie Day,

and it would be too disruptive to change everyone’s schedule. The Program Manager also

decides that Christopher needs a new Participant Goal, which is “Christopher will self-manage

his hoarding tendencies when re-directed by staff on 3 out of 5 opportunities.”

Christopher accepts that the goal of becoming a Checkout Clerk is out-of-reach for him, due to

his disability. Still, he is determined to be the best grocery bagger that he can. He enjoys

helping customers and his co-workers, and it makes him feel good when sometimes they say

thank-you and treat him with respect.

Christopher’s father, who he is named after, died when Christopher was very young.

Christopher especially remembers two things about his dad – he remembers the smell of his

skin when he would tuck him into bed at night, and he remembers his mom’s stories about how

strong he was. Christopher’s mom told him, “Your father was such a hard worker, and he was

so dignified – if someone called him Chris, he would say, politely but firmly, ‘Oh thank you, but

it’s Christopher if you please.’” Christopher is proud to be a hard worker like his dad, and proud

to carry his name – these memories are so important to him, that that is exactly what he says

when someone calls him Chris – “Oh thank you, but it’s Christopher if you please.”

Christopher’s co-workers don’t always understand him when he speaks, and they don’t always

understand the things that are important to him. When they don’t quite hear what he says, and

especially if they’re busy, they usually just try to roll with it – they might say something like,

“That’s nice Chris, now remember to put the heavy things at the bottom of the bag – good job,

Chris.”

One morning at The Sunshine House, Jerry’s staff was having difficulty convincing him to get

out of bed, and they didn’t finish showering him until 7:30. Christopher showered and shaved

as quickly as he could, taking just 12 minutes, but when he emerged from the bathroom his

roommate William was glaring at him: “Good job, slowpoke, you’re 2 minutes late!”

Christopher missed the early bus, but ran all the way from the stop to the store. He was

flustered and out-of-breath, but proud of himself for managing to still arrive 1 minute early in

spite of all the challenges. He went to the stockroom to clock-in, and found that management

had provided everyone with new aprons and nametags with the new company logo.

Christopher put them on and looked in the mirror. The words were backwards in the mirror,

but he could tell that something wasn’t right. Suddenly his ears felt hot, and the room started

spinning around…

His jobcoach was so alarmed by what happened next that he called Christopher’s support

coordinator/social worker: “I don’t know what happened to him – he was happy and smiling

like he always is, then suddenly he tore off his apron and started yelling ‘I’m not Chris! I’m not

Chris!’” The support coordinator/social worker said “Yes, you’ll need to document these

aggressive behaviors in a Special Incident Report, but I’m also concerned it could be dissociative

disorder or schizophrenia or something else. You know that people with developmental

disabilities can have mental health conditions just like other people, and after all Christopher’s

father died when he was quite young. So he has a history of emotional trauma that puts him at

risk for abandonment issues and diminished resilience... I’m going to make a referral to the

county mental health agency, but they have a 6-month waitlist.”

That was two months ago. Christopher’s jobcoach convinced his supervisor not to fire him, but

he’s been placed on stockroom duty, flattening cardboard boxes, and won’t be allowed to work

with customers until after he receives a mental-health evaluation and therapy. Christopher’s

jobcoach also added a new Vocational Goal: “Christopher will learn to express his needs and ask

for help on 3 out of 5 opportunities".