Vital People: Program offers learning for developmentally disabled

Young adults with developmental disabilities will have an opportunity to maximize their potential thanks to a new program from the Garth Homer Society funded by the Victoria Foundation.

The recently announced LifeStreams Learning program provides continuing post-secondary opportunities for learning and personal development to young adults with developmental disabilities.

“The new program complements existing programs and is a culmination of what the Garth Homer Society has been doing for a long time,” said Mitchell Temlin, executive officer of the society. “It’s about personal growth and learning.”

He said the new program differs from curriculum-based programs, which can be unsuitable for people struggling with developmental obstacles. Instead, the program places an emphasis on identifying areas of strengths and weaknesses of the individual to come up with a learning plan.

Participants are assessed to determine their needs and capacity for learning, leading to a plan customized to the individual. For some, it may be to learn to communicate or develop social skills.

The new service builds on others already in place to help clients of the society in seeking employment, volunteer community engagement, art education and digital learning. Under the program each individual's learning path includes both volunteer and paid employment internships.

“It’s a highly individual learning program,” said Temlin. “The desired outcome is an opportunity for employment that gives them a sense of inclusion and work customized to their abilities.”

Participants are expected to remain in the program between three to five years on a part-time basis. Graduates will either find employment or be placed in community inclusion programs at the conclusion of the program.

Temlin is upbeat about the future of the program.

“What we have noticed time and time again is the ability of people to change and grow when given the opportunity,” he said. “People, regardless of the physical and developmental challenges they face, all possess the capacity to learn and grow.”