LCSH
People with mental disabilities--Means of communication; Social skills; Vocational qualifications; Employability
Abstract
Twenty-eight percent of adults with developmental disabilities living in the United States are employed (United States Census, 2005). Lack of communication skills among adults with developmental disabilities can have a major impact on their ability to find and maintain employment. Those who are employed often have a hard time socializing with other co-workers due to a lack of social skills (Mueller et al., 2003). In an effort to increase social communication skills among their employees with developmental disabilities, L’Arche Tahoma Hope Home, with the help of an occupational therapy graduate student from the University of Puget Sound, provided an opportunity for four of their employees to individually teach local residents about their jobs at the L’Arche Tahoma Farm and Gardens. By having their employees teach a familiar task, the employees were able to practice communicating with others while in the comfort of a safe environment with the support of their employers and co-workers.
First Advisor
Ron Stone OTR/L
Second Advisor
Tatiana Kaminsky, PhD, OTR/L
Date of Completion
Spring 2013
Degree Type
Thesis
Format
URI
http://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/ms_occ_therapy/65
Language
English
Rights
Degree Name
Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)
Date of Award
4-1-2013
Department
Occupational Therapy
Institution
University of Puget Sound