Bengt nirje biography sample

Nevertheless, in the Scandinavian countries, a general principle which expresses the aims, attitudes, and norms implied in quality work for and with the mentally retarded has been found of value. As expressed by N. Bank-Mikkelsen of Denmark, this principle is given in the formula "to let the mentally retarded obtain an existence as close to the normal as possible.

This principle should be applied to all the retarded, regardless whether mildly or profoundly retarded, or whether living in the homes of their parents or in group homes with other retarded. The principle is useful in every society, with all age groups, and adaptable to social changes and individual developments. Consequently, it should serve as a guide for medical, educational, psychological, social, and political work in this field, and decisions and actions made according to the principle should turn out more often right than wrong.

Some of the many facets and implications of the normalization principle are discussed below. Normalization means a normal rhythm of day for the retarded. This principle should be applied to all the retarded, regardless whether mildly or profoundly retarded, or whether living in the homes of their parents or in group homes with other retarded.

The principle is useful in every society, with all age groups, and adaptable to social changes and individual developments…. Some of the many facets and implications of the normalization principle are discussed below. For the retarded child, adolescent, and young adult, almost every situation has pedagogical implications, possibilities, and values.

Just as the right education is important for every citizen, so it is important for the mentally retarded to have a right to equal opportunities for education, training, and development. They objected to being included in activities with children below the age of 15 or 16, and to being in too large and too heterogeneous groups. In discussing group study tours and group vacation trips, they stressed their demand to be only in small homogeneous groups.

They found communication in large groups unsuitable, as it is more difficult to hear and understand what is being communicated. Obviously, they had too often had the normal tourist experience of moving in herds. Normalization also means living in a bisexual world. Accordingly, facilities should provide for male and female staff members.

Bengt nirje biography sample

When it comes to the integration of retarded boys and girls or men and women, the Stockholm Symposium on "Legislative Aspects of Mental Retardation" of the International League of Societies for the Mentally Handicapped 1 came to the following conclusion; "Being fully mindful of the need to preserve the necessary safeguards in the relations between mentally retarded men and women, the members of the Symposium are of the opinion that the dangers involved have been greatly exaggerated in the past.

This has often resulted in the unfortunate segregation of the sexes in an unnatural way and has militated against their interests and proper development. The symposium, published by the League, summarizes basic principles upon which practices in the field of mental retardation should be based. These principles were derived from a definition of the rights of the mentally retarded.

Page 3: 16 "Accordingly, the Symposium strongly advocates the mixing of the sexes in a manner as free as is commensurate with normal restraints, not only in day centers and workshops, but also in leisure time activities. Mixing of the sexes according to the normal patterns of everyday society results in better behavior and atmosphere, as more motivations are added.

And the mildly retarded sometimes suffer in a loneliness that has no sense, and as others, they may be better off married. A prerequisite to letting the retarded obtain an existence is close to normal as possible is to apply normal economic standards. This implies both giving the retarded those basic financial privileges available to others, through common social legislation, as well as any other compensating economic security measures that may be applicable.

This includes child allowances, personal pensions, old age allowances, or minimum wages. Of these allowances, the larger part may be used for board and lodging, but a normal amount of pocket money for the individual's private use should be given regularly, both to assist in realistic social training and to help foster independent choices.

Work that is done in competitive employment, in sheltered workshops, or within institutions should be paid for according to its relative north. An important part of the normalization principle implies that the standards of the physical facilities, e. Application of these standards to facilities of various types imply a number of important specifics:.

It means that the sizes of facilities should conform to what is normal and human in society. Especially, it should be kept in mind that a facility for the retarded should never be intended for a larger number of persons than the surrounding neighborhood readily assimilates in its regular everyday community life. It further implies that in planning the location of these facilities, they should never be placed in isolated settings merely because they are intended for the mentally retarded.

With normal locations and normal sizes, facilities for the mentally retarded will give their residents better opportunities for successful integration. All the above-mentioned facets of the normalization principle make a normalization of the life situation of individual retardates quite feasible: the normalization process can aid many in achieving complete independence and social integration; a great number will be helped in developing relative independence though they may always need various kinds of assistance to various degrees; even the relatively few who are severely or profoundly retarded, or who are afflicted with complicating medical, psychological, or social handicaps will, no matter how dependent they may be, have life conditions, facilities, and services that follow the normal patterns of society.

For the retarded child, adolescent, and young adult, almost every situation has pedagogical implications, possibilities, and values. Just as the right of education is important for every citizen, so it is important for the mentally retarded to have a right to equal opportunities for education, training, and development. Development of various abilities always has bearings on the development of the whole person.

Development of the retarded therefore places particularly heavy responsibilities on persons in charge of the life conditions of the retarded. Mental retardation as a handicap creates especially high frustrations and hurdles for the individual, thereby making it even more urgent to assist and stimulate the retarded in the building up of his self-confidence.

Through stimulating and rich experiences, he can experience himself as an active agent while sensory deprivation imposes a further handicap. To develop a feeling of personal identity is an essential growth factor, and thus the experience of being nameless and anonymous is dangerous and damaging. The bengt nirje biography sample of the retarded must be built on letting him experience his personal abilities; thus experience of rejection and disregard creates confusion, stress, and unhappiness.

To develop self-regard, the retarded person must learn how he can succeed through his efforts to cope and thereby to obtain experiences of responsibility. Thus, a too sheltered and barren environment which does not allow for personal activities too often leads to experiences of failure and of being without status and value. The development of a feeling of personal dignity can determine the degree of self-control established, while the experience of lack of regard from others is threatening and corroding.

Page 4: 30 All these factors coincide decisively when the retardate in his development comes to the state of accepting himself as an adult and as a responsible person with a realistic self-confidence. These points are the more important, as becoming adult for the mentally retarded also means coming to terms with his own awareness of being mentally retarded Cobb, As almost every situation for the mentally retarded has a pedagogical significance and often is related to his slow building up of a self-concept, it is essential that the mentally retarded should be offered appropriate facilities, which assist his educational processes and development and which make it possible for him to experience himself as becoming adult in his own eyes and in the eyes of others.

This is a basic requirement for helping his life bengt nirje biography sample come as close to the normal as possible. Large institutions and the conditions we can observe in their back wards can never offer facilities of the kind and quality that are essential. In the large wards, the rhythm of the day reduces the retarded to an object in an empty, machinelike atmosphere.

The normal rhythm of daily routines of occupation, leisure, and personal life is emasculated to surrogate activities, not integrated with a meaningful personal existence. The normal rhythm of the year is mostly dwarfed through the experience of monotonous confinement. The development of individuality is helplessly mutilated and crushed in a life in herds.

Application of normalization principles has profound implications not only to the retarded but also to the public, to those who work with the retarded, and to the parents of the retarded. When residential facilities for mentally retarded children are constructed, located, operated, and interpreted as homes for children; when special schools for the mentally retarded are integrated into regular schools or are looked upon as no more than schools for children and youth; and when group homes and hostels for the adult retarded are looked upon mainly as homes for adults; then such direct and normal experiences will result in a normalization of society's attitudes toward the retarded.

Isolation and segregation foster ignorance and prejudice, whereas integration and normalization of smaller groups of mentally retarded improve regular human relations and understanding, and generally are a prerequisite for the social integration of the individual. Normalizing a mental retardation setting also normalizes the working conditions of the personnel.

Workers perceive the retardate, his role, and their own roles in entirely different ways. In turn, the workers themselves are perceived differently by society. They enjoy a higher status and gain in self-respect. Almost always, an increase in work efficiency and effectiveness is one of the results. Application of normalization principles also can serve to normalize the parents' situation.

When residential centers, group homes, and schools of normal standards, sizes, and locations are available, as well as day centers and workshops, the parents of the retarded can choose placements according to the individual needs of the retarded person and the needs of the family. I did a comparison between a day, a normal day and in a normal family, and then a day in a family where the child was severely handicapped.

Or I did a weekend with a normal weekend for a family and with a family, or a vacation, etc. So I used this as a [Inaudible]. But gradually as I was doing it, I started to realize there was some kind of context in the whole [Inaudible]. I was coming closer to a kind of a quantum view on things. It was very hard for me to explain because people were talking within the framework of the [Inaudible] in their specific legislative systems.

And when you say this and they say that can't be possible. Because then you talk about [Inaudible], because of the different cultural context, it was very hard to find a commonality.