More About Person-Centered Planning

What is Person-Centered Planning?

• Process to help people with disabilities plan for their future
• Focused on the person with disabilities
• Strengths-based practice based on the person’s interests, preferences, skills, and abilities
• Customized to the individual with disabilities and their vision and dreams
• Good framework for planning and making decisions
• Awareness of and sensitivity to the person’s capabilities, lifestyle, and cultural background
• Involves people who care who will help support the person on their path to success – his or her own personal network

Why use Person-Centered Planning?

• Families, educators, and other professionals will achieve more positive outcomes for the person with the disability while working together towards a common goal
• Brainstorming process that focuses on collaboration, creativity, possibilities/choices, and finding solutions which leads to increased teamwork and accountability
• More accurate reflection of the person’s goals and what is needed to help them reach those goals – skills, abilities, instruction, experiences, services, supports
• Person with disabilities will have control over their life; their voice is heard
• Long-term community supports are put in place which increases community participation and enhances social supports

How can Person-Centered Planning be utilized in School Transition Plans?

• Allows the student to participate more actively in their transition planning – being more active leads to more positive vocational rehabilitation outcomes
• Enhances the quality of assessment and planning activities
• Helps build positive working relationships between students, families, and professionals
• Better collaboration and coordination of supports and services
• Creates roadmaps – choices, options, opportunities, experiences, steps to get to where the student wants to be
• Focuses on a student’s self-determination and self-advocacy
• Connects families to adult service agencies before the student leaves high school
• Helps identify and build natural supports in the community
• Helps students make a smooth transition from school to adult life – focus on the student’s dreams for a preferred future
• Helpful tool to use when developing individualized program plans as a part of the person’s adult services after school

Person-Centered Planning Questions to Brainstorm and Discuss