Foundational Tools
Family Perspective
Families have information and ideas about what they want or is needed for their member’s good life.
Tools to fit your family.
As an individual member plans for their good life, it is important for them to be able to express their own vision, ideas, and understanding of life experiences and events. However, families often have valuable information, perspective, and opinions, and need a way to express and organize ideas and information as they support and plan with their family member. The family perspective materials are designed to help families articulate their vision of what they want/don’t want for their family members, identify and access key supports, and have conversations with their family members and supporters about planning for a good life now and in the future.
Listen to the parent of two children with disabilities talk about using LifeCourse principles to change her own life and have a vision for her children.
Getting Started
Below is the core set of tools to help you and your family get started on Exploring or Planning Your “Good Life”
Life Trajectory: Family Perspective
Create a vision for your family member’s good life. The Trajectory Planning Tool highlights the past life experiences that are leading or moving your family member away from their vision and then provide space for current goals and things to avoid moving forward.
Integrated Supports Star
Identify the supports that your family member is using now, and think about other supports that might be helpful. The right supports can help ensure their quality of life. Some supports are centered around relationships, technology, or personal strengths and assets. Others are based on eligibility criteria or are supports that anyone in the community can access. Using various supports in combination can help them achieve their vision of a good life.
Life Domain Vision Tool: Family Perspective
Forming a vision and beginning to plan for the future in each of the life domains helps plot a trajectory for a full, inclusive, quality life in the community. This tool is to help you start thinking about your family members’ vision for their life in the future, and narrow down what life domain(s) to focus on at this point in time.
Mapping Relationships
The Mapping Relationships tool will help you identify the different people and ways that they support you. Some of the people in your life might fulfill a lot of different roles while others might have only one significant role. It can help you have conversations about the future and who may fill those roles when others are no longer able.
LifeCourse Family Perspective Portfolio
The Charting the LifeCoure Portfolio is designed as a booklet printed on 11×17 paper. It includes the CtLC Trajectory tool on the inside and the Integrated Supports Star on the back. It provides a cover sheet with information about the person.
All people have the right to live, love, work, play, and pursue their life aspirations in their community.
How To Use These Tools
As your family member plans for their good life, it is important for them to be able to express their own vision, ideas and understanding of life experiences and events. However, families often have valuable perspective and opinions and this section will assist you in expressing and organizing your ideas as you support and plan with your family member.
Life Trajectory: Family Perspective
Watch Video:
This short video will walk you through thinking about your vision for a good life for your family member, as well as what you don’t want, exploring past experiences, positive and negative, and considering what will help move the trajectory toward the good life vision.
View Examples:
Check out the Family Perspective trajectory tool 13-year-old Peyton’s family completed to help them think about Peyton’s future, and prepare for ISP and IEP meetings.
Integrated Supports Star: Family Perspective
Watch Video:
This short video will help you understand, explore, and map the different kinds of supports that can work together to help your family member achieve their vision for a good life.
View Examples:
View 12-year-old Conner’s Integrated Supports Star completed by his family to map the different kinds of supports available to help him achieve his good life.
Vision Tool: Family Perspective
Watch Video:
Watch this short video to begin to explore a more specific good life vision for your family member in one or more of the Charting the LifeCourse life domains.
View Examples:
Take a look at 31-year-old Sarah’s Family Perspective Life Domain Vision tool.
Mapping Relationships
Watch Video:
This video will help you explore the roles you and others play in your family member’s life, and who they have connections and roles with as well.
View Examples:
See how Sarah’s family explored the roles people play in Sarah’s life, who is important to her, and things they want to make sure are present in her life.
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