NY Times Magazine article: Autism, Inc.
The 2 December 2012 NY Times Magazine article ‘Autism Inc.: How Thorkil Sonne discovered that his son’s disability could be turned into a competitive advantage‘ could make for an interesting read to analyze from a Social Role Valorization (SRV) perspective. For example, the article focuses on the role domain of employment (Wolfensberger, 1998, 30). It […]
In: Uncategorized · Tagged with: competency enhancement, employment, language, non-programmatic, programmatic/non-programmatic, role domain, Social Role Valorization, social roles, SRV
article: ‘New psychiatric treatment center opening today’
The 16 August 2012 article in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette entitled ‘New psychiatric treatment center opening today’ describes the first new psychiatric facility built in Massachusetts since the 1950s. The new building is located on the grounds of the Worcester State Hospital, built in the 1830s. A couple SRV-relevant points: • The article mentions […]
In: Uncategorized · Tagged with: good things of life, image communicators, language, mental disorder, moral treatment, negative perception, PASSING, role communicators
Senior’s Summer Camps
Last week, the media in Atlantic Canada was touting Senior’s Summer Camps as an innovative and entrepreneurial idea. According to the article, Halifax, Nova Scotia will be the sight of “The Heart and Soul Summer Arts Camp aimed at seniors experiencing physical, cognitive and financial challenges”. The camp will focus mostly on the arts along […]
In: Uncategorized · Tagged with: imagery, language, seniors, Social Role Valorization, SRV, Wolf Wolfensberger
Guest post: Lenin, Stalin and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe
The following is a guest blog post submitted by Steven Tiffany: I’d like to share some Social Role Valorization (SRV) insights I gleaned while reading the book “Lenin, Stalin and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe” by Robert Gellately (2007). The level of violence, terror and death described in the book is overwhelming, but it also […]
In: Uncategorized · Tagged with: image communicators, image juxtaposition, language, social devaluation, Social Role Valorization, SRV
Language surrounding “Alzheimer’s”
Driving home the other day, I turned on the radio and caught the end of a radio news broadcast concerning “Alzheimer’s.” (Note: I put the quotes around Alzheimer’s because my experience is that this term is too often loosely thrown around as a label or confirmed diagnosis, both by non-professionals as well as human service […]
In: Uncategorized · Tagged with: adult day health program, aging, elders, image communicators, institutionalization, language, mind drugging, nursing home, social devaluation, Social Role Valorization, SRV
‘Bent, not broken’ article in NY Times
This NY Times article about a teacher has some good potential as a teaching exercise: in a workshop, staff meeting or university classroom. It can be used to raise questions and issues relevant to Social Role Valorization, such as: • What language is used to refer to the person who is the main subject of […]
In: Uncategorized · Tagged with: heightened vulnerability, image communicators, language, social roles
NY Times article: ‘My Brother’s Keeper (Assembly Required)’
The NY Times ran a column on August 22 in an ongoing series of columns entitled ‘Modern Love.’ This particular column was by a sister describing her brother with Down’s syndrome. * Reflect on how her brother is described in the column. How is he described as spending his days? Think about what roles and […]
In: Uncategorized · Tagged with: language, role communicators, social roles, stereotypes, unconsciousness
Idea for an article, from Dr. Wolfensberger
In his June 2010 column SRV News & Reviews (in the SRV Journal), Dr. Wolfensberger writes: We suggest that readers give some thought to the difference between saying that somebody “has X” versus that somebody “is X,” as perhaps in “he has autism” versus “he is autistic,” or “she has dyslexia” or “is dyslexic.” “Has” […]
In: Uncategorized · Tagged with: language, SRV, SRV Journal
Dr. Elaine Smokewood
In Social Role Valorization (SRV), one of the points we make in teaching about social roles is that a valued role can be protective, even when someone ends up with a significant impairment after acquiring the role, and how important it is to shore up someone’s valued roles, particularly if they do become quite sick, […]
In: Uncategorized · Tagged with: heightened vulnerability, language, role communicators, social roles