04 Nov What does a Developmental Educator (DE) actually do?
2-6 November is DE Week so we are celebrating all things Developmental Education!
So what does a Developmental Educator actually do?
Here are four practical examples:
1. Building everyday life skills
Supporting someone to develop skills and confidence with everyday activities such as cooking, meal planning, managing money, shopping, using public transport or organising their daily routines.
2. Exploring goals, interests and opportunities
Working alongside someone to discover their strengths and passions, explore hobbies, build social connections, investigate volunteering or employment opportunities and try new experiences.
3. Supporting life transitions
Helping someone navigate significant life changes, such as moving out of home, starting a new job, leaving school, transitioning into adulthood or adjusting to a new living arrangement.
4. Building communication, confidence and self-advocacy
Supporting people to express their preferences, communicate their needs, make informed choices, develop relationships and have greater control over decisions that affect their lives.
Developmental Education can make a meaningful difference for people of all ages and at every stage of life. It’s about recognising individual strengths, exploring possibilities and working alongside people to build the skills, confidence and opportunities to live life their way.
We know that effective support starts with truly understanding the person. That’s why we’ve shared one of our DE resources below – a helpful tool for exploring an individual’s sensory needs and understanding how sensory experiences may influence feelings, responses and behaviours.
