Professional Development and Support

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Professional Development and Support

Professional Development and Support

Whole Selves is a philosophy and an approach, not just a curriculum; therefore, Professional Development plays an integral role.

Professional Development is offered at our facility in Western MA and online. Click here to sign up for one of our Professional Development sessions.

For groups of six teachers or more, we can travel to schools or organizations to provide a custom group training. Please contact us if you are interested.

When a professional first joins the Whole Selves community, the required Professional Development includes three components: an introduction to the Whole Selves philosophy, an overview of the Whole Selves curriculum and materials, and hands-on practice with the curriculum and materials. Additionally, we explore using the Whole Selves curriculum to support school culture.

Objectives

A. Identify how the Whole Selves curriculum will help students in your classroom.

B. Navigate the curriculum on the Whole Selves website.

C. Explain the goals and key features of the Whole Selves curriculum.

D. Be able to adapt and modify the curriculum for students with a range of needs.

Goals

1. Help students build and maintain a positive sense of self and strong, healthy relationships with others.

2. Affirm that every individual is entitled to be able to engage in healthy and consensual intimate relationships, and that sex is a fundamental component of the human experience.

3. Support individuals with IDD/autism to understand and exercise their inherent right as human beings to make informed choices regarding their own bodies.

4. Help people with IDD/autism affirm, understand, and explore their identities.

5. Shift the culture of schools, families and the community toward an understanding that people with IDD/autism are whole people.