Young Woman Labelled with Developmental Disability - Seeking Independence (#701)

A young woman labelled as developmentally disabled wants more independence while her parents want to shelter her from the world. A counsellor must assess whether she is suitable for a community living project.

• Listening skills
• Developing trust
• Demonstrating empathy
• Uncovering hidden agendas
• Mediating between parties
• Finding collaborative solutions

Maria is a twenty year old woman. Interacting with Maria is the same as anyone else; however; getting to know her slowly reveals that Maria functions at a much younger level than her actual age. Due to this, Maria's teacher encouraged her to join a community living workshop. Her parents think she should stay home to look after her aging mother and help around the house. Last week Francesca Molinaro, Maria's mother, booked an appointment with you, a counsellor at a local family service clinic. On the phone she requested that you meet with the family to discuss Maria's desire for greater independence and assess her potential for joining a community living workshop.