Full Description
The FAIT is a simple assessment tool that helps staff working with people with intellectual disabilities who have experienced trauma, to determine the level of emotional development of the distressed individual, thereby allowing for an intervention to be provided at the right level within an emotionally nurturing environment. Based on a 40 minute observation of the individual, and accompanying gradings, the FAIT tool enables identification of the stage of emotional development at which the person's development has become arrested. Once this is established, it becomes possible to work out what kind of interventions will be appropriate to address their emotional needs. The expectation is that individuals who follow this manual will be able to effectively allocate a stage to the person they are assessing and be able to design an appropriate intervention, following up with a reassessment as the intervention progresses. Work with the specific trauma will usually happen in individual or group therapy. The manual includes a set of 25 score forms.
Contents
Introduction
Section 1: Psychological Birth - The Work of Margaret Mahler and the Development of the FAIT Tool
Overview of Mahler's stages of development
The role of the primary carers in this process
When things go wrong
How this relates to people with learning disabilities
Behavioural observation
Designing interventions
Interventions based on the findings
Section 2: The FAIT - An Assessment Tool for Those Supporting People With Intellectual Disabilities
Who can use the tool?
Summary of the stages
Using the tool
Scoring the data
Taking part in the development of the tool
Templates: Observation sheets and examples
Appendix: Measuring the Emotional Development of Intellectually Disabled Adults
