 |
Self esteem programme
Work, relationships, team involvement, professional support.
Consider:
How do they feel about themselves?
What do they feel they have achieved and will achieve?
Are these goals realistic?
Are they feeling pressurised into doing things they doesn't want to do?
How much control do they have over life events?
Work activities
What sort of choices are they able to make at home and at work/college/school?
What do they feel about activities planned for them?
What do they feel about colleagues?
What are other professional's attitude towards them?
Relationships and the home
What are other family/resident's attitude towards them?
Does we compare their achievements with others (siblings, classmates etc.)?
Do other family members compare their achievements with others?
Are they offered a balance between support and allowing to develop their own choices in life?
What terminology is used to address them in stressful situations at 'home'?
Does this terminology have an affect on their own sense of self-worth?
Are they offered responses consistent with enhancing self-esteem?
Are support workers aware of the importance of enhancing self-esteem?
1. Ask them to consider keeping a diary (or dictate) to record personal thoughts about issues which affect self-esteem, taking time to talk about thoughts, achievements, worries, hopes and choices.
2. Use the diary and the above considerations to address issues in their life that are affecting the development of self-esteem.
3. The whole team must appreciate the importance of becoming involved in facilitating the appropriate environment for the development of self-esteem. Talk to the team about:
Team involvement
 | Offer love, support, respect and value |
| For parents , siblings, and family to examine the implications of what they do and say, and how it must affect self-esteem |
| To avoid negative language in confrontational situations |
| Offer genuine praise for achievements |
| To respect choices and opinions |
| To be encouraged to challenge self-negative attitudes |
| Encouragement for what is done well |
| Help and encouragement to enhance self-image (e.g. achievements, appearance, clothes, hair style) |
| Give them responsibilities |
| To help set realistic goals that are achievable |
| To go at own pace |
| To encourage social skills |
| To balance the appropriate level of support with allowing the pursuit of their own choices |
| To enable carers, family and relatives to be aware of responses which inhibit the development of self-esteem |
| To enable carers, family and relatives to be aware of actions and responses that positively promote self-esteem |
| To counsel failure or unrealistic choices and use them as learning experiences |
| To ensure a balance between the appropriate level of support with allowing him to pursue his own choices |
| To help him measure progress towards particular goals |
| To record and recognise his achievements at home and with activities |
| Help and encouragement to enhance self-image (e.g. appearance, clothes, hair style) |
| To record a diary of positive and negative events to help evaluate progress |
| To give regular feedback on progress |
References
LOOMANS D,. LLOMANS J (1994)
Full Esteem Ahead: 100 Ways to Build Self-esteem in Children and Adults Tiburon: H J Kramer Inc.
MOSLEY J (1994a) Back to Basics 12: Developing Self-esteem
Special Children April 74 1-5
NIVEN N,. ROBINSON J (1994) The Psychology of Nursing Care London: Macmillan
Bibliography
CLARK C (1995)
Low Self Esteem - A Barrier to Health Promoting Behaviour Bristol: University of the West of England
COUPE O'KANE J,. GOLDBART J (1996)
Who's Choice?: Contentious issues for those working with people with learning difficulties London: David Fulton Publishers Limited
LOOMANS D,. LLOMANS J (1994)
Full Esteem Ahead: 100 Ways to Build Self-esteem in Children and Adults Tiburon: H J Kramer Inc.
MORETTI M,. HIGGINS E T (1990) Relating Self-discrepancy to Self-esteem: The Contribution of Discrepancy Beyond Actual Self-ratings
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 26 108-123
MOSLEY J (1994a) Back to Basics 12: Developing Self-esteem
Special Children April 74 1-5
NIVEN N,. ROBINSON J (1994) The Psychology of Nursing Care London: Macmillan
MOSLEY J(1994)
You Choose: A handbook for staff working with people who have learning disabilities to promote self-esteem and self-advocacy
Wisbech: LDA