Other Planning Tools

MAPs (Making Action Plans) and PATHs (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope) are planning tools developed by the Marsha Forest Centre, not by schools. MAPs and PATHs are often preferred by families over school transition plans developed by educators because they tend to be more comprehensive. They usually involve more “outside” people—more friends or family—as well as educators, support workers, and service providers. Like school plans, they seek to create a team effort around developing a full life in community with and for the individual with an intellectual disability.

Teachers are usually less familiar with these tools and may be reluctant to adopt them because of the time demands and sometimes, because they made need to be carried out as an addition to a school board mandated planning process. They often involve evening or weekend meetings so all key people can be present. However, they can be more comprehensive and more satisfying for the family.

Social services tend to like these tools, but they can find them difficult to implement because in the plans that emerge much one-on-one time is usually implied. A PATH meeting consists of a series of 8 structured questions and 3 or 4 hours are usually scheduled for the meeting.

Some of their attractive features are that they:

• focus strongly on creating a support network around the person with an intellectual disability

• place emphasis on the individual’s skills, interests, and aspirations

• are results-oriented

• use graphics which tend to engage everyone more in the process and better allow for dreaming.

• can be an exciting process

Their limitations are that:

• They generally require greater effort and time and this can lead to difficulty in getting sustained participation

• Sometimes a plan emerges that is unrealistic and disappointment ensues later. The facilitator needs to be attentive to this as the plan is being formulated during the meeting.

PLAN Canada also offers a planning approach that is not school-based.