People with Developmental Disability

The task of Their Grief   Part 5

Conclusion:

It is important that people with Developmental  Disabilities be given the right to participate fully in the grief and   mourning process, and in all of the systems, and rituals associated with their loss. We must understand however, that signs of grieving will not show right away but it is present, it is the care providers responsibility that they take the time to explain what has happened to a love one, a peer, a staff or pet that died.

To make their grieving process easy we the care provider need to reassure them that someone will always be there to help them with their time of grieving. Guidelines should be put in place, where it can be helpful not only for the individual with the developmental disabilities, but also the care provider, this will make it a much smoother transition in helping the individual.

Bereavement Counseling for persons with developmental disabilities should be made available and not just when a maladaptive reaction has been recognized as grief. It may be very helpful that both individual and group work with the bereaved particularly nonverbal be approached with care when doing grief work. The use of counseling picture books will be most helpful in this situation.

It is unfortunately that there are no Bereavement Counselors helping the individuals with developmental disabilities it goes to shown that society is forgetting that these individuals are also human being and is part of the whole picture that help make our society forgotten or not.

They also live in the community and lead productive lives, it may not be to society's standards but they enjoy life to the fullest just like you and me. It is time that they do share in all rituals that are in the community, when someone they know dies, provider's, family members and guardian must must give them the opportunity to make the choice whether they  would like to be included in the whole death system.

By giving them the opportunity to grieve / mourn it will ease the behaviours of the individuals with  developmental disabilities, which will make the grieving and mourning process much easier. We must remember that it is our duty as Bereavement Counselors to help the individual developmental disabilities as much as possible , so that they can return to their normal day to day activities without disruptions in their lives.