Over 11 million people in the UK have a limiting long-term sickness, impairment, or disability. The majority of disabled people will be supported by their family, but could also greatly benefit from the support of a life coach who could ensure they lead happy fulfilling lives.
Young adults with learning disabilities will often find it difficult to progress to stages in life most would take for granted such as getting a job, making new friends and starting a family, which can have a severe impact on their emotional well-being and mental health. A life coach can help those with developmental disabilities to improve their communication skills and achieve personal goals.
We believe every young person has the right to Thriive, whatever their path in life might be. Carry on reading to find out everything you should know about life skills coaching for individuals with disabilities.
What is life skills coaching?
Here’s the science: by utilising specialist strategies based on underlying psychological principles and natural intuition, coaches empower clients to boldly tackle challenging situations, overcome emotional boundaries, and view life with a fresh and positive perspective whilst learning valuable new skills.
A coach should not tell you what is best for you, but rather use all of their expertise and talents to assist you in making your own choices and solutions.
Life skills coaching is not the same as therapy or counselling. It is primarily aimed at creating an environment conducive to learning, self-awareness, and improving quality of life, particularly in the workplace.
How can a life coach help individuals with special needs?
A life skills coach is someone who seeks to assist and empower people in setting, meeting, and exceeding personal and professional goals. Coaching sessions may include focusing on:
- Excelling in one’s job.
- Finding happiness and fulfilment at home, as well as discovering your own self.
- Helping to meet personal goals.
To help individuals reach their maximum potential, a well-trained, professional coach will focus on their clients’ strengths, values, and aspirations.
A good life coach should have the following skills and understanding:
- Make certain that their practices are inclusive and that they provide a safe, supportive workplace.
- A greater understanding of neurodiversity so that their lessons are appropriate for persons with problems like ADHD and autism.
- Improve their communication abilities. It is critical to build inclusive sessions if they have the confidence and knowledge to communicate with persons who have special needs.
- Recognise the challenges that people with special needs experience.Â
Why is coaching beneficial for disabled people?
Today, coaching is generally utilised by CEOs and organisations to advance employees, or by individuals who can afford to pay for their own coach. Athletes (and many Paralympians) use it to help them reach their full potential. Sports coaching is, in essence, where coaching began.
If certain groups of individuals, such as disabled persons, had access to coaching, society would be a much better place. With a disability, life is more difficult, and they will have survived, and hopefully thrived, many times each day.
All of this can lead to a new perspective. Even the most hardened impaired high achiever can benefit from what coaching has to offer.
Furthermore, with many disabled persons wishing to work but having difficulty finding acceptable employment, coaching could help to give a solution. Not only may it enhance their confidence, but by discussing and revealing previously unknown choices, they may be able to uncover the career that’s suitable for them.
Coaching as a career choice
Coaching is also a good professional path for a disabled person because they frequently leverage difficult personal experiences to convert them into strengths. It suggests they have a high level of empathy as well as significant and unique insights.
Coaching might also provide disabled people with the freedom to work from home, depending on their clientele. They will be viewed as a peer by the non-disabled people with whom they work, and their career choice will raise awareness and normalise disability in the workplace.
Looking for expert workplace coaching?
Thriiver specialises in offering expert workplace coaching to businesses. Our coaches will collaborate with you to develop and execute strategies for you or your staff that focus on your strengths and can be applied to a variety of settings, including home and the workplace.
We have a variety of different training courses and services available, including Mental Health At Work Training and Neurodiversity Training, as well as a variety of assistive devices that can help employees with impairments.
