Person-Centered Thinking Training

The Oklahoma Person-Centered Thinking Project is a collaborative effort to increase knowledge and skills in person-centered practices throughout Oklahoma. This project has a long-term goal of improving the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by changing the thinking and practices of the people who support them. 

The person-centered approach means that the people who know the person best come together to identify what is important to the person as well as what is important for the person. 

Too often plans are written but not used because the people responsible for implementing the plan were not part of writing it. Therefore the plan has no meaning for them. The person-centered thinking approach ensures the plan includes not only   considerations of health and safety, but also personal preferences, communication, rituals and daily routines. Working together with the person and his/her supporters, the plan becomes more than a paper requirement. It is a document about the best ways to support and respect the person to have the best life possible.  

We believe this approach is critically important for a person who is not able to communicate with words. Person-Centered Thinking tools help us to listen differently to the person.   

The Council partners with the Center for Learning and Leadership, the Oklahoma Disability Law Center and Bios, A Better Life Homecare, Inc.