"...the normalization principle means making available to the mentally retarded (individual) patterns and conditions of everyday life which are as close as possible to the norms and patterns of the mainstream of society." (Nirje,1969)
According to the Principle of Normalization, the life patterns of the mentally retarded should approximate those of any other individual in society. Treating the mentally retarded individual as "normal" will afford an opportunity for normal development with normal behavior. Abnormal treatment will predominately result in abnormal behavior. The ultimate aim of normalization is the attainment of normal behavior through an approximation of life and lifestyles which exist outside the institution.
Putting the principle of normalization into effect is difficult in any setting and perhaps more so in an institutional setting, but not impossible. There are many ways that "normalization" is practiced and implemented at NVTC.
Clients are not restricted to NVTC by physical enclosures such as wire fences. This enhances the client's feeling of freedom; teaching the clients how to appropriately exercise this freedom is an integral part of the training program. Clients are taught to go from one place to another on NVTC grounds, except where there are health and safety concerns.
Clients are provided closets and dressers for their personal belongings, as well as clothing which is fashionable and age appropriate. Our goal is to have the clients dress and look as normal as possible. The clients may have physical differences which make them stand out in the community, but there is no reason for them to look different because of the way they are dressed.
Consideration should also be given to the client's privacy. We do not have private bathrooms, but there are individual toilet and shower stalls which have doors or curtains to ensure this privacy. Clients who cannot perform basic self-help skills of toileting and showering are placed in programs designed to teach them how to use these skills as independently as possibile.
Mealtimes afford a good opportunity to practice normalization. Clients eat at normal times, in small groups, at a table (not in a bed, living area, etc.), and with appropriate utensils. Clients who have not learned to properly feed themselves are taught by staff to as eat independently as possible.
It is considered a normal activity to leave one's home to go to work or school. As much as possible, our clients attend either public schools or community work sites. The normalization principle promotes the tenet that every individual should have the opportunity to work and to function constructively in society.
(Excerpted from the NVTC Handbook)
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