“The past cannot be changed, but the future can.” These words, however, are unacceptable to many people with developmental disabilities.
Why is this? It is because they have low self-esteem and are traumatized by physical and emotional pain suffered in the past, which causes them to have flashbacks. Above all, they are very often pressured by those around them to “change themselves,” and because of this, they feel that their personality has been negated. It is no exaggeration to say that if one’s sense of self-esteem is low, and then one’s personality is denied or destroyed in order to push one over the edge, it is a natural consequence that the situation is made even worse. In other words, it is common for people with developmental disabilities to have the opposite effect on others by the way they speak.
If we want them to change their future, it is essential that we first help them regain their negative self-esteem down to zero, and then help them understand the benefits of change. Without that, it is absolutely impossible for them to open their hearts. In any case, I firmly believe that the ironclad rule is to completely understand the situation and the circumstances that led to the current situation, and to provide support accordingly. It can be said that Japanese society, which demands uniformity, is far behind the world-class level in supporting people with developmental disabilities because it is unable to do so.
This is not a matter of “thinking” or “feeling” in a naïve and naïve way. It is not too much to assert, but rather too little to say. This is “the fact”, “the reality” and “the truth”. It’s not a matter of good or bad, it’s nothing more than a golden rule that can’t be described in any other way and has absolutely no room for doubt.