Main description:

Sometimes, we can all try so hard to avoid causing ourselves pain that we don't live our lives to the full - and people with intellectual disabilities are no different. Based on principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Living Your Best Life provides guided self-help materials for a person with intellectual disabilities to work through alongside a supporter such as a paid carer, family member or mental health professional. The tools and guidance help the individual identify what is important to them and move towards a life where worries and doubts do not stop them doing activities they enjoy or trying new things. Each chapter includes separate sections for supporters and for the person with intellectual disabilities (which can be read to them if necessary). The book also includes a wide range of exercises, graded by difficulty so as to be matched to an individual's specific abilities and challenges.

Contents:

Accessible introduction
Supporter introduction
Structure of the book
1. Practice makes better
2. Struggling is normal
3. What are emotions?
4. What matters to you?
5. Connecting with others
6. Kindness to others
7. Being your own best friend
8. The tricky thing about thoughts
9. Being mindful
10. Opening up
11. Feeling low and what to do about it
12. Worries and feeling scared
13. Anger and what to do about it
14. Sorting out your problems
15. Feeling different from other people
16. Trauma
17. Top tips for a great life
18. Keeping it all going
Index of exercises
References