Developmental service workers provide care and support to children and adults with disabilities. They often work with people who have intellectual disabilities, which means they have an impaired ability to learn.
The causes of intellectual disabilities are numerous, and can include Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, and head injuries. Developmental service workers may also work with clients who have a physical disability, or who have more than one disability.
The term developmental service worker encompasses a wide range of people, who work in a variety of settings. They help clients at school, at work, at home, in their recreational activities, and in the community. Regardless of where they work, their goal is the same: to meet the needs of their clients and to help them function as valued members of society.
The specific tasks they perform vary depending on where they work and the needs of their clients. For instance, some people work as educational assistants in elementary or secondary schools, where they provide classroom assistance to special needs students who need help with their lessons. Others work in vocational support positions, helping clients find work and teaching them necessary job skills.
Some developmental service workers provide care in residential situations. Their clients may live in group homes, with their families, or independently in their own homes. Depending on the situation, workers may be responsible for tasks such as administering medication, assisting with hygiene and meal preparation tasks, providing help and support to family members, and helping clients keep up with day-to-day chores such as paying bills or buying groceries.
Other people in this field are involved in day programs that provide services for the developmentally disabled. For example, they might lead “life skills” training programs, which help clients enhance the practical skills needed for everyday living, such as personal care, domestic, and social skills. Other programs offer opportunities to participate in the community or in recreational activities. Some day programs may be directed at a particular age group, such as children or elderly people, or to clients with a particular disability, such as autism.
Besides providing care and support to their clients, people in the developmental services field often function as advocates for the intellectually challenged. They work to ensure the full inclusion of their clients in society by helping them successfully integrate into their communities, schools, and workplaces, and by challenging common misconceptions about the intellectually disabled.
NOC Code: 4212