Mission Statement
The Lake Orion Community Schools PHASES Program, serving post-secondary aged adults, believe all persons regardless of their disability, have the right to enjoy the same full range of life experiences as those in their community. It is our mission to promote students’ personal growth and development of life skills, and to provide access to the community, while identifying and meeting the students’ diverse needs. Our mission is to work cooperatively with students, families, and the community in order to effectively help each student reach his or her potential, and complete a successful transition into adult life. Based on students’ interests, learning and strengths, our mission is to assist students in linking classroom learning with life experience and independence. We believe that each person who desires to live and work in their community can be successful.
What do the young adults say?
“My favorite thing about PHASES is cooking class.”
“My favorite thing about PHASES is working at Goodwill.”
“My favorite thing about PHASES is working with students.”
“I love coming here to PHASES and working at TJ Maxx. I think it changed my life. My second favorite thing is going on field trips every year. I will always remember. My third favorite thing is I like doing cooking and improving my skills and goals.”
“My favorite thing about PHASES is working at Goodwill.”
“My favorite thing about PHASES is working with students.”
“I love coming here to PHASES and working at TJ Maxx. I think it changed my life. My second favorite thing is going on field trips every year. I will always remember. My third favorite thing is I like doing cooking and improving my skills and goals.”
The Dignity of Risk
"Over protection may appear on the surface to be kind, but it can be really evil. An oversupply can smother people emotionally,
squeeze the life out of their hopes and expectations, and strip them of their dignity. Over protection can keep people from becoming all they could become. Many of our best achievements came the hard way: We took risks, fell flat, suffered, picked ourselves up, and tried again.
Sometimes we made it and sometimes we did not. Even so, we were given the chance to try. Persons with special needs need these chances, too.
Of course, we are talking about prudent risks. People should not be expected to blindly face challenges that, without a doubt,
will explode in their faces. Knowing which chances are prudent and which are not - this is a new skill that needs to be acquired.
On the other hand, a risk is really only when it is not known beforehand whether a person can succeed... The real world is not always safe,
secure, and predictable. It does not always say "please", "excuse me", or "I'm sorry". Every day we face the possibility of being thrown into situations where we will have to risk everything... In the past, we found clever ways to build avoidance of risk into the lives or persons living with disabilities.
Now we must work equally hard to help find the proper amount of risk these people have the right to take. We have learned that there can be healthy development in risk taking... and there can be crippling indignity in safety!"
-Robert Perske, Hope for the Families
Reprinted from: New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Supports Division- Meaningful Day A FEW WORDS ABOUT DIGNITY OF RISK 4Dignity of Risk
squeeze the life out of their hopes and expectations, and strip them of their dignity. Over protection can keep people from becoming all they could become. Many of our best achievements came the hard way: We took risks, fell flat, suffered, picked ourselves up, and tried again.
Sometimes we made it and sometimes we did not. Even so, we were given the chance to try. Persons with special needs need these chances, too.
Of course, we are talking about prudent risks. People should not be expected to blindly face challenges that, without a doubt,
will explode in their faces. Knowing which chances are prudent and which are not - this is a new skill that needs to be acquired.
On the other hand, a risk is really only when it is not known beforehand whether a person can succeed... The real world is not always safe,
secure, and predictable. It does not always say "please", "excuse me", or "I'm sorry". Every day we face the possibility of being thrown into situations where we will have to risk everything... In the past, we found clever ways to build avoidance of risk into the lives or persons living with disabilities.
Now we must work equally hard to help find the proper amount of risk these people have the right to take. We have learned that there can be healthy development in risk taking... and there can be crippling indignity in safety!"
-Robert Perske, Hope for the Families
Reprinted from: New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Supports Division- Meaningful Day A FEW WORDS ABOUT DIGNITY OF RISK 4Dignity of Risk