Part 2 of my brief examination of how I see the intersection of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs with Disability.
Hierarchy of Needs Intersects Disability
My previous blog describes how providing for children’s needs impacts their emotional development into adulthood.
Here I view disabilities as the underlying foundation. If disabilities aren’t provided the necessary protections and supports, the safety structure for a child or adult isn’t intact.
As illustrated in my last blog, this structure is what provides us a buffer between our needs and the world around us. Without its protection we are exposed, leading to increasingly disregulated behaviors and burnout.
Forced masking acts like duct tape, only superficially holding the structure together while the foundation continues to crumble.
The only way to heal the damage is help. Many disabilities (especially autism/PDA, and others) are lifelong and need an entirely new way of structuring their lives in order to have the best quality of life.