Transitions? An Invitation to Think Outside Y/our Problem Box, get Fire in Your Belly and Put Pebbles in the Pond

Abstract

This chapter is written in the form of a particular process that I have developed through my own life and my current role in learning and development across the South of England. I bring the experiences as a disabled woman, social worker and having been a disability equality trainer. The process begins with questions. These are questions that I have found to be the basis for learning, questions that uproot expectations and invite us to think outside our ‘problem box’. These questions are followed by two further steps around ‘putting fire in your belly’ to be creative, and then being active by ‘putting pebbles in ponds’ for further development on into the future. This is an invitation to try something new and to keep reflecting and being creative. The process finishes with a final question concerning ‘how we know what we think we know?’ This is about recognizing that there are various perspectives and asking how do we check out what we think we know and, especially, how do we know what a disabled child wants or might want once having the opportunities for trying things out and making real choices?