The Republic of Croatia has started with the development of the social welfare system focused on persons by ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Such a system is based on the principles of respecting human rights, freedom of choice and accessibility of social services, individualization and person’s involvement in the community.

Person-centered approach is the best approach for developing of social inclusion of people with disabilities, based on the social model of disability, human rights and universal design.

It is about a group of methods and techniques developed for the purpose of empowering people with disabilities for a self-determined life in the community. It was developed as part of a larger movement for the promotion of self-determination, self-advocacy and deinstitutionalization.

The aim of person-centered planning is to determine the individual interests and needs of each person and to determine what kind of support is needed and from whom in order to achieve the set objectives within time that people want. The person is active and key participant in the creation of their support plan and included into the development, implementation and later in their evaluation plan to the fullest extent possible.

Apart from the theoretical framework and good ideas, person-centered planning provides a way how can the principles of normalization and social inclusion be implemented in practice. Although person-centered planning was primarily focused on people with disabilities, today it can be applied in working with all groups and organizations in the development of their strategic plans.

This professional development training will create possibilities for people with disabilities, their families, service providers and politically responsible persons explaining the person-centered approach and provide the training about the usage of visual planning tools (MAP and PATH).

Person-centred active support is a technique used to involve people with intellectual disabilities in activities of everyday life. It represents a series of procedures and guidelines for working with people regardless of the degree, type of difficulty or the existence of additional difficulties.

Training enables the acquisition of knowledge on the application of technique in otder to enable people with disabilities to successfully participate in meaningful activities and relationships, helping them to become independent and involved and enable them to take control of their lives.

The meaning of person-centered active support is that, with adequate support, people can take advantage of every opportunity to participate in activities and relationships at home or in the community, in the workplace or in leisure activities.

“It is impossible not to communicate in the situation when two people see each other. Activity or inactivity, words or silence all have message value” -Paul Watzlawick

A large number of definitions on communication speaks about the complexity of this process, which is crucial for the creation of relationships. Good communication is the foundation of successful interpersonal relationships. Research shows that, although the interpersonal communication is one of man’s greatest achievements, the average person does not communicate well. Poor communication leads to loneliness and alienation from friends, partners, parents and children, as well as to poor success in business. Repeated and frequent use of inappropriate communication can cause permanent disruption of interpersonal relationships.

Regardless of age, people are capable of obtaining communication skills that improve interpersonal relationships and increase the feeling of satisfaction with everyday life. These days, people skils are a key element of success in various professional fields, and especially in providing support.