The Big Picture
Clients living with developmental disorders or disabilities may have complex care needs. The support each person needs can be different.
The client’s care plan guides the support worker. Care should promote dignity, independence, personal preferences, privacy, and safety.
Look for Nova Scotia CCA Notes throughout this page for current provincial guidance.
Quick tip: Tap, click, or press Enter on any term with a dotted underline and an ⓘ icon to see its plain-English definition.
Start Here If You’re Overwhelmed
Focus on these core ideas:
- A developmental disability is permanent and begins at birth or before age 18.
- Support must be individualized because each client may need different equipment, devices, routines, or assistance.
- Follow the client’s care plan carefully and ask your supervisor when you have questions.
- Promote the client’s dignity, independence, preferences, privacy, and safety.
- Clients with a history of choking when eating or swallowing should not eat or drink without supervision.
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Course Notes: Key Ideas You Need to Know
What Is a Developmental Disability?
A developmental disability is a permanent disability that a person is born with or that begins before 18 years of age.
Clients living with developmental disorders or disabilities have the same rights and needs as everyone else. Their individual care needs may still be complex, especially when a disability is severe.
Individualized Support
Each client may require different types of support.
As a support worker, you must be familiar with the special equipment and self-help devices used by each client. Follow the client’s care plan and consult your supervisor when you have questions.
Important priorities include:
- dignity
- independence
- individualized care
- personal preferences
- privacy
- safety
Equipment and Support Can Vary From Person to Person
A 10-year-old child with severe cerebral palsy (CP) provides an example of how several types of support may be needed at the same time.
Cerebral palsy (CP) affects muscle control because of an injury or abnormality in the motor region of the brain.
In this example:
- The child cannot walk and has limited use of his hands.
- A postural support helps keep his body in good alignment when he begins to slide down in his wheelchair.
- He must be repositioned frequently to help prevent pressure ulcers.
- He has a hearing impairment and wears hearing aids in both ears.
- He has a speech disorder and uses a computer to communicate.
- He wears ankle splints to help prevent contractures.
- A special spoon strapped to his wrist helps him eat.
This example shows why the support worker must know the equipment and self-help devices required by each client.
Supporting Daily Routines
Support workers can help children with developmental disorders or disabilities and their families maintain consistent routines.
Supported actions include:
- Encourage the family to maintain a consistent daily schedule.
- Assist the client in maintaining a regular bedtime.
- Use lists, charts, or memory aids for important duties, dates, and times.
Supporting Activity, Social Life, and Study
The support worker can:
- encourage regular physical activity
- encourage structured social activities, such as sports or dancing
- suggest studying in a quiet area away from noisy distractions
Structured social activities can also improve the child’s social strengths and self-esteem.
Counselling, Medication, and Nutrition
The support worker may suggest counselling to help the client and family cope and help the client learn how to adapt to their environment.
The support worker can also:
- encourage the client to take medication at the same time every day
- encourage the client to report any adverse effects to the health care provider immediately
- encourage the client to eat a nutritionally balanced diet
- encourage the client to follow Canada’s Dietary Guidelines
Nova Scotia CCA Note
Sorrentino’s Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker, 5th Edition gives a broad study point about encouraging a client to take medication at the same time each day and to report adverse effects. In Nova Scotia, current CCA standards place specific conditions on different types of medication assistance.
A CCA can give verbal medication reminders and may help a person open a prescribed daily routine medication when the person cannot do this independently. When the medication is not a prescribed daily routine medication, the required practice conditions must be met or the task may need to be delegated. Some medication assistance also requires detailed instructions from a regulated health care professional.
Why this matters in Nova Scotia: Check what kind of medication help is being described. Different medication tasks can have different conditions and limits for a CCA.
Official source: Continuing Care Assistant Occupational Standards of Practice (novascotiacca.ca)
Last checked: October 5, 2026
Safety and Supervision
Clients living with developmental disabilities are frequently at risk of injury for a variety of reasons.
Safety: Observe the client at all times.
The client’s care plan is an important source of instructions and should be carefully followed.
Pay particular attention when a client has a history of choking while eating or swallowing. These clients should not eat or drink without supervision .
Exam Clue Words
- Must: The support worker must be familiar with the special equipment and self-help devices required by each client.
- Follow the care plan: The care plan provides instructions for the individual client and should be carefully followed.
- Should not: A client with a history of choking when eating or swallowing should not eat or drink without supervision.
- Immediately: The client should report adverse effects from medication to the health care provider immediately.
Fast Review
Focus on the facts that guide safe, individualized support.
- A developmental disability is permanent and begins at birth or before age 18.
- Cerebral palsy (CP) affects muscle control because of an injury or abnormality in the motor region of the brain.
- Clients living with developmental disorders or disabilities have the same rights and needs as everyone else.
- Promote dignity, independence, individualized care, preferences, privacy, and safety.
- Know the special equipment and self-help devices required by the individual client.
- Follow the client’s care plan carefully and consult your supervisor when you have questions.
- Support consistent schedules, regular bedtimes, and memory aids when these are part of the client’s support.
- Encourage regular physical activity, structured social activities, and studying in a quiet area away from noisy distractions.
- Encourage the client to take medication at the same time each day and report adverse effects to the health care provider immediately.
- Clients with a history of choking while eating or swallowing should not eat or drink without supervision.
Final Pep Talk
There are several support strategies to remember in this topic, but they connect to one main idea: care is individualized. Keep returning to the care plan, the client’s needs, and the key safety rules as you review.