Made with Xara FULL LIFE HISTORY  As happens with many families, the Tyler family had a son with a developmental disability and  wanted to ensure that their son continued to live a quality life after they were gone. They  wanted to ensure that he would be able to do the things that were important to him, receive  support where he needed it and freedom where he didn’t need support.  They were worried  about what would happen to him when they were not there. They wanted to be certain that he  lived a full, happy and safe life.   In 1999, after working with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Self-Determination Grant in  the State of Hawai`i, the Tyler family partnered with Deann Canuteson and Larry Casper to  form Full Life based on the Self-Determination model. Self-determination is now the model  mandated by the Federal Government for services to individuals with developmental  disabilities.  Founded on these principles, Full Life has never wavered in empowering our  clients to assert their fundamental human right to authority over how their lives will be lived.   We continue to assure that each client we serve has the freedoms and supports that were  originally provided for the Tylers' son.  Full Life incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2000. Since then, we have  grown from a small agency, with five direct care staff members, to an island-wide support  provider, with two offices, an Adult Day Health Learning Center, and 80 employees – all  committed to empowering individuals to live a self-determined life. Participants of Full Life are  referred by the State Department of Health, Developmental Disabilities Division and receive  individualized, person-centered services that directly reflect their interests and capabilities.   The individualized level of care Full Life participants receive distinguishes our organization  from other more “packaged” service providers. This difference is evidenced in our unduplicated  service delivery to over 50 individuals – just as each client’s needs are different, each receives  a different level and type of care. This care ranges from in-home, over-night stays, including  help with personal hygiene and food preparation to fulfilling a client’s dream to find a job,  engage meaningfully in the community, live independently, socialize with peers, or volunteer. It  is Full Life’s core philosophy to cultivate our participants' self-esteem by assuring access to  opportune situations where they have a functional purpose and are valued.   To better meet the participant’s needs, Full Life opened the Full Life Learning Center in June 2006. The center is a daytime program where social skills, recreational pursuits, and independent living skills are mentored. As with our original home and community-based services, the Learning Center’s programs are individualized with activities that develop the skills needed to fulfil one’s personal goals. Participants are given the environment, opportunity, care, and encouragement to learn and thrive.