As happens with many families, the Tyler family had a son with a
developmental disability, and they wanted to ensure that he continued to
have the same quality of life after they were gone. They wanted to ensure
that he would continue to 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 didn’t want to have to worry about what would happen to
him when they were not there to ensure that he was happy and safe.
Basically they wanted an agency that would provide services based on the
self-determination concept.
In 1999, after working with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Self
Determination Grant in the State of Hawaii, The Tyler Family partnered with
Deann Canuteson and Larry Casper to form Full Life based on the self-
determination model.
Deann Canuteson is the current Full Life President and has 25 years of
experience in the developmental disability field and has been a long standing
activist in the self determination movement. To Deann self-determination is
more than just a concept, it had been a practiced way of life for the people
that she worked with, and to expect anything other than self determination
for all people is morally unacceptable.
Originally the founders said that they did not want to have more than 5
participants, but the model of self determination was so successful with this
first family that many more families asked to receive services from Full Life.
Unable to say no to families needing services, Full Life grew from a small
agency, run out of the Deann's kitchen and 5 direct care staff members, to
an island wide support provider, with two offices, a school, and 100
employees.
Through all of this growth, Full Life has never wavered in its commitment to
providing a self-determined quality of life to all who choose to receive
supports through the agency.
developmental disability, and they wanted to ensure that he continued to
have the same quality of life after they were gone. They wanted to ensure
that he would continue to 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 didn’t want to have to worry about what would happen to
him when they were not there to ensure that he was happy and safe.
Basically they wanted an agency that would provide services based on the
self-determination concept.
In 1999, after working with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Self
Determination Grant in the State of Hawaii, The Tyler Family partnered with
Deann Canuteson and Larry Casper to form Full Life based on the self-
determination model.
Deann Canuteson is the current Full Life President and has 25 years of
experience in the developmental disability field and has been a long standing
activist in the self determination movement. To Deann self-determination is
more than just a concept, it had been a practiced way of life for the people
that she worked with, and to expect anything other than self determination
for all people is morally unacceptable.
Originally the founders said that they did not want to have more than 5
participants, but the model of self determination was so successful with this
first family that many more families asked to receive services from Full Life.
Unable to say no to families needing services, Full Life grew from a small
agency, run out of the Deann's kitchen and 5 direct care staff members, to
an island wide support provider, with two offices, a school, and 100
employees.
Through all of this growth, Full Life has never wavered in its commitment to
providing a self-determined quality of life to all who choose to receive
supports through the agency.
| History of Full Life |
| Full Life assists in the empowerment of people with developmental disabilities enabling them to achieve and enjoy a self-determined quality of life. |
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