{"id":{"repo_id":"regina","oai_identifier":"oai:uregina.scholaris.ca:10294/9251"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/regina/oai:uregina.scholaris.ca:10294/9251","repository":{"repo_id":"regina","name":"University of Regina","base_url":"https://uregina.scholaris.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Co-Composing Narratives of Strengths: A Narrative Inquiry into Lived Experiences Authentically Grounded in the Strengths Perspective","abstract":"We live in a society that is so ingrained in a certain way of thinking that we rarely question our thought processes and how they permeate all that we do (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). One of those perspectives is the problem-orientated approach to services for people with disabilities. Historically, service professionals have concentrated on participants’ deficits; however, focusing on participants’ strengths is a paradigm shift. According to Anderson and Heyne, this practice is now beginning to occur in various professions. Astonished! is a user-led organization that is authentically grounded in the strengths perspective to support young adults living with complex physical disabilities to live a life according to their strengths, dreams, and needs. Co-composing Narratives of Strengths is a narrative inquiry into my lived experiences living alongside members of the Astonished! community and leading an organization that is grounded in the strengths perspective. As a leader in developing and delivering strengths-based programs, I experience tensions as I (and the young adults and their families) attempt to co-compose a counterstory (Nelson, 1995) of services. In a community that is slow to adopt a strengthsbased approach to services, I am challenged to stay true to the vision of Astonished!. Using narrative inquiry methodology (as conceptualized by Clandinin & Connelly, 2000), I learned about the formation of Astonished!, the lived experiences of young adults and their families who engage in Astonished! programs, and became awake to my own lived experiences in leadership. Specifically, the goal of this narrative inquiry was to learn from young adults living with complex physical disabilities and their families about initiating and maintaining a strengths-based organization. Narrative inquiry revealed common threads amongst the stories. The conversations revealed the importance of choice, relationships, place, and services grounded in strengths, dreams and needs. I reflect on my own experiences on the professional knowledge landscape and how my own leadership has shifted. During my time with the co-inquirers I was awakened to the tensions we experience with the grand narrative of disability. This inquiry confirms that Astonished! is shifting the dominant narrative of deficits to a narrative of person-directed strengths.","abstract_html":"We live in a society that is so ingrained in a certain way of thinking that we rarely question our thought processes and how they permeate all that we do (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). One of those perspectives is the problem-orientated approach to services for people with disabilities. Historically, service professionals have concentrated on participants’ deficits; however, focusing on participants’ strengths is a paradigm shift. According to Anderson and Heyne, this practice is now beginning to occur in various professions. Astonished! is a user-led organization that is authentically grounded in the strengths perspective to support young adults living with complex physical disabilities to live a life according to their strengths, dreams, and needs. Co-composing Narratives of Strengths is a narrative inquiry into my lived experiences living alongside members of the Astonished! community and leading an organization that is grounded in the strengths perspective. As a leader in developing and delivering strengths-based programs, I experience tensions as I (and the young adults and their families) attempt to co-compose a counterstory (Nelson, 1995) of services. In a community that is slow to adopt a strengthsbased approach to services, I am challenged to stay true to the vision of Astonished!. Using narrative inquiry methodology (as conceptualized by Clandinin & Connelly, 2000), I learned about the formation of Astonished!, the lived experiences of young adults and their families who engage in Astonished! programs, and became awake to my own lived experiences in leadership. Specifically, the goal of this narrative inquiry was to learn from young adults living with complex physical disabilities and their families about initiating and maintaining a strengths-based organization. Narrative inquiry revealed common threads amongst the stories. The conversations revealed the importance of choice, relationships, place, and services grounded in strengths, dreams and needs. I reflect on my own experiences on the professional knowledge landscape and how my own leadership has shifted. During my time with the co-inquirers I was awakened to the tensions we experience with the grand narrative of disability. This inquiry confirms that Astonished! is shifting the dominant narrative of deficits to a narrative of person-directed strengths.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Cummings-Vickaryous, Bonnie Lynn Elizabeth"],"institution":"Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina","degree_name":"Master of Science in Kinesiology and Health Studies","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Kinesiology and Health Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Rossow-Kimball, Brenda"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Daschuk, James","Dubnewick, Michael"],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-02","date_published":"2020-02","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:03:50Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["https://doi.org/10.82465/5142"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://doi.org/10.82465/5142","href":"https://doi.org/10.82465/5142","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10294/9251","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Rossow-Kimball, Brenda"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Daschuk, James","Dubnewick, Michael"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Cummings-Vickaryous, Bonnie Lynn Elizabeth"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2020-08-29T00:47:02Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2020-08-29T00:47:02Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2020-02"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["master thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Kinesiology and Health Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Kinesiology and Health Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["https://doi.org/10.82465/5142"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10294/9251"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Kinesiology & Health Studies, University of Regina. ix, 117 p."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["We live in a society that is so ingrained in a certain way of thinking that we rarely question our thought processes and how they permeate all that we do (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). One of those perspectives is the problem-orientated approach to services for people with disabilities. Historically, service professionals have concentrated on participants’ deficits; however, focusing on participants’ strengths is a paradigm shift. According to Anderson and Heyne, this practice is now beginning to occur in various professions. Astonished! is a user-led organization that is authentically grounded in the strengths perspective to support young adults living with complex physical disabilities to live a life according to their strengths, dreams, and needs. Co-composing Narratives of Strengths is a narrative inquiry into my lived experiences living alongside members of the Astonished! community and leading an organization that is grounded in the strengths perspective. As a leader in developing and delivering strengths-based programs, I experience tensions as I (and the young adults and their families) attempt to co-compose a counterstory (Nelson, 1995) of services. In a community that is slow to adopt a strengthsbased approach to services, I am challenged to stay true to the vision of Astonished!. Using narrative inquiry methodology (as conceptualized by Clandinin & Connelly, 2000), I learned about the formation of Astonished!, the lived experiences of young adults and their families who engage in Astonished! programs, and became awake to my own lived experiences in leadership. Specifically, the goal of this narrative inquiry was to learn from young adults living with complex physical disabilities and their families about initiating and maintaining a strengths-based organization. Narrative inquiry revealed common threads amongst the stories. The conversations revealed the importance of choice, relationships, place, and services grounded in strengths, dreams and needs. I reflect on my own experiences on the professional knowledge landscape and how my own leadership has shifted. During my time with the co-inquirers I was awakened to the tensions we experience with the grand narrative of disability. This inquiry confirms that Astonished! is shifting the dominant narrative of deficits to a narrative of person-directed strengths."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Co-Composing Narratives of Strengths: A Narrative Inquiry into Lived Experiences Authentically Grounded in the Strengths Perspective"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Rossow-Kimball, Brenda"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Daschuk, James","Dubnewick, Michael"],"dc:creator":["Cummings-Vickaryous, Bonnie Lynn Elizabeth"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2020-08-29T00:47:02Z"],"dc:date.available":["2020-08-29T00:47:02Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2020-02"],"dc:description":["A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Kinesiology & Health Studies, University of Regina. ix, 117 p."],"dc:description.abstract":["We live in a society that is so ingrained in a certain way of thinking that we rarely question our thought processes and how they permeate all that we do (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). One of those perspectives is the problem-orientated approach to services for people with disabilities. Historically, service professionals have concentrated on participants’ deficits; however, focusing on participants’ strengths is a paradigm shift. According to Anderson and Heyne, this practice is now beginning to occur in various professions. Astonished! is a user-led organization that is authentically grounded in the strengths perspective to support young adults living with complex physical disabilities to live a life according to their strengths, dreams, and needs. Co-composing Narratives of Strengths is a narrative inquiry into my lived experiences living alongside members of the Astonished! community and leading an organization that is grounded in the strengths perspective. As a leader in developing and delivering strengths-based programs, I experience tensions as I (and the young adults and their families) attempt to co-compose a counterstory (Nelson, 1995) of services. In a community that is slow to adopt a strengthsbased approach to services, I am challenged to stay true to the vision of Astonished!. Using narrative inquiry methodology (as conceptualized by Clandinin & Connelly, 2000), I learned about the formation of Astonished!, the lived experiences of young adults and their families who engage in Astonished! programs, and became awake to my own lived experiences in leadership. Specifically, the goal of this narrative inquiry was to learn from young adults living with complex physical disabilities and their families about initiating and maintaining a strengths-based organization. Narrative inquiry revealed common threads amongst the stories. The conversations revealed the importance of choice, relationships, place, and services grounded in strengths, dreams and needs. I reflect on my own experiences on the professional knowledge landscape and how my own leadership has shifted. During my time with the co-inquirers I was awakened to the tensions we experience with the grand narrative of disability. This inquiry confirms that Astonished! is shifting the dominant narrative of deficits to a narrative of person-directed strengths."],"dc:identifier.doi":["https://doi.org/10.82465/5142"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10294/9251"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina"],"dc:title":["Co-Composing Narratives of Strengths: A Narrative Inquiry into Lived Experiences Authentically Grounded in the Strengths Perspective"],"dc:type":["master thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Kinesiology and Health Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Kinesiology and Health Studies"],"thesis:institution_name":["Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:03:50Z"}