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Defining "help" ​
Last edited on: 13-6-2026
DISCLAIMER
Even though this information has been written with as much scientific accuracy in mind, it is NOT based on actual scientific research. It's purely something I thought of myself. Don't take it too seriously.
Even though this information has been written with as much scientific accuracy in mind, it is NOT based on actual scientific research. It's purely something I thought of myself. Don't take it too seriously.
Inhoud:
Introduction ​
Thinking of the ways someone might need support, I found 4 different types:
- Human help
- Adaptive help
- Self help
- Environmental help
I've explained each type and their subtypes below. I also give examples for each subtype.
Important: the examples are made based on how I defined "need".
"Need": You need something when the absence of the help changes a "can do" into a "can't do".
Human help ​
Human help is help you need to start of finish a task that can only be given by another human. This type only contains help that supports the execution of an ADL task.
There's a spectrum of help methods within this type. I call them "high" and "low" human help.
High human help ​
High human help contains the most invasive help methods. Examples are:
- Someone who fully does the task for you.
- Hand-over-hand (someone uses their hands to guide yours).
- Someone who makes decisions for you.
Low human help ​
Low human help contains help methods that are relatively less invasive, but still need to be done by another human. Examples are:
- Someone who gives you reminders.
- Help with initiating a task by another person.
- Body-double-ing
Between high and low human help ​
There are also help methods that, in my opinion, fall between high and low human help. Examples are:
- Someone who explains what you have to do step-by-step while you do the task.
- Someone who stays with you during a task so they can help you with (part of) it when you're struggling.
- Someone who readies all the needed tools for a task for you so you only have to do the task.
- Someone who does the same task in parallel with you so you can copy them.
Adaptive help ​
Adaptive help is help you need to start or finish a task, that replaces the help of another person with some kind of tool. This type too only contains help that supports the execution of an ADL task.
There's a spectrum of help methods within this type too. I call them "high" and "low" adaptive help.
High adaptive help ​
High adaptive help contains help methods that are relatively the most invasive. Examples are:
- Video-instructions you follow while doing the task.
- Using a visual step-by-step plan.
- Using adaptive cutlery (e.g. weighted, ergonomic).
- Using a ready-meal out of necessity.
Low adaptive help ​
Low adaptive help contains help methods that are relatively less invasive, but are still used as a replacements to human help. Examples are:
- Using alarms on your phone, e.g. as reminder.
- Using a detailed (digital) agenda.
- Using the weather forecast to help you decide what to wear.
Between high and low adaptive help ​
There are also help methods that, in my opinion, fall between high and low adaptive help. Examples are:
- Using an app on your phone to read a text aloud.
- Using extensive (self-developed) systems, like a decision-trees or templates.
- Using an app on your phone to create more structure for when you're going grocery shopping.
Self help ​
Self help is help you need to start or finish a task that you implement completely independently and without using any tools. This type too only contains help that supports the execution of an ADL task.
There's a spectrum of help methods within this type too. I call them "high" and "low" self help.
High self help ​
High self help contains help methods that are the most intense of the kinds of self help. Examples are:
- Always doing a task in the same exact order.
- Guiding yourself through a task by internally or externally talking to yourself.
Low self help ​
Low self help contains help methods that are relatively less intense. Examples are:
- Taking a short break during a task.
- Consciously monitoring your pace and slowing down when you're too hurried.
- Encouraging yourself during the execution of a task.
Environmental help ​
Environmental help contains help methods that make changes to you environment or your experience with it to make is (more) accessible. This type only contains help methods that don't fall under human, adaptive, or self help. Examples are:
- Leaving an environment
- Using earplugs
- Changing your outfit Environmental help has 4 subcategories: human, prompted, adaptive, and independent.
Human environmental help ​
This help method contains help where another human makes changes to the environment for you, without you initiating or asking for it, and without asking for permission from you. Examples include:
- Another person notices you're dysregulated and helps you leave the environment/room.
- Someone gives you your earplugs and tell you to put them in your ears.
- Another person notices your clothes make tou uncomfortable, and helps you with choosing and changing into new ones.
Prompted environmental help ​
This help method contains help where another person prompts or suggests you to change something, and you deciding you will. Examples include:
- Someone asking if you should leave the environment and you deciding you should.
- Someone suggesting you use your earplugs and you deciding to use them.
- Someone suggesting you should change your clothes and you deciding to do so.
Adaptive environmental help ​
This help method contains help that replaces human prompts or suggestions. This one is not ass common, but I still wanted to define it. An example I could think of is:
- Your smartwatch give a notification that your heart rate is high. This usually means you're overstimulated, so you decide to leave the environment/room. probably overstimulated.
Independent environmental help ​
This help method contains help where you yourself make changes to the environment or your experiences with it. Examples include:
- Leaving an environment/the room because you start to feel overstimulated.
- You grabbing and using your earplugs when you notice you're bothered by noise.
- Noticing your clothes bother you, so you change into new ones.
Hierarchy ​
I determined a general hierarchy between the different types, from most to least invasive. NB: this is entirely based on my own opinion. Don't take it too seriously.
- High human help
- Human environmental help
- High adaptive help
- Low human help
- Prompted environmental help
- High self help
- Low adaptive help
- Adaptieve environmental help
- Low self help
- Independent environmental help
When you're not sure which one of the types fits your situation, take the one that is closest to it. In case that doesn't make it more clear, take the average of the numbers and round up.
Categories ​
I divided the types into 5 different categories: A: High human help
B: Human environmental and high adaptive help
C: Low human and prompted environmental help D: High self, low adaptive, and adaptive environmental help E: Low self and independent environmental help
Guideline ​
When a help method of the human or adaptive type seems to fall between the "high" and "low" variant, take the categorie that falls between the high and low variant. For example, if the help method falls between high adaptive (B) and low adaptive (D) help, count that methods as a categorie C help method.
In my framework a help method can't fall between high and low self help. Why? Just because I think it's easier that way for now.
Conclusion ​
According to my framework, there are 4 different categories of help:
- Human help
- Adaptive help
- Self help
- Environmental help
I divided these types of help into 5 categories: A: High human help
B: Human environmental and high adaptive help
C: Low human and prompted environmental help D: High self, low adaptive, and adaptive environmental help E: Low self and independent environmental help
That was all for this subject. Click here to go back to the "Support needs labels: Esther's interpretation" page.