Excessive Positivism in Person-Centered Planning

This paper illustrates the positivistic nature of person-centered planning (PCP) that is evident in the planning methods employed, the way that individuals with disabilities are described, and in portrayal of the outcomes of PCP. However, a confluence of factors can lead to manifestation of excessive positivism that does not serve PCP constructively. Taken to its extreme, positivism can contribute to the development of unrealistic goals, construing failure as success, ignoring dissenting perspectives, and contaminating evaluations of PCP. Excessive positivism is presented as a misapplication of PCP principles rather than an inherent flaw in the design of the approach.