The vision that should arise from a person centered plan is the individual's vision, not the vision of the professionals or the system. Describing someone else's vision of their future requires that we understand the individuals and their core values. Understanding an individual is never complete, people continuously change while they remain complex. The understanding that we do achieve arises from what is shared. We share stories from our past, dreams of our future, and the experiences of the present.
Understanding is a process that occurs over time.
In the artificial process of person centered planning we substitute interviews and discussions for the time that we have not spent with the individual. We need to recognize the limitations of these substitutes. A person centered plan is a way to begin the process of understanding. It begins with listening to the words and behavior of the individual and continues with listening to those who know and care about the individual. The end of the person centered plan should be the beginning of a lifelong effort of understanding the changing desires and needs of individuals.