Living Life with the 6 F's banner

The SIX F WORDS are a model to help us think about living life for both children and adults with disabilities. It was created by the CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research using the International Classification of Function. The key words are:

Fitness, Function, Friends, Family, Fun, and Future

They can work together to build a healthy life, in everyone with and without disability. If we look at each of these parts of life and how they all connect with each other, we can support the whole person.

The 'F-words' in childhood disability: CANCHILD

The 6 F Words

Tap to flip the cards.

male and female working out in their living room

Fitness

Fitness keeps your body working at its best.

It looks at the idea of health, and not just the treatment of illness or disability.

If we keep fit, our body is better able to do all the things we want.

Fitness and Healthy Habits

three women at work in a grocery store

Function

Function refers to what people do, what their role or job is.

We need to see persons with disabilities as more than a body with limits.

Children bloom when they play and learn at school.

Adults thrive in working and building their own lives.

group of family celebrating

Family

Family is the word to describe a source of support.

Whoever we call family are those who can be our home base.

We need each other and depend on each other.

We are “interdependent”.

We help and hug each other.

group of people with intellectual disabilities in a painting class

Fun

Fun is doing things you enjoy.

Make time to do things you enjoy, laugh, try new things, relax.

These are all examples of finding fun in life.

Fun helps decrease stress.

3 women learning to knit

Friends

Friends are the bonds that matter in life.

There are many ways to be social.

Some people need more bonds and others need less.

But we do know that people who are connected to others seem to have healthier lives.

Woman with intellectual disability holding a sign that says dream

Future

Future goals and dreams are possible and important for each of us.

Where do you want to be? What do you want to do?

THINK, PLAN, DO* is a model to take control of your future.

To direct your life, first THINK about what you want, then PLAN how to get it, and then DO the steps one by one that will get you there.

Living life looks at ways to enjoy FITNESS in life through Function, Family, Friends, Fun and Future.