Re: [LM_NET] totally OT: special ed adult child

[Shonda Brisco <sbrisco@FWCDS.ORG>]

For Dawn and others with older / adult special needs children,

The frustration is horrible, I know.  I understand the problems that come from 
these types of situations since my husband is visually impaired and is often 
believed to be completely incompetent (even with his degrees in education, physical 
education, and visual impairment certification). Much of this is public attitude is 
actually ignorance, the rest is "intolerance" of those individuals with special 
needs.  Both are inexcusable, in my opinion.  But we shall educate, right?

While your daughter is an adult, there should still be services available to her 
through rehabilitation services in your state.  I would definitely check to see 
what resources might be available AND find out about a "job coach" --if 
possible--to help your daughter to develop those skills that others find they need 
from employees.  I would also check into programs / businesses that OFFER 
employment to disabled / special needs individuals because these businesses often 
have developed programs with special individuals who manage them along with job 
coaches AND provide support while allowing for employment.  Remember that the ADA 
will also be a great leverage to help with these types of situations, so check out 
what is happening and try to support, document, and defend your daughter's right to 
work without fear of termination because of her disability.

I will admit that these programs are rare (and I can see an avenue for future 
business ventures here, if others are interested in pursuing this as a "What I 
Would Like To Be" later in life), there are some programs out there.

Here are some links to investigate further avenues for help AND I would also 
encourage YOU, as the parent, to become actively involved in a parental support 
group to help you begin to make the transitions necessary to help your daughter to 
become an independent adult--especially later in life when you and your husband are 
not there to help.  Now is the time to set up financial trust-funds for your 
daughter and assign a guardian who will help her to transition throughout life 
(perhaps a younger family member, cousin, or friend of the family that you trust 
and who is your daughter's age or slightly older).  I know you've heard all of this 
before (probably as she was attending school), but this is probably the most 
difficult time in the lives of special needs adults.  Putting the plan in action is 
the hardest when you don't have the support that you found (hopefully) when she was 
in school.  I would definitely seek out those services within your state 
(Department of Rehabilitation Services, Department of Human Services, or Department 
of Education---at least one of these types of state / federal service divisions 
should be able to direct you to services that are available to adults with learning 
disabilities / special needs.

Good luck! (Take deep breaths and know that you are not alone....hopefully, there 
are some paths that you can take to find the answers!)


http://nisonger.osu.edu/Links.htm

http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content4/special.needs.trans.html

http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/ld/bridges/bridges.html

http://ldlink.coe.utk.edu/jobseekers_employers.htm

http://ldlink.coe.utk.edu/service_providers.htm

http://www.thearc.org/

http://adulted.about.com/od/specialneedsassociations/

http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/index.htmlx

http://www.google.com/Top/Home/Family/Parenting/Special_Needs_Children/

~Shonda






Shonda Brisco, MLIS
US / Technology Librarian
Fort Worth Country Day School
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco@fwcds.org
http://www.fwcds.org/campus/libraries/default.asp

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