It seems only yesterday that Billy Ray came to us as a bouncing, bubbly 15 months old. Next week he will 24 years old. The "nest" as they say is not empty by any means. He still needs as much daily care and advocating as he did as a child. He still can't be left alone.In my blog, Parenting a Complex Special Needs Child, we talk about children and many issues apply to adults too. However, it seems important to separate them now as we transition in adulthood. You may want to check out that blog as well because there may be helpful things for your situation and you can see how we got to this point.
It is my hope that we as parents of adults with special needs can chat about our experiences and support each other in this exciting and difficult time. Please do comment and share how your experiences differ from Billy Ray's and mine. That is not only interesting to me but may help other parents at this juncture in the journey with their adult child.
Not all adults can function within existing systems for adult support. Some can function great in assisted living programs, others can live independently or in group homes and still others will not tolerate a group living situation. Whatever the situation there are challenges that we as parents must assist with. In addition, there is the giantic question about what happens when we as parents are no longer able to assist our adult child.
Let's share our journeys and be a support to each other along the way.
Until next time,
Peggy Lou Morgan
Blogs: Amazon Author Connect, Parenting a Complex Special Needs Child and Lighthouse Parents
Websites: Parenting Your Complex Child and Lighthouse Parents
Club Mom Articles
Parenting Your Complex Child Yahoo Group
I have no idea what the future holds for my boys as they're still too young to project that far ahead. But I'm all for mums supporting mums. Glad I managed to find your new website. BEst wishes
ReplyDeleteHello Peggy Lou,
ReplyDeleteMost definitely let's continue to support each other. We are like a big family in the blogosphere, I don't know what I'd do without the support/advice from fellow Mom's and Dad's.
Billy Ray 24 years old, that is awesome:)Happy soon to be birthday Billy Ray.
I am the mom of a 40-year-old mildly mentally retarded man. He does well when he stays with us but not so well when he goes back to his group home. The home is poorly managed, and the staff is often frustrated and angry. They speak disrespectfully to the residents, and my son has developed a terror of being spoken to harshly. I would be interested in hearing any group home success stories!
ReplyDeleteI did not realize this group would use my actual name. I need to be more accurate: the group home has been poorly managed in the past. It is in the process of being restructured and I believe that some permanent and positive changes are in the process of being made. I am very pleased with the response of the new administration to my requests for more structure and a more nurturing environment. I look forward to hearing from others who have had a variety of experiences with group home structures.
ReplyDeleteOh, darn, this is confusing. I tried changing my group name from pbertke to Sandra and then forgot I had changed it. Apologies. I've never joined a blog group before. Obviously.
ReplyDelete