Someone once said to me that graduation is the real beginning of life planning for parents of children with disabilities. In a very true sense this is correct. While in school, many parents feel that all is being taken care of. Our kids are in a safe and familiar place and we tend to go about our daily lives, often dismissing what seems to be in the far off future. The problem with this is that the groundwork for graduation needs to be taking place in a transition plan that is supposed to start at age 14, but should really start long before that. It is both the school and parents job to prepare our children for the real world. This can be done by providing responsibilities at home and at school, which will help prepare for a job in the future. Learning to save earned points or an allowance for special items teaches budgeting skills, and providing social experiences helps children learn to get along with others whether at work or at recreational activities.
By the time our children graduate as young adults, sometime between the ages of 18 and 21, there needs to be a plan in place for what comes next. Will it be a continuation into higher education, a vocational school that provides specific skill development toward a career of interest to the individual, employment where one has the opportunity to learn on the job or a day habilitation program? Those going on to a college setting, usually are academically able to do so, but should have some idea of how their course work will help them find the right job placement once school ends. Those in a vocational training program are usually lucky enough to be accepted in to a program where they have a strong interest in a specific skill that can be developed. Others may be lucky enough to find employment doing something they enjoy. This provides such individuals with a sense of accomplishment and improved self-esteem, because they are productively occupied and able to feel the reward of earning their own money. Still others may be best served in a day habilitation program with others they feel socially connected to, where they are able to go out in the community as a group and participate in activities that are planned or decided upon by the group.
Whatever the choice may be, parents should consider if there will be continued growth for their child once out of school. Thinking back to the time when I myself graduated from high school, learning continued on through college, a job as a teacher, in graduate school and then in life itself. Likewise, learning should continue for all individuals regardless of whether there is a disability or not and regardless of whether the individual is in school, a vocational program, at a job or a day habilitation program. The one thing all parents should consider once public schooling ends, is if continued growth is taking place. Every day should be a learning experience, no matter how small or large that experience may be. Ask the question: What did you learn today? If there isn't an answer to that question, then something is wrong. Being able to learn and grow is an entitlement. It should not be something that ends at age 21. We all learn by living and by participating in life itself. That should hold true for our children with disabilities too.
By the time our children graduate as young adults, sometime between the ages of 18 and 21, there needs to be a plan in place for what comes next. Will it be a continuation into higher education, a vocational school that provides specific skill development toward a career of interest to the individual, employment where one has the opportunity to learn on the job or a day habilitation program? Those going on to a college setting, usually are academically able to do so, but should have some idea of how their course work will help them find the right job placement once school ends. Those in a vocational training program are usually lucky enough to be accepted in to a program where they have a strong interest in a specific skill that can be developed. Others may be lucky enough to find employment doing something they enjoy. This provides such individuals with a sense of accomplishment and improved self-esteem, because they are productively occupied and able to feel the reward of earning their own money. Still others may be best served in a day habilitation program with others they feel socially connected to, where they are able to go out in the community as a group and participate in activities that are planned or decided upon by the group.
Whatever the choice may be, parents should consider if there will be continued growth for their child once out of school. Thinking back to the time when I myself graduated from high school, learning continued on through college, a job as a teacher, in graduate school and then in life itself. Likewise, learning should continue for all individuals regardless of whether there is a disability or not and regardless of whether the individual is in school, a vocational program, at a job or a day habilitation program. The one thing all parents should consider once public schooling ends, is if continued growth is taking place. Every day should be a learning experience, no matter how small or large that experience may be. Ask the question: What did you learn today? If there isn't an answer to that question, then something is wrong. Being able to learn and grow is an entitlement. It should not be something that ends at age 21. We all learn by living and by participating in life itself. That should hold true for our children with disabilities too.
