Re: Where Do Your Older Children Live?

[Guest guest]

Cindi:

As always, I find your advocacy and your creativity inspiring!  It sounds like

your son has an excellent transition plan in place.

Ellen

 

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...

847/212-3036 (cell)

Re: Where Do Your Older Children Live?

Adam is 9 months from the last day of transition with his school. We have

made every effort to engage the transition school team to create what he

will need when they are gone. A parent whose child had exited transition

coached me by breaking down life's domains . work/ volunteer/ recreation..

Here in DuPage county recreation and social interaction with WDSRA,

SEASPAR, Tomahawk hockey, as well as small group gatherings was not

something we felt the school needed to address. School had the gate way to

the community for employment and volubnteer. We also moved from our home

south of 75th street in Naperville , 75th street we felt too dangerous for

Adam to cross. Downtown Naperville has a lot of commercial activity . Our

voc director was able to find Adam two part time jobs, and we used

transition to help him learn how to walk to work etc, stop at the barber

shop for a haircut, walk to the library and use it. The school district

co-ops with a few agencies downtown,and Adam volunteers and again is able

to walk home with a great deal of structure and safety instruction. . He had

a great capacity for walking since he had walked to grade school and

middle school. We knew for sure he could walk a mile, when we looked for a

house, we were bound by one mile from the center of downtownas well as

walking the route ourselves to be aware of hidden dangers. such as the

railroad crossing at one spot in town. Our selection of real estate was

extremely limited based on what we knew Adam could do and what we learned

were safe routes. For example one block he has to walk is Metra parking,

so that sidewalk is always cleared of snow very quickly. The rest of

downtown Naperville is part of a service area the city clears. Adam has

also learned how to use the downtown Y for or working out. Again the

transition team played a part in that. Currently he works 4 days a weekin

town, one day at a greenhouse, volunteer at a church that he has to use

para transit, Ride DuPage. We are working on one more volunteer opportunity

at a school where we know the principal. He basically has two day parts,

Tuesday and Thursday mornings free. I am told that is o k! We didnt ask

transition to teach him house work or laundry. As a family, we pretty

much insisted all three of our sons do their own laundry. Adam is good

with a vacuum cleaner. I am imagining and hoping when transition is done

next April,his first day of adult life wont look very different from his

last day of transition. We have a unique situation since all three of our

sons had to transition in 1995 when I lost my sight, and the ability to

drive. Because of that Adam was forced to develop skills that he could use

now regarding rides...knowing when the ride is here, to be ready, knowing a

safe ride having a code for a surprise new ride. It was also in 1995 that I

learned without a doubt there is very little for people with DD after

school. So we have been getting ready for 22nd birthday since he was

7.(when I lost my sight). This set up works very well now . The other

big hope is he wont get fired from his jobs. I know we all hoep that for

ourselves and our children with disabilities, but right now his life is

full of quality opportunities, and I am very aware his life is also much

like a house of cards. One thing goes and we are back to the drawing board.

Sorry this is sooo long. I am pretty passionate about people with

disabilities and quality of life. Mine your community, call on friends,

call on businesses you do business with.. work with other families to get

things to happen.

Good luck to all! Cindi