Growing Up Special

        Ok, I know in practical terms…teaching independent living skills along the way while raising children is just common sense.  However, as one of my children is approaching his last year in high school…it feels like I have an egg timer alongside of each day.

         My son is a senior in high school.  There is not much time left to teach him some really important lessons.  Where we live, in a rural setting, there is not some great program available to him to continue educating him after graduation.  In Michigan, if my son goes for his diploma at the end of the year; as opposed to a certificate of completion…his educational opportunities as a special ed student come to an end.  If he wanted to continue in the school system, he could choose a certificate of completion…but, the only available program for him is a daily living skills program.  While that is a valuable tool, it doesn’t in my opinion outweigh the benefits of going for the diploma.

          Because we live in a rural area….there is not much opportunity for employment, in general, let alone if you have special needs that can hinder your employability.

           The things that are important to my son at this stage of his life…are dual edged.  He wants to drive a car.  He wants to hunt.  He wants freedom to make his own choices.  He wants to work.  There is nothing wrong with wanting those things…but in some cases, those very things are difficult to achieve or not in that person’s best interest.

           My son’s abilities are limited because of several factors.  He reads at a first grade level…and that, is with difficulty.  He has problems with assessing safety situations.  He is wanting to work…but sometimes, has trouble staying on task and focussed.  These issues are going to limit his ability to hunt, to drive, to live on his own without some sort of safety backup plan. 

            Our plan is to work with him on planning meals and grocery shopping; he also likes to hoard food and eat it almost as soon as it is purchased   That won’t be condusive to living on his own if he cannot somehow understand the concept of planning and executing a plan for purchasing and divying up the food purchases to make up meals for a set number of days at a time.  He will have to show more care with personal hygene; it isn’t high on his list to change his dirty clothing when going away…he just doesn’t think about it.  He will need to learn to think ahead for those situations.

            We are wracking our brains trying to come up with some type of job that he is able to do and excited about doing.  Many of the types of jobs he wants are not realistic.  We have enrolled him in an class that will be working towards teaching him an employable skill.  I think he will take pride in this; if he continues to enjoy it once he gets into the curriculum.

            Housing, we are blessed that we were able to plan ahead for this years ago.  We purchased a house next door to us years ago with the intention of using it for independent living skills for our boys as they became ready.  This will allow close supervision but also allow for them to feel independent and “free” to be a grown up.

           This year will hold many surprises and advancements.  It is an exciting and scary time for him and for us.  We all have a lot to learn as we transition to adulthood together!  Here is a great link of things to consider when easing into independent living:  http://www.teachersfirst.com/sped/parents/transition/eric-lifeskills.html