Parenting the Severely Disabled Adult (ePub)

How do parents and families handle day in/day out life of the severely disabled adult once they age out of school? The U. S. Census states that 10-12 percent of the adult population has severe disabilities. How difficult is it to find placements and medical care? What are some of the battles one should be prepared to fight on behalf of your disabled adult? This is one parent's story of her years of living with her step-daughter Debbie, who was born with Cerebral Palsy fifty-five years ago. Debbie has the verbal skills of a two year old, mental skill of an eight year old, and has never been able to walk. However, she can feed herself, loves to color, and enjoys all types of movies. She has character and a great sense of humor. As a former special education teacher, I thought I had all the answers. Boy was I wrong! This tells the story of how I, as a mother over 60, handles letting this non-verbal adult choose what to wear; what to eat; and what do you do when she is caught masturbating; and the emotions of putting the adult in a group home. Through our story I cover the importance of aides, Wills and Trusts, placement issues, and health issues. This book is intended to help other parents, families, and guardians realize they are not alone in their struggles and hopefully help them learn from my experiences.