Pardon me...I can't believe it has been more than a month since I posted to this blog!
It's not that I don't find the topic important. It is still a very important part of my life, but my new job has taken up quite a bit of my time and energies...as well as our move!
So now we deal with distance and our relationship/management with Sharon. It hasn't been too bad. As a matter of fact, I would say it has actually been good.
Why would I say good? Well, I had surmised that the distance would help her to not feel that we were readily available and the reverse to be true as well. And I think that is has come to be true!
We do have some concerns that the Program Manager of the house is a little too casual with the girls. Not in the strict way, but more in that she LIKES to do things for the girls and, therefore, why would the girls even attempt to learn when things are already getting done for them?!
That said, Sharon did tell us that she has been told that she needs to ride the bus more for her daily errands. And, she has made a trip or two to the store to get her prescriptions or whatever on her bike. Sometimes it is with the other girls and sometimes she has done this on her own. These are MAJOR steps!
Sharon still does not have a new job yet. This has been an extreme disappointment for us. It seems that since we are not there to do any major pushing, she is falling to the backburner and isn't really being taken to interviews (let alone finding any to take her to). In the last couple of months she has been on exactly one interview. That is sad...there are jobs she can do out there!
We have had to push the caseworker that is assigned to Sharon for Pioneer to communicate with us. She seems to forget that my husband is still the legal guardian and she doesn't seem to remember that many things need to be cleared with us before they can happen...doctor appointments in particular.
Sharon is still working with the outside agency we hired to work on her money skills. Now that I think of it, we haven't had an update on that in awhile...I need to ask my husband if he has and I don't know about it. She had been good about updates.
The other conversation we have been having is how we are going to handle the Holidays. I figure Sharon will be part of the big Thanksgiving dealy at my family's house, but I told my husband that I don't anticipate she will continue to be a part of Christmas. That, depending on how our schedules go, we will plan to either spend the morning of Christmas eve with her and then go to my parent's house or we will have Christmas Day with her if we have more time and don't have to travel back home on Christmas Day. Logistics...gotta love 'em.
In the meantime, we are needing to do a report to the judge to update him about Sharon's having moved into transitional living to develop her independence. I don't think it should be a problem (and what if it is????), but it is a formality we need to do.
Never ending.
Well, here's to posting a little more quickly next time.
September 10, 2010
July 28, 2010
Kinks in the Road
We've experienced some kinks in the road during this initial three weeks that Sharon has been in transitional living. Overall it is a wonderful experience for her. She has great roommates and a great program manager (who comes to the house Monday through Friday for a full day each day). Sharon visits with her caseworker a few times a week and every couple of weeks she sees the nurse.
The kinks: 1) I think that Pioneer is used to parents not being interested in continuing care for their child so they are left to take over 100% of the transition. Not so with us and we have found that decisions are being made that not only are we not informed about, but when we find out what decisions have been made, we are not happy campers. 2) Sharon seems to think that now that she is on her own, she does not have to report to her brother; her brother is still her legal guardian and there is no question that he is the final say. 3) The exercise prediction has come true; Sharon, the very next day was already displaying issues with her ankle and, we found out later, took advice from the nurse (which was counter to what our doctor had told her to do) and so Sharon decided to only follow the nurse's advice...her advice? Wrap the ankle in an elastic bandage and let's see. Needless to say...we were furious! Furious at the nurse because she took it upon herself to make the decision without checking with us first and furious with Sharon even moreso because she was looking for the easy way out. 4) Money. Sharon has no concept of budget at this point and this house seems to like to go out for meals as well as go out to shop. We are having Sharon track her money and she is at the point of, "well, if you run out, you run out."
I do have to say that I am having an interesting view of social services as it relates to food at the moment. There is more damn food in that house than I think I have had in my house in a year. No. I am NOT kidding. I think that this is a misleading factor for people who are in transitional living. Possibly sounding harsh here (okay, knowing I am), but it seems to me that they should experience a little of the struggles to put food on the table because that is what their real world may end up like. But they have the ability to take advantage of the Food Pantry (okay, I realize I technically do too, but I don't believe we are so hard up that we need to take away from those that are more in need than we), they take advantage of the food bank and the girls have subsidy as well.
Sharon lost her job last week. The store she was working for downsized staff for the season and now she is no longer employed. She gets enough SS to make it through her rent and then a little, but there are going to be times that things are tight.
Last challenge...we are moving. I accepted a job in Wisconsin which I started last week and, God willing, my husband will get offered a job next week and they will be up here in the next three weeks. How do we work the Guardianship from a distance? We aren't completely sure just yet. We know at some point that we will do just Power of Attorney or something of the like, but for now we want to keep the control until things level out...
Perhaps one of you have experienced distant Guardianship?
The kinks: 1) I think that Pioneer is used to parents not being interested in continuing care for their child so they are left to take over 100% of the transition. Not so with us and we have found that decisions are being made that not only are we not informed about, but when we find out what decisions have been made, we are not happy campers. 2) Sharon seems to think that now that she is on her own, she does not have to report to her brother; her brother is still her legal guardian and there is no question that he is the final say. 3) The exercise prediction has come true; Sharon, the very next day was already displaying issues with her ankle and, we found out later, took advice from the nurse (which was counter to what our doctor had told her to do) and so Sharon decided to only follow the nurse's advice...her advice? Wrap the ankle in an elastic bandage and let's see. Needless to say...we were furious! Furious at the nurse because she took it upon herself to make the decision without checking with us first and furious with Sharon even moreso because she was looking for the easy way out. 4) Money. Sharon has no concept of budget at this point and this house seems to like to go out for meals as well as go out to shop. We are having Sharon track her money and she is at the point of, "well, if you run out, you run out."
I do have to say that I am having an interesting view of social services as it relates to food at the moment. There is more damn food in that house than I think I have had in my house in a year. No. I am NOT kidding. I think that this is a misleading factor for people who are in transitional living. Possibly sounding harsh here (okay, knowing I am), but it seems to me that they should experience a little of the struggles to put food on the table because that is what their real world may end up like. But they have the ability to take advantage of the Food Pantry (okay, I realize I technically do too, but I don't believe we are so hard up that we need to take away from those that are more in need than we), they take advantage of the food bank and the girls have subsidy as well.
Sharon lost her job last week. The store she was working for downsized staff for the season and now she is no longer employed. She gets enough SS to make it through her rent and then a little, but there are going to be times that things are tight.
Last challenge...we are moving. I accepted a job in Wisconsin which I started last week and, God willing, my husband will get offered a job next week and they will be up here in the next three weeks. How do we work the Guardianship from a distance? We aren't completely sure just yet. We know at some point that we will do just Power of Attorney or something of the like, but for now we want to keep the control until things level out...
Perhaps one of you have experienced distant Guardianship?
July 9, 2010
And...Break!
Sharon moved into the transitional living facility this week. We haven't done any dancing in our tiny house, but we feel a little bit of breathing room to say the least.
Never heard from Pioneer Center to confirm the move in time, but the program manager for the house told us to go for it since we had scheduled a date (just didn't have a time). So, off we went early in the morning to make sure that we didn't have to move in the oppressing heat.
Amazing how much crap one person can have. I'm honestly not sure what Sharon is going to do with all of her junk once she ends up having a roommate at the transitional living facility (when this happens, she will be sharing her room...the other two girls have their own rooms). And, not that I don't need the exercise, but between my husband and his bum knees and Sharon and, well....I basically did all of the lugging out of the vehicles into the house and then up the stairs.
We got Sharon's bed set up, but we left the unpacking to her (and one of the other girls was there willing to help).
My husband and I went to the bank and the store and, by the time we got home (about 45 minutes from the time we had left the house) Sharon was calling to say that she was missing her quilted mattress pad. Not a small item.
I asked Sharon if she had unpacked everything. She said she had unpacked most everything and she couldn't find it so she was sure that it must be missing...and the thing is, the roommate was feeding her the words to say to me.
Where did we go wrong?
Sharon, I said, I walked through the whole house before we left and I know that there was nothing left here before we went to unpack. I assured her that if she finished unpacking she would find her quilted mattress pad. If she didn't find it, she should call us back. We didn't get a call back, of course.
So, Sharon and one of the girls got her set up and the program manager checked the room to make sure that the layout was okay...and made some suggestions to Sharon for a better way to organize her closet, etc.
Sharon had a great first day and night.
I picked her up for the dr. the next day. We had a nice talk. That was a nice change of pace. I am looking forward to having a nice relationship with her again. I was pretty tense toward her the last few months because she seemed to know better than all of us what was right and the atmosphere here was not pleasant. Now she will have to follow their rules and she will realize that maybe it wasn't so bad here all along.
Anyway, our only huge concern are her exercises. When she got out of the car yesterday she was literally limping...already. That had been my main fight with her...those damn exercises! Now she was already limping and she had to practically hop onto the stoop to get in the house. One day and she was already deteriorating. She said she had done her exercises, but I am not sure she could have if she was walking like that. We aren't sure what to do...or if we should do nothing. Our big concern is that she is going to end up losing her job because her foot/ankle will hurt too much.
Our responsibilities aren't over with her, we know that, but it is nice to know that she is in a place that will help her move forward toward independence...to take over where we needed to leave off.
Never heard from Pioneer Center to confirm the move in time, but the program manager for the house told us to go for it since we had scheduled a date (just didn't have a time). So, off we went early in the morning to make sure that we didn't have to move in the oppressing heat.
Amazing how much crap one person can have. I'm honestly not sure what Sharon is going to do with all of her junk once she ends up having a roommate at the transitional living facility (when this happens, she will be sharing her room...the other two girls have their own rooms). And, not that I don't need the exercise, but between my husband and his bum knees and Sharon and, well....I basically did all of the lugging out of the vehicles into the house and then up the stairs.
We got Sharon's bed set up, but we left the unpacking to her (and one of the other girls was there willing to help).
My husband and I went to the bank and the store and, by the time we got home (about 45 minutes from the time we had left the house) Sharon was calling to say that she was missing her quilted mattress pad. Not a small item.
I asked Sharon if she had unpacked everything. She said she had unpacked most everything and she couldn't find it so she was sure that it must be missing...and the thing is, the roommate was feeding her the words to say to me.
Where did we go wrong?
Sharon, I said, I walked through the whole house before we left and I know that there was nothing left here before we went to unpack. I assured her that if she finished unpacking she would find her quilted mattress pad. If she didn't find it, she should call us back. We didn't get a call back, of course.
So, Sharon and one of the girls got her set up and the program manager checked the room to make sure that the layout was okay...and made some suggestions to Sharon for a better way to organize her closet, etc.
Sharon had a great first day and night.
I picked her up for the dr. the next day. We had a nice talk. That was a nice change of pace. I am looking forward to having a nice relationship with her again. I was pretty tense toward her the last few months because she seemed to know better than all of us what was right and the atmosphere here was not pleasant. Now she will have to follow their rules and she will realize that maybe it wasn't so bad here all along.
Anyway, our only huge concern are her exercises. When she got out of the car yesterday she was literally limping...already. That had been my main fight with her...those damn exercises! Now she was already limping and she had to practically hop onto the stoop to get in the house. One day and she was already deteriorating. She said she had done her exercises, but I am not sure she could have if she was walking like that. We aren't sure what to do...or if we should do nothing. Our big concern is that she is going to end up losing her job because her foot/ankle will hurt too much.
Our responsibilities aren't over with her, we know that, but it is nice to know that she is in a place that will help her move forward toward independence...to take over where we needed to leave off.
June 30, 2010
Moving Into Transitional Living
Sharon is moving into the transitional living facility next week. She is actually excited!
She spent last weekend with the girls that already live on-site and they had a blast. Of course, me (being voice of reason) said that I was so glad they had a nice visit, but then reminded her that, with the fun, her main goal is to develop her independent living skills. Of course, she agreed...but I am not quite sure how much she meant she agreed and how much she was agreeing because she knew that is what I wanted to hear.
Either way, we have tried to cover all angles in this transitional living situation. One of my biggest questions was related to renter's insurance. Does she need it?
The short answer was -- "you are the first person to ask that." The final answer was -- "it's up to you." Hmmm, okay. I know the rest of the house doesn't have it, but does that mean it is okay for us not to? It's not that there are a lot of valuables (trust me, there aren't), but it seems like a smart thing to check into. Can't hurt to get a quote at least.
Monthly Rent and What is Covered
Sharon has to pay rent each month to pay for her living space, utilities, etc. She is going to eventually be sharing her room so what is really being covered? Well, 1/2 a room to sleep in (we are providing furniture), utilities (electric, gas, water and garbage), living space for awake time (living room, dining, laundry facilities in the townhome, etc), some food (they do use the food bank and pantries, but some food the girls are responsible for in addition to buying things like paper products, dish soaps, etc). There is also a bike she could use as well as a computer and entertainment system.
Sharon is also provided a caseworker (who will help her with Dr. appointments, managing her time, budget, etc), there is a nurse that visits every couple of weeks and there is a program manager on-site who she can interact with as well.
What Is Not Covered
Sharon is responsible for buying all of her own personal products (soap, shampoos, feminine hygiene products, clothing, etc). This is very reasonable. She is also responsible for paying for her own entertainment and bus fare to work or activities. I mentioned before we are bringing in her own bedroom furniture and she is responsible for some food and community products. She is also responsible for any additional life skill building programming (we have hired Life Skills Unlimited to work on Sharon's money skills).
Overall, we think this is a really great deal!
I think the biggest thing in getting this to work has been to be organized throughout this process. The overriding words I have been hearing so far are: "you are so organized" or "most people aren't ready to go and so the process takes longer."
I have to say, I didn't feel overly organized, but our schedules are so jammed that I had to have my crap together or we were going to sink from the get-go.
Another thought: have your spouse write questions about the process and facility, and I had Sharon write too. Question, question, question. I admit that I was surprised by the lack of answers to some of the questions, but at the same time I needed to remember that, to some extent, we are a pilot in this effort. I was surprised by the good thoughts that Sharon had to present to the caseworker and program coordinator. Her thoughts were in the form of single words in this case, but she got her point across and it was a good start for her in communication of her needs and questions to needs.
Advocating for herself...that is one of the goals she is working on. That's a tough one when you are 44 and haven't been given the chance to even decide on going to the bathroom on your own. But Sharon being her own advocate is totally do-able.
Our last step, aside from the actual move, is finishing off the medical requirements needed in order to be considered complete. In Sharon's case, she needed to have an updated tetanus shot, a 2-step TB test and the vision screening (all things that could be done with a nurse visit at my doctor's office - thankfully).
Packing on the agenda for the holiday weekend. Joyous packing.
She spent last weekend with the girls that already live on-site and they had a blast. Of course, me (being voice of reason) said that I was so glad they had a nice visit, but then reminded her that, with the fun, her main goal is to develop her independent living skills. Of course, she agreed...but I am not quite sure how much she meant she agreed and how much she was agreeing because she knew that is what I wanted to hear.
Either way, we have tried to cover all angles in this transitional living situation. One of my biggest questions was related to renter's insurance. Does she need it?
The short answer was -- "you are the first person to ask that." The final answer was -- "it's up to you." Hmmm, okay. I know the rest of the house doesn't have it, but does that mean it is okay for us not to? It's not that there are a lot of valuables (trust me, there aren't), but it seems like a smart thing to check into. Can't hurt to get a quote at least.
Monthly Rent and What is Covered
Sharon has to pay rent each month to pay for her living space, utilities, etc. She is going to eventually be sharing her room so what is really being covered? Well, 1/2 a room to sleep in (we are providing furniture), utilities (electric, gas, water and garbage), living space for awake time (living room, dining, laundry facilities in the townhome, etc), some food (they do use the food bank and pantries, but some food the girls are responsible for in addition to buying things like paper products, dish soaps, etc). There is also a bike she could use as well as a computer and entertainment system.
Sharon is also provided a caseworker (who will help her with Dr. appointments, managing her time, budget, etc), there is a nurse that visits every couple of weeks and there is a program manager on-site who she can interact with as well.
What Is Not Covered
Sharon is responsible for buying all of her own personal products (soap, shampoos, feminine hygiene products, clothing, etc). This is very reasonable. She is also responsible for paying for her own entertainment and bus fare to work or activities. I mentioned before we are bringing in her own bedroom furniture and she is responsible for some food and community products. She is also responsible for any additional life skill building programming (we have hired Life Skills Unlimited to work on Sharon's money skills).
Overall, we think this is a really great deal!
I think the biggest thing in getting this to work has been to be organized throughout this process. The overriding words I have been hearing so far are: "you are so organized" or "most people aren't ready to go and so the process takes longer."
I have to say, I didn't feel overly organized, but our schedules are so jammed that I had to have my crap together or we were going to sink from the get-go.
Another thought: have your spouse write questions about the process and facility, and I had Sharon write too. Question, question, question. I admit that I was surprised by the lack of answers to some of the questions, but at the same time I needed to remember that, to some extent, we are a pilot in this effort. I was surprised by the good thoughts that Sharon had to present to the caseworker and program coordinator. Her thoughts were in the form of single words in this case, but she got her point across and it was a good start for her in communication of her needs and questions to needs.
Advocating for herself...that is one of the goals she is working on. That's a tough one when you are 44 and haven't been given the chance to even decide on going to the bathroom on your own. But Sharon being her own advocate is totally do-able.
Our last step, aside from the actual move, is finishing off the medical requirements needed in order to be considered complete. In Sharon's case, she needed to have an updated tetanus shot, a 2-step TB test and the vision screening (all things that could be done with a nurse visit at my doctor's office - thankfully).
Packing on the agenda for the holiday weekend. Joyous packing.
June 22, 2010
Visiting the Transitional Living Site
Sharon and I went for a visit to the transitional living site last week. It was a long time coming considering we had to reschedule a few times (not necessarily the fault of Pioneer Center...things just weren't working out).
So we sat with Sharon's new caseworker and we sat with the coordinator of the program. It was a very informal meeting with the purpose of going over the extreme basics of what will be expected (as much as they know at this time considering Sharon is sort of a pilot in funding for this portion of transitional living) and deciding on some independent living skills programming that should be employed while she is under their wing.
We turned in some paperwork and headed out into the downpour (it was a crazy hard rain that miraculously abated upon our arrival to the site :)
Sharon was able to meet the other two residents, the program manager (who visits the townhome fairly frequently) and the nurse happened to be there as well. It was great!
Sharon was quite excited to see that her bedroom, which will be shared with one other woman, is the size of the bedroom she presently shares with our daughter. That's good news! Also, the other woman has not officially said yes to the program yet..so Sharon may have some time that she will have the room to herself. This will be pretty awesome too.
Tomorrow Sharon is taking the bus to the home and is spending the afternoon there as well as having dinner with the residents and the program manager. I am very excited for her and am glad to see the smile in her eyes when she thinks of the upcoming change. We were a little worried that she would find herself not as excited, but she really was. The funny thing is that she is most excited about the fact that it has three levels (basement, main and upper). Too funny.
If all goes well with the visit tomorrow, Sharon will be spending a weekend on-site and then we will be able to schedule her transition into the home. We are hoping for a transition in the next three weeks...hopefully Pioneer is close to the same thoughts.
Bon Appetit, Sharon!
So we sat with Sharon's new caseworker and we sat with the coordinator of the program. It was a very informal meeting with the purpose of going over the extreme basics of what will be expected (as much as they know at this time considering Sharon is sort of a pilot in funding for this portion of transitional living) and deciding on some independent living skills programming that should be employed while she is under their wing.
We turned in some paperwork and headed out into the downpour (it was a crazy hard rain that miraculously abated upon our arrival to the site :)
Sharon was able to meet the other two residents, the program manager (who visits the townhome fairly frequently) and the nurse happened to be there as well. It was great!
Sharon was quite excited to see that her bedroom, which will be shared with one other woman, is the size of the bedroom she presently shares with our daughter. That's good news! Also, the other woman has not officially said yes to the program yet..so Sharon may have some time that she will have the room to herself. This will be pretty awesome too.
Tomorrow Sharon is taking the bus to the home and is spending the afternoon there as well as having dinner with the residents and the program manager. I am very excited for her and am glad to see the smile in her eyes when she thinks of the upcoming change. We were a little worried that she would find herself not as excited, but she really was. The funny thing is that she is most excited about the fact that it has three levels (basement, main and upper). Too funny.
If all goes well with the visit tomorrow, Sharon will be spending a weekend on-site and then we will be able to schedule her transition into the home. We are hoping for a transition in the next three weeks...hopefully Pioneer is close to the same thoughts.
Bon Appetit, Sharon!
June 7, 2010
Transitional Living!!!
Da-Da-Daaaa (sound of fanfair trumpeting)
Sharon has been accepting into Transitional Living through Pioneer Center. Yeah!
I believe I wrote about the web of potentials (and non-potentials) related to Sharon and living circumstances. Essentially, what we were told about a month ago was that her chance of getting any aid to be on her own - aside from Social Security - was nil, nothing, nada.
At the meeting, I shared we would be very interested in being a pilot project. We would be interested in any situation that would enable the potential for aid and for Sharon's independence.
Two reasons for my assertiveness: 1) I needed to be the squeaky wheel; 2) Sharon needs to be out on her own.
Because we had been resigned to the thought that Sharon would need to head out on her own and live independently in all essence of the word, she was a bit fearful of the possibilities. She hasn't been out of line in her apprehensiveness, she has been sheltered for so long...who wouldn't be apprehensive? Her two main contentions: loneliness and what if she has a seizure?
Loneliness. We assured her we would always be around. Even if we end up moving up north to Wisconsin for my job we would in some way be around. Also, as long as she can fit it into her budget, she will still have the opportunity to do her NISRA programs and be with the people that she has started to get to know through those programs. And, being in an apartment alone likely would be way better than living in our small house with our cramped quarters and a screamy five-year old (yes, only dogs can hear her at times). Her own rules, her own television, her own music, her own room. The opportunities are endless.
Seizures. She hasn't had a seizure in nearly four years. Convincing her that no matter where she is there is a chance that there would not be another person around IF she had a seizure has been fruitless. At this point, it is a big if. But one can certainly understand the reasonings behind this particular apprehension. I think many of us have had a moment of wondering what would happen if injured and no one else is around (it's not really like the tree though...the tree might not make the sound, but I am pretty sure we would still be injured :)
We have attempted to have two meetings related to the transitional living situation. Both unintentionally thwarted by Sharon's work situation (no really, it's true...it hasn't been her fault). So, we embark on another attempt next week to go over the details as well as visit the site.
Exciting!!
Sharon is much less apprehensive about living with three other girls, but I wouldn't be a good teacher if I didn't share with her the potential flip-side to the coin...
Sharon, what if: your roommate likes to sleep with a nightlight? (Sharon did not like light or noise in the room when she moved in - yeah, good luck with that and a five year old is what we told her since she was sharing a room with one in our house);
And, what if: the roommate doesn't like Sharon's snoring?
What will you do if the girls all have specific shows they like to watch on television and you don't like them or if you don't have anything in common with them?
There are so many potentials.
At the same time, we acknowledge that there is great potential for Sharon to know one or two of the girls from her NISRA programs; that they will all enjoy each others company and will help each other; that they have a great chance of learning alot and moving on to independence.
Sharon has had a lot of changes in her life in these last eight months. Just think of what is coming to round out her first year in Illinois.
I know this thought should make me more patient with her, but it doesn't.
When you live with someone and you see what she can and cannot do...you get jaded and have certain expectations. Sometimes the expectations are realistic, sometimes they are not. I have never professed to be perfect...and am pretty sure I won't achieve perfection...but I know what Sharon can do and I will rejoice as I see her open up to those possibilities as her barriers continue to be removed.
Sharon has been accepting into Transitional Living through Pioneer Center. Yeah!
I believe I wrote about the web of potentials (and non-potentials) related to Sharon and living circumstances. Essentially, what we were told about a month ago was that her chance of getting any aid to be on her own - aside from Social Security - was nil, nothing, nada.
At the meeting, I shared we would be very interested in being a pilot project. We would be interested in any situation that would enable the potential for aid and for Sharon's independence.
Two reasons for my assertiveness: 1) I needed to be the squeaky wheel; 2) Sharon needs to be out on her own.
Because we had been resigned to the thought that Sharon would need to head out on her own and live independently in all essence of the word, she was a bit fearful of the possibilities. She hasn't been out of line in her apprehensiveness, she has been sheltered for so long...who wouldn't be apprehensive? Her two main contentions: loneliness and what if she has a seizure?
Loneliness. We assured her we would always be around. Even if we end up moving up north to Wisconsin for my job we would in some way be around. Also, as long as she can fit it into her budget, she will still have the opportunity to do her NISRA programs and be with the people that she has started to get to know through those programs. And, being in an apartment alone likely would be way better than living in our small house with our cramped quarters and a screamy five-year old (yes, only dogs can hear her at times). Her own rules, her own television, her own music, her own room. The opportunities are endless.
Seizures. She hasn't had a seizure in nearly four years. Convincing her that no matter where she is there is a chance that there would not be another person around IF she had a seizure has been fruitless. At this point, it is a big if. But one can certainly understand the reasonings behind this particular apprehension. I think many of us have had a moment of wondering what would happen if injured and no one else is around (it's not really like the tree though...the tree might not make the sound, but I am pretty sure we would still be injured :)
We have attempted to have two meetings related to the transitional living situation. Both unintentionally thwarted by Sharon's work situation (no really, it's true...it hasn't been her fault). So, we embark on another attempt next week to go over the details as well as visit the site.
Exciting!!
Sharon is much less apprehensive about living with three other girls, but I wouldn't be a good teacher if I didn't share with her the potential flip-side to the coin...
Sharon, what if: your roommate likes to sleep with a nightlight? (Sharon did not like light or noise in the room when she moved in - yeah, good luck with that and a five year old is what we told her since she was sharing a room with one in our house);
And, what if: the roommate doesn't like Sharon's snoring?
What will you do if the girls all have specific shows they like to watch on television and you don't like them or if you don't have anything in common with them?
There are so many potentials.
At the same time, we acknowledge that there is great potential for Sharon to know one or two of the girls from her NISRA programs; that they will all enjoy each others company and will help each other; that they have a great chance of learning alot and moving on to independence.
Sharon has had a lot of changes in her life in these last eight months. Just think of what is coming to round out her first year in Illinois.
I know this thought should make me more patient with her, but it doesn't.
When you live with someone and you see what she can and cannot do...you get jaded and have certain expectations. Sometimes the expectations are realistic, sometimes they are not. I have never professed to be perfect...and am pretty sure I won't achieve perfection...but I know what Sharon can do and I will rejoice as I see her open up to those possibilities as her barriers continue to be removed.
May 21, 2010
“Disabilities Resources Pathway” (WIPA (Work Incentive Planning and Assistance) web site) on Illinois workNet is available to you.
Please go to Illinois workNet to view the Disabilities Resources site.
The pathway includes information on WIPA services, how to contact your local Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWICs) (interactive county map), information on federal and state work incentive programs, disability rights and advocacy, and youth in transition.
A great resource for information and local contacts!
Please go to Illinois workNet to view the Disabilities Resources site.
The pathway includes information on WIPA services, how to contact your local Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWICs) (interactive county map), information on federal and state work incentive programs, disability rights and advocacy, and youth in transition.
A great resource for information and local contacts!
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