The hubby and I noticed an ad in the local paper about a group meeting to discuss issues with transitioning children with disabilities into adulthood. It was organized through the Gateway Association and is called Families Forward.
Wow, the stories they had! It made me feel even more confident that the decisions we have made with regard to Kenzie are the right ones. So many of the families are using Robin Hood (the local special needs service agency) and having all sorts of problems. It just reinforced that I don't want to have a service agency responsible for my daughters care.
What disturbed me the most was the sense of helplessness that was in the room. They felt as if they had no choice but to use Robin Hood and they had already decided what their child would or would not be able to accomplish in life. Among some of them, there was a defeatist attitude that speaks to years of frustrating advocacy for their child.
Having said all of that, I think I will be returning. I hope though that the group is handled a bit differently. It would be great to split the group up into conversation groups of like minded families. Some of the families are still searching for options, some are trying to solve problems and some are gathering information. The ones that were looking to solve problems spent most of the time talking and it painted quite a bleak picture.
One of the highlights of my evening was re-meeting a friend and her daughter. Her daughter is 4 years older than Kenzie but I can tell they could be great friends - they are both very self-possessed, articulate young ladies with a lot of hopes and dreams. I gave the young lady my card and I am hoping that we can connect at some point and introduce the girls. A future roommate perhaps??
