State Special Education Voucher Programs: What is available for … | About Aspergers Syndrome May 17, 2011 at 11:48 pm - Reply
[…] two generations have come to expect that when young adults complete/graduate high school, … aspergers – Google Blog Search This entry was posted in Aspergers and tagged available, Education, Programs, special, State, […]
Life Development Institute May 18, 2011 at 8:02 pm - Reply
Thank you for picking up and linking this article to your site. Whenever you are looking for adult-related content pertinent to the transition from school/home to adult/work life, please consider our blog as a resource! RC
I am so glad to see more news about this topic, as it does affect my daughter, and it has been very recent that we have learned of her disabilities. I will be watching very closely, and looking for information on how I can get involved.
Life Development Institute May 18, 2011 at 8:01 pm - Reply
Hi Jessica:
Thanks for giving the post a look, and am glad that it has some personal use for you. From a parent perspective, if I was in a state (and I am!), that had a voucher or tax credit program, I would make sure that before I gave up my child’s rights to full services within the public school system that the voucher/school district will cover transportation to another program, can attend any home school activities/sports, and that I could compel the home school district to continue to provide updated testing, speech/language, etc. services appropriate for my particular child’s need/IEP services. Funding levels vary amongst the states, so in Arizona, a student in an LD placement would likely see 90% of the $6000 annual costs to educate in a regular setting would be hard-pressed to find quality, comprehensive programs or services at that rate.
My wife and I are out of answers. Our 23 year old son with mild learning disability (damaged chromosome 10) who seems to be unable to keep a job, but able to finish post secondary technical schooling. He had a great job and a apartment and lost it all due to bad decisions. He’s been through every state agency for years including SSI, EEOC, and adult assistance, he lives with us here and we would like to do anything possible for him we could within our financial capabilities. Our goal is for him to be independent and have a fruitful and happy life when we are long gone. How can we do this when society is slamming the door in his face every time he tries to make a move to improve himself on a job interview? His only flaw is commutative speech imperfection but he can actually do the jobs he is interviewing for, he
Life Development Institute May 19, 2011 at 6:15 pm - Reply
Hi Tim:
Your situation is all too common amongst families who have 20 something sons or daughters with “mild” conditions.
There are only mild when sitting in a clinician’s office for psychoeducational testing! In the rest of the real world, such as a work or independent living situation, these conditions present with severe consequences as you outlined in your email where he can get a job and move out on his own, but the sustainability and consistency of effort can’t be maintained.
This results in losing the ground earned, and when a person gets past a certain age or is not looked upon as really having significant impairment, there are little services or support that one can find.
I would suggest that if you are looking for services such as job coaching, job development and placement, etc. and your son is on SSI, you look at your local/state workforce development agencies for assistance in this area. It sounds like there is something in his presentation that is causing some front end problems. Goodwill does a great job hiring people with disabilties, paying them competitive wages/benefits, and providing direct workplace job support.
Another option would be to find out if there are life coaches in your immediate geographic area that have expertise working with young adults who have hidden disabilities on the problem areas of work, and perhaps they can also provide assistance in an apartment setting. There are also adult group homes that are licensed to work with vulnerable adults who have a need for extra supervision and structure.
I do not know if you have looked for an educational consultant, but check out the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and see if one of their special needs experts can help. Lastly, if you think your son needs more than discretionary services (job coaching), you could consider a more comprehensive approach (maybe in conjunction with an ed consultant), and find a program that offers all of the services and support in one location.
If it is of any comfort, your family situation is common to many young adults- both with and without disabilities-who are 18 to 30 years old. It take s a lot of time to achieve lasting success, and parents have to pace themselves accordingly and still have expectations of their adult children to keep trying while answers can be found.
Keep us posted on developments, and feel free to reach out to us for additional information on this subject.
Thanks so much for your suggestions, I’ll be setting a meeting with a (semi) local IECA worker and provide feedback on results.
Just a measure of our frustration, we have gone to the Goodwill foundation prior in our area and were advised “at this time we are only working with single mothers”.
My son has been enrolled in the state of Colorado BOCES program for over 5 years, he’s heard from his case worker every 6 months requesting my son’s employment status, nothing more. Recently 18 months went by, my son called his case workers manager who advised “John” doesn
ipod1 » Blog Archive » State Special Education Voucher Programs: What is available for … May 20, 2011 at 12:23 am - Reply
[…] two generations have come to expect that when young adults complete/graduate high school, … aspergers – Google Blog Search This entry was posted in Aspergers and tagged available, Education, Programs, special, State, […]
Thank you for picking up and linking this article to your site. Whenever you are looking for adult-related content pertinent to the transition from school/home to adult/work life, please consider our blog as a resource! RC
I am so glad to see more news about this topic, as it does affect my daughter, and it has been very recent that we have learned of her disabilities. I will be watching very closely, and looking for information on how I can get involved.
Hi Jessica:
Thanks for giving the post a look, and am glad that it has some personal use for you. From a parent perspective, if I was in a state (and I am!), that had a voucher or tax credit program, I would make sure that before I gave up my child’s rights to full services within the public school system that the voucher/school district will cover transportation to another program, can attend any home school activities/sports, and that I could compel the home school district to continue to provide updated testing, speech/language, etc. services appropriate for my particular child’s need/IEP services. Funding levels vary amongst the states, so in Arizona, a student in an LD placement would likely see 90% of the $6000 annual costs to educate in a regular setting would be hard-pressed to find quality, comprehensive programs or services at that rate.
Take care & hope to see you at USBLN soon,
Rob
My wife and I are out of answers. Our 23 year old son with mild learning disability (damaged chromosome 10) who seems to be unable to keep a job, but able to finish post secondary technical schooling. He had a great job and a apartment and lost it all due to bad decisions. He’s been through every state agency for years including SSI, EEOC, and adult assistance, he lives with us here and we would like to do anything possible for him we could within our financial capabilities.
Our goal is for him to be independent and have a fruitful and happy life when we are long gone. How can we do this when society is slamming the door in his face every time he tries to make a move to improve himself on a job interview? His only flaw is commutative speech imperfection but he can actually do the jobs he is interviewing for, he
Hi Tim:
Your situation is all too common amongst families who have 20 something sons or daughters with “mild” conditions.
There are only mild when sitting in a clinician’s office for psychoeducational testing! In the rest of the real world, such as a work or independent living situation, these conditions present with severe consequences as you outlined in your email where he can get a job and move out on his own, but the sustainability and consistency of effort can’t be maintained.
This results in losing the ground earned, and when a person gets past a certain age or is not looked upon as really having significant impairment, there are little services or support that one can find.
I would suggest that if you are looking for services such as job coaching, job development and placement, etc. and your son is on SSI, you look at your local/state workforce development agencies for assistance in this area. It sounds like there is something in his presentation that is causing some front end problems. Goodwill does a great job hiring people with disabilties, paying them competitive wages/benefits, and providing direct workplace job support.
Another option would be to find out if there are life coaches in your immediate geographic area that have expertise working with young adults who have hidden disabilities on the problem areas of work, and perhaps they can also provide assistance in an apartment setting. There are also adult group homes that are licensed to work with vulnerable adults who have a need for extra supervision and structure.
I do not know if you have looked for an educational consultant, but check out the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and see if one of their special needs experts can help. Lastly, if you think your son needs more than discretionary services (job coaching), you could consider a more comprehensive approach (maybe in conjunction with an ed consultant), and find a program that offers all of the services and support in one location.
If it is of any comfort, your family situation is common to many young adults- both with and without disabilities-who are 18 to 30 years old. It take s a lot of time to achieve lasting success, and parents have to pace themselves accordingly and still have expectations of their adult children to keep trying while answers can be found.
Keep us posted on developments, and feel free to reach out to us for additional information on this subject.
Thanks so much for your suggestions, I’ll be setting a meeting with a (semi) local IECA worker and provide feedback on results.
Just a measure of our frustration, we have gone to the Goodwill foundation prior in our area and were advised “at this time we are only working with single mothers”.
My son has been enrolled in the state of Colorado BOCES program for over 5 years, he’s heard from his case worker every 6 months requesting my son’s employment status, nothing more. Recently 18 months went by, my son called his case workers manager who advised “John” doesn
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