Yes, there is the point of practicality. Will Chelsea ever be a surgeon or lawyer? Probably not. BUT that doesn't mean that she cannot contribute! Every person has something they can do to add value to the world and give themselves a fulfilling life! Think outside the box!
I am in a disability advocate course, and this week's unit is about transitioning to work life, and the various possibilities. Unfortunately, most everyone working with people with disabilities assumes they will be janitors, nothing more. But even if a person cannot speak, write, read, or do math, there are plenty of job opportunities for them! Think of what your child likes to do best, and then list possibilities related to that job.
Some case studies we looked at:
1. Brian is destructive. He is constantly breaking things, so got a job breaking down boxes part time.
2. Susan loves eating pizza and enjoys being in pizza restaurants. She gets a job wrapping silverware in napkins, and eating pizza during breaks.
3. Freddie loves football and watching it get played. He is in charge of the towels during football season.
4. Teresa likes animals, and works on a farm collecting eggs and feeding the goats
5. Samantha loves fashion- flashy, fancy clothes, hats, and shoes. She works at a theater, getting costume changes ready for the actresses.
Each of these people love their job and it is related to what they enjoy! Speech, reading, and writing are required for none of them, and I think they have more fulfilled lives than if they wiped tables they had no interest in.
Also, if your child wants to clean for a living because they value tidiness and enjoy straightening up, that is FANTASTIC!!! The whole idea of having a person-centered life plan is for the PERSON to be at the center, for them to have an opportunity to do what they love!
Right now, my job is to let Chelsea explore all possibilities of what she might like- art, farm life, theatre, the city, music, animals, sports, restaurants, fashion... We will read books, watch youtube videos, sing songs, go on outings- let her develop her own interests and loves, then once she is a little older, we will take her to volunteer at different places, and find a job in the field that she is passionate about.
To thrive, a person needs to feel like they are adding value, that they are living their own life, and not following a program they have no say in. Everyone should have happiness in their life!
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