Parents are the most ardent advocates for children with disabilities. After my son with Down syndrome was born, I was determined to do everything possible to make his life as good as it could be. Over time I discovered that this would mean breaking barriers that prevented people like my son from reaching their highest…
Category: Journey to A Place of His Own
Step 1: Financial Support for A Place of His Own
My adult son with Down syndrome, Dave, has been living in a place of his own since 2008. Setting him up and supporting his independence has been a roller coaster, though the hills and valleys have become less steep over time. We have overcome obstacles that I thought, back then, would derail this “experiment.” Dave’s…
Step 2: Financial Support for Habilitation Aides
As my post A Place of His Own described, a key part of getting Dave a place of his own was securing a section 8 voucher to help him pay rent. With the voucher in hand, we discovered a new hurdle when I called the county assistance agency that provides support services to adults with…
Step 3: Finding a Place of His Own
Finding an Apartment Now that we had a section 8 voucher, and the funds to support Dave’s independence, it was time to find a place of is own and move in. As with each step in our journey, securing his apartment resulted from a combination of persistence and luck. Finding an apartment wasn’t as easy…
Step 4: Maintaining an Independent Life
Living independently Requires Support As mentioned in my post on Living Independently Requires Financial Support, staff support is needed for maintaining independent living. That support came via a Person/Family Directed Support Waiver (P/FDS) from the County. As mentioned in my other post, we got this support almost by accident. But once we had it, we…