Photo by Peter Conlan on Unsplash
Special ed families often describe the time when public school ends as “the cliff.” After graduation, parents learn that public services for their children dry up and their families fall into the abyss — no help, nothing for the young adult to do all day, no support for deficits, just nothingness. To prepare myself for this cliff, I did massive preparation, like I was going to hike the Appalachian Trail. I still have some fears, but I think I have a good game plan.
Nobody helped me prepare for this cliff. There were no counselors or staff members at the high school saying that you need to do this and that. There were no after-school talks by experts or parent groups to give advice. This stuff is all hyper-local, so books don’t help. I didn’t know where to get information. I had to spend three years researching everything.
Weirdly, some parents get a little proprietary about their prep work and won’t share. Some feel that you’re cheating by asking them for help, and that you should suffer like they did. Others want to keep information about government benefits quiet, fearing that their checks will be taken away or reduced. Some are embarrassed by what their young adults are doing after graduation. That means that sometimes you have to get info from a “Rando on the Internet,” rather than your neighbors and friends.
My best advice is prepare, prepare, prepare. Do your own research. Find trusted sources. Seek out knowledgable sherpas to show you the way.
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Apt. 11d 