As I began this series, I had an idea of what I wanted to cover. I will get to many of those things but before doing so, I need a check in on perspective. Last week I served at a Christian Disabilities Family Retreat in Michigan. It is run by Joni & Friends Disabilities Ministry. I have served there several times but there is always a learning curve. The theme of the week was "The Joy of the Lord is My Strength." It was a great theme. It was biblical and so appropriate for those who live and work with individuals affected by special needs.
Interestingly, the first day's programming was about having perspective when looking at The Joy of the Lord as my Strength. Perspective is so different from person to person. If I talk to a mom who has adult sons with cognitive and physical disabilities and hasn't slept through the night in 20 years, she sees life differently than I do. A special education teacher who has children at home who are star athletes has a much different perspective than her students' parents. Though all of the people present were concerned with special needs, no two people had exactly the same perspective about this subject, generally, or more specifically about an individual that has a disability or learning difference. Even moms and dads usually see things a little (sometimes a lot) differently.
Often, I write about subjects from my perspective as a mom of a young adult with high functioning autism. I am an advocate and a "go get 'Em type" mom. I am who I am but my husband looks at it a little differently. We are basically on the same page but with slightly different perspectives. I re-learned that everyone's life is different and perspective varies. I should know this but God is gracious to show me even when I forget. This includes all areas. Independence is just one of these.
As you read the upcoming articles, just remember it's through my grid. It's one person's perspective. The goal of the posts is to help others move a little farther down the road toward independence. The question to ask at the end of a day, month or year is, "did this intervention help my child to become a little more independent than she was before?" If the answer is yes, SUCCESS! If not, it is time to try something different. Each child's progress, both, in speed and quantity will vary. No need to compare your child to any other. No need to compare your family to another. The goal is move forward becoming more independent than before.
Join me in the coming weeks to discuss ways that progress toward independence can be realized!
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