A Comprehensive Guide for Parents and Caregivers As any parent or caregiver of an individual with developmental disabilities can tell you, planning for the future of an adult with intellectual disabilities, Cerebral Palsy, severe autism, or another such condition requires hard work and good advice. While complete independence and self-reliance is out of reach for many adults with developmental disabilities, a productive, stable, and enjoyable life is certainly possible. But government and private support for parents and disabled individualsis scattered and difficult to negotiate. This book is a comprehensive guide to resources you can use to help an adult child or other individual with developmental disabilities for whom you care. The book begins by assessing the quality of life of the adult with a disability. It offers a wealth of suggestions for making that person's life even better. The book then focuses on long-term planning for the individual with a disability and helps answer the question, Who will take care of my child after I'm gone? Learn effective ways to: Assess a disabled individual's strengths and need for support services Develop a plan to for building a busy and productive life Locate good housing and employment opportunities Gather a supportive team of caregivers Advocate for a disabled individual with community agencies

My Life Book is designed to help families with an adult child with developmental disabilities develop a plan for the future. My Life Book is a scrapbook-style workbook that covers the past, the present, and future planning. (My Life Book is available in three formats: 1) Book and DVD & CD-ROM ISBN 1-932969-10-1; 2) video on DVD and printable scrapbook pages on CD-ROM ISBN 1-932969-08-X; 3) printed scrapbook only ISBN 1-932969-07-1). An engaging video follows the stories of four families as they attend a future planning class and begin the process of making important life decisions. The easy-to-use scrapbook-style workbook integrates with the video, providing families with a permanent spot to record important life information.Parents of adult children with developmental disabilities can use this program with their children to create a record of the past and present, of important emergency information, and as a planning tool for the future. Sons and daughters can be active participants in creating My Life Book. This program can also be used by a group leader or instructor to teach a class on future planning for participants in transitional and assisted living programsTopics covered include:- Documenting the past and present - Selecting a key person - Establishing a network of friends - Assuring good housing options - Planning for work and leisure - Making good legal and financial arrangements- Emergency information & planningTopics covered include:- Documenting the past and present - Selecting a key person - Establishing a network of friends - Assuring good housing options - Planning for work and leisure - Making good legal and financial arrangements- Emergency information & planning

A Comprehensive Guide for Parents and Caregivers As any parent or caregiver of an individual with developmental disabilities can tell you, planning for the future of an adult with intellectual disabilities, Cerebral Palsy, severe autism, or another such condition requires hard work and good advice. While complete independence and self-reliance is out of reach for many adults with developmental disabilities, a productive, stable, and enjoyable life is certainly possible. But government and private support for parents and disabled individuals is scattered and difficult to negotiate. This book is a comprehensive guide to resources you can use to help an adult child or other individual with developmental disabilities for whom you care. The book begins by assessing the quality of life of the adult with a disability. It offers a wealth of suggestions for making that person's life even better. The book then focuses on long-term planning for the individual with a disability and helps answer the question, Who will take care of my child after I'm gone? •Learn effective ways to: Assess a disabled individual's strengths and need for support services •Develop a plan to for building a busy and productive life •Locate good housing and employment opportunities •Gather a supportive team of caregivers Advocate for a disabled individual with community agencies

The purpose of special needs planning is to create the best possible life for an adult with a disability. This book provides comprehensive guidance on creating a life plan to transition a special needs child to independence or to ensure they are well cared for in the future. Beginning with a vision of a meaningful life for the child, Hal Wright explains how to form a practical plan to reach these goals, how to mentor personal empowerment and task skills, and how to create circles of support to sustain a life plan. He next looks at employment and residential options, and government programs available in the United States. Finally he talks the reader through important financial and legal considerations, including how to fund and manage a special needs trust. This book will be essential reading for all parents or guardians of a child with a cognitive, mental or physical impairment. It will also be of interest to attorneys, financial planners, insurance agents, trust officers and other professionals looking to better serve the special needs community.

Aging and Developmental Disability: Current Research, Programming, and Practice Implications explores research findings and their implications for practice in relation to normative and disability-related aging experiences and issues. This valuable book discusses the effectiveness of specific interventions targeted toward aging adults with developmental disabilities such as Down's Syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, and epilepsy, and offers suggestions for practice and future research in this area.