Creating Opportunities For Teens & Adults With Special Needs & Disabilities

Integrated Life Choices is a premier example of successfully executing the host home model for adults with special needs. One of Shanda McClaren's many roles with the company is to pair adults utilizing this model with a host home. In this episode, Shanda shares with us who is best suited for this model, what guardians do and do not give up when utilizing this housing model, how long placement takes, and how to proceed should this be your housing model of choice.  

Our interview with Dana Hooper, executive director of Life Services Alternatives, continues. In #16 we address pros and cons of group homes, the importance of choice, and how being treated with respect and dignity can literally be a matter of life or death. Dana gives tips on what to look for when choosing an organization for our loved one and how the process of being placed in a group home works. We conclude with a discussion on long wait lists and what we can do about it.

Group Homes, also referred to as Community Care Facilities, are residential homes within the community housing a number of unrelated individuals with disabilities and/or special needs.  LOMAH speaks with Dana Hooper, executive director of Life Services Alternative (LSA) in episode #15 & #16. LSA has 11 (soon to be 12) group homes in the Silicon Valley area of California and is considered to be one of the best examples in the country of the group home concept. In this episode, Dana gives us a peek at the business skills necessary to run quality programs that have longevity and stability. Topics covered include the hiring process, rates, financial strategy, and how decisions are made for the organization.

This is the sequel to episode #13 on the campus model of housing for adults with disabilities. Scott McAvoy of Marbridge shares insights on the complexity of emotions parents face when considering moving their adult children out of the family home, including financial barriers. Also discussed is a unique way Marbridge staff focus on abilities rather than disabilities.

We begin our housing series for adults with disabilities by focusing on the campus model. Marbridge is an exemplary example of the campus model and in the next two episodes, we speak with Scott McAvoy who is the VP of operations. In this episode, we learn how Scott found himself in that role and what it takes to create a community like Marbridge. If you need a refresher on what the campus model is, listen to minutes 18:30 - 21:30 of episode #11. 

Mike is the father of 25-year-old Ben. Through the years, Mike and his wife have applied their experiences with Ben and also their knowledge from the corporate world to create a system of finding, hiring, and keeping quality caregivers for individuals with special needs. Today, Mike shares the beginning stages of the process and a valuable resource to learn more.

If you have a loved one with a disability, you may have begun pondering where s/he will live as an adult. It doesn’t take long to realize there are a variety of options but not an abundance of them. Today we go over the models of care, share a must have resource, and suggest next steps to take in planning housing for your adult with special needs.

Today's guest, Nicole Feeney, wrote an article which spurred passionate debate. She feels caregivers of individuals with disabilities should put forth extra effort to ensure the dignity of those in our care regardless of the extra effort required.  But is that true? Shouldn't society just be more accepting? Take a listen and assess which side of the debate you fall.

The Arroya Family has dreams of beginning a farm similar to many currently in existence for adults with special needs. In preparation, they put the family belongings in storage and began an epic road trip to visit 25 farms across the country. Amy Arroya shares with us what they are learning and a simple question serving as the compass for their adventure. Learn what the question is and consider asking it to plan a future for your special needs loved one.

In the last episode, Vacation or Relocation?: Special Needs / Disability Travel, you heard three arguments in favor of travel. While the last episode focused on why go, this episode focuses on what to do upon arrival. Kim tosses out a few vacation hacks that have been helpful for her family. Hopefully, they will be beneficial to you, too!

Vacations can feel more like relocations because the demands we have at home exist regardless of location. Is it worth it to go through the planning and hassle, especially when traveling with someone who has special needs / disabilities? 

Episode #6 dives into cultivating friendships for our special needs children, especially as they enter the preteen and teen years. You will walk away with 3 unique nuggets of wisdom & application from our guest, Stacey Martin, who seems to have cracked the friendship formula for her (soon to be) 17-year-old daughter. 

Alex Krem, Sr. was the founder of Camping Unlimited. This year marks 60 years of providing camping opportunities for children, teens, and adults with special needs. It is now run by his granddaughter, Christina Krem, along with Katie Giampa Today, we are chatting with the middle generation, Alex Krem, Jr., about the unique objective of Camping Unlimited as well as his vision to carry things over into long-term living solutions for adults with special needs. 

Special needs parents do a lot of caregiving and a lot of advocacy. But, do we do enough celebrating? How do we even know the answer and what happens when the scales are tipping too heavily to one side? This is where we are headed today BUT just when it seems we have things figured out...a guest will join us to put breaks on the whole thing forcing us to stop and rewind a bit.

Are we expecting too much? Are we expecting too little? Does the team agree on realistic goals? What about your spouse? Is there disagreement over the capabilities of your child? Episode #3 looks at behavior, education, independence, and receptive communication. When is the tendency to overestimate our special needs loved one and when is the tendency to underestimate? How do we know which voice to follow? 

At least twice a year, Kim travels across the country via airplane with her special needs daughter. After dozens of flights ranging from nightmarish to dreamy, she has learned a few things. This episode tosses out 10 tips from the obvious (utilize TSA cares) to the unconventional (choose a seating pattern in an L shape rather than straight across).  If you are about to board the plane with your special needs loved one, this episode should be part of your travel preparations. 

Many terms circulate in the special needs circle. When Kim's daughter became a teenager, she started to hear grumblings about what was around the corner. The terms "aging out" and "falling off of the cliff" were used interchangeably.  What do these terms mean? When does it happen? What are parents doing about it? What does it mean for our special needs loved ones?