By Monique Cain
We’ve been eligible and encouraged to employ a support worker for the past few years but haven’t felt completely comfortable to explore the option or accept the help.
It’s always been a challenge for us to leave our children in others people’s care and we’ve felt extremely uncomfortable receiving additional assistance.
It’s been heart-wrenching to acquire professionals to help us parent our children and honestly, accepting more support felt like another kick in the guts.
But the reality is, it’s been offered to us to relieve stress, make our lives easier and assist our kids to live more independently.
We’ve explored just about every resource and service available to this point and now this feels like the perfect time and natural next step to utilise a support worker.
One of the other major mental obstacles for most parents, after accepting the fact, is to then actually find the right person or people to support you and your children.
We’ve been absolutely blessed to begin working with one of Madi’s previous and very experienced education support workers. They already have an established relationship and we have full faith and confidence in her abilities and intentions.
There are obviously still a lot of areas the kids require assistance with but we’ve decided to set a few targets to focus on in relation to learning life skills, increasing independence, and interacting and socialising more in the community.
We’re continuing on from our previous therapies and now applying the learned phrases and behaviours to real-life situations.
We’re practicing all the processes associated with using a phone.
We’re expanding knowledge surrounding all things related to shopping.
We’re encouraging more social exposure eating out at a cafe.
We’re also reinforcing these practices in school and encouraging purchases from the canteen.
I’m sure at some stage down the track, we’ll be required to investigate other avenues or agencies, which will be another new process again but presently we’re feeling more comfortable and confident moving forward.
This is exactly what our funding is for. To increase more independence and to improve our lives.
There’s so much help available if you’re open to it.
Now that we’ve embraced and welcomed the additional support, we’re all feeling more relaxed and appreciative. We’re experiencing life-altering momentum and we all seem happier for it!
Reposted with permission by Monique Cain at www.theeverydayautismseries.com.au
