In her very instructive opinion piece, here, Ivanova Smith explains why she opposes "mental age theory." She says: "Have you ever heard the phrase “that person has the mind of a five
year old In an adult body. "For years,
medical professionals have told parents of newly diagnosed
Intellectually disabled people that they would mentally be children for
their entire lives." "Historically, so-called “mental age theory” has stripped people
with intellectual and developmental disabilities of our dignity, our
reproductive freedom and our parental rights. Age theory has also been
used to strip us of the rights to make adult choices, such as buying
alcohol and tobacco or having sexual relationships. "
Of course, labels hurt when they're used inappropriately. When I was at Antioch University, I argued with one of my degree committee members. "I won't take that course in Developmental Psychology. I won't take a course that teaches me to label people. A psychiatrist, he argued back. "You should take it so you can have an intelligent conversation with other professionals and be respected for your opinion." "OK, I grudgingly conceded." The course turned out to be pivotal in my eventual practice as a therapist. So, last night, when I read Ms. Smith's enlightening article, I felt inspired to reply:
"Thank you for explaining your hurt around this issue. It enlightens me about the background of employing mental age.
In my experience, as a developmental therapist, (working with people
who are not considered disabled) it is necessary to meet a person where
s/he is, developmentally, in order to help her or him move forward.
My purpose is not to pin the person to a mental age forever. Just the
opposite, it is to address them where they are and provide the
appropriate responses to the needs of their current developmental age.
My experience, as well as that of other developmental therapists, has
been that only when a person is addressed at the age in which s/he is
functioning, can s/he truly shift internally to their next stage of
development. Also, it should be noted that a person can be arrested
emotionally at one age, mentally at another and physically at still
another. These are not fixed, but potentially fluid ages. Younger is
not worse. Older is not better. (Pejoratives like “childish” should not
be employed.) At one rate or another, everyone has a natural drive to
move on to their next stage. In this regard, I wholeheartedly agree
that each person needs and deserves support to move forward.
Now, moving on to my experience with people who have what we now call
intellectual developmental disabilities: I’ve seen some very unhappy
toddlers-in-adult bodies when the comfort of their cuddle toys was
taken away because they were deemed too old for such toys. Also, with
good reason do we carefully protect adults with early developmental
mentation from running out into the street or playing with electrical
sockets or knives. This does not mean that such people cannot progress
to more mentally mature levels, only that we are honoring their current
stage of development and the stage and rate of learning of which they
are capable and which we have the skills to support.
I hope you can hear the caring and respect in the perspectives I’ve
written about. I hope, too, that you and others can, in the future,
hear such references without feeling demeaned or judging that another is
being demeaned. In my view, to honor a person where s/he is,
developmentally, is respectful and to assume s/he can do or be more in
the moment than s/he can is disrespectful."
With great respect,
Saskia
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Sunday, September 3, 2017
SUBMINIMUM WAGE HOT POTATO
HISTORY & IMPLICATIONS
THE SEATTLE SUB-MINIMUM WAGE HOT POTATO has deep roots and serious implications. The bottom line is that Parents and Guardians of people whose cognitive/social/physical development makes sub-minimum wage imperative for their job retention, should contact the Seattle City Council members. Find email addresses here: https://sccinsight.com/how-to-contact-your-council-members/ or call their offices at the numbers listed @ the same web address.
HISTORY AND IMPLICATIONS:
I've been watching a very heated conversation on the Seattle Commission on DisAbilities facebook page. Now, the links to the conversations have been disabled. (no pun intended.). What I've seen is that the commission members don't recognize the early level of intellectual developmental disability for which guardian decision making is required for an affected person's wellbeing. It's been claimed that all of the members have disabilities. One person, who writes at a very high, if inflammatory, level, claims to be intellectually developmentally disabled, but another writer on the thread refers to him as autistic and seems to think that is not a legitimate intellectual developmental disability.
Another person passionately, if rudely, objected to a participant's referencing "eighteen month level mentation" as "offensive to all disabled people." That person argued that a person who is 30 years old has a 30 year old intellect. Yet, the writer who used the "eighteen month" term thought "the age of developmental intellectual attainment" to be crucial information for knowing how to meet the affected person's needs. I agree with the latter.
The conversation veered away from sub-minimum wage when one contributor who does support RHCs, but hadn't written that, was accused of being "inauthentic" because she "supports segregation." Her defense, though civil itself, provoked passionately irrational accusations of her supporting murder and rape. At first, I saw those comments as simply ignorant attempts to win an argument at the expense of rationality and civility. But after reflecting on it, I realized that they must have been born of the accuser's deep fear and perception of institutions as prison-like environments where any terrible thing might happen to a resident. My thought is that while terrible things can happen anywhere, the strict oversight in RHCs makes them safer than other venues.
There were also comments by commissioners disdaining parents and guardians and denying their legitimacy as spokespeople for their children and wards. They expressed as fact their assumptions that all people with intellectual developmental disabilities could identify and express for themselves what was needed for them and so should be considered their own experts. This perception is what I began to consider to be their denial of early developmental cognitive arrest/delay.
In the 1950s, I'm remembering my mother's denial that my sister was "mentally retarded." We were allowed to think and say that she had "cerebral palsy" (which she also had) because it was recognized that people with cerebral palsy could be smart. It wasn't until the 1960's that mother finally, barely, grudgingly could bring herself to admit her daughter had mental retardation.
I'm perceiving that the roots of what is becoming societal denial of early developmental cognitive arrest/delay are deeply embedded in the misuse of the term, "Mental Retardation. The sense of insult and shame at that label that was felt by people with higher levels of thinking and function, but whose development, otherwise, didn't fit within typical social norms, was strong. Today, despite the replacement of the term, "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability," those old, strong feelings, apparently still are operating to deny that there is any legitimacy in the literal concept of "mental retardation." Those people are influencing powerful groups and public agencies throughout the country.
The term, "mental retardation," used to be common. Only a handful of years ago, groups of higher functioning people with intellectual disabilities and their advocacy groups began advocating it's replacement with the term, "intellectual disabilities." The result has been it's adoption in legislation around the country. I believe, today, we would find that, in addition to their parents and guardians, most of the people in those groups are at the higher end of the autism scale and including Aspergers syndrome.
With the loss of the term "mental retardation" we lost a common language for early developmental cognitive arrest/delay. And since losing the wording, I believe we have been losing critical recognition of the phenomenon. Unfortunately, censorship of language doesn't eradicate a phenomenon; it simply renders it less publicly visible.
We must stop this denial snowball from gaining any more momentum. I'm only now recognizing how serious the danger is in allowing it to continue. For some time, it as been affecting public policy in such a way that it constrains positive measures needed by people whose cognitive ability became severely impaired at very early stages. For instance:
1. In the interest of protecting non-institutional residential rights of higher level people who do not need medical, therapeutic, and other resources to be very close to home, in some areas, laws have been passed that disallow locating residential facilities for people with intellectual developmental disabilities conveniently near a full service therapeutic facility for people with intellectual developmental disabilities.
2. To further the ability of people with higher level intellectual disabilities to be employed by regular businesses, to the detriment of their former workers with minimal cognitive skills, many sheltered workshops have been closed. Today, many of their former workers sit at home without daily activities.
3. Now, the attempt to outlaw the sub-minimum wage threatens to foreclose the jobs of workers whose abilities are incompatible with the profitability of businesses, even with publicly supported job coaches. They, too, could wind up victims who sit at home without activities.
Recognizing that people with higher level autism and people with early developmental cognitive arrest/delay are no more or less important than each other, the needs of both groups and those in between must be recognized in law as well as in society.
The next, important step, as I see it, is to begin reincorporating language that helps differentiate early developmental levels of cognition + their accompanying social or physical function from higher levels of intellectual developmental disabilities that are typical of people with high enough levels of autism for them to be arguing for their own rights or at least to be able to benefit from significantly less intensive assistance and representation by guardians than those with early developmental cognitive arrest/delays.
The Seattle Commission on DisAbilities is a public entity. It's make-up should include as much representation of people whose early developmental cognitive disability requires guardianship as it does of self-advocates. This should also be true of all other agencies which purport to advocate for all people with intellectual developmental disabilities.
Ideally, the Seattle City Council, which, currently is considering the bill to outlaw sub-minimum wage certificates could vote to table the issue until:
1) Protections for people with early developmental cognitive arrest/delay are incorporated.
2) Provision is incorporated for better wage protections for people of higher intellectual disabilities whose work is underpaid due to the current sub-minimum wage certificates.
Then, the bill could be amended to accommodate the changes.
Only then would a vote make sense.
The time to address this request to the Seattle City Council is now.
Please contact the members immediately.
THE SEATTLE SUB-MINIMUM WAGE HOT POTATO has deep roots and serious implications. The bottom line is that Parents and Guardians of people whose cognitive/social/physical development makes sub-minimum wage imperative for their job retention, should contact the Seattle City Council members. Find email addresses here: https://sccinsight.com/how-to-contact-your-council-members/ or call their offices at the numbers listed @ the same web address.
HISTORY AND IMPLICATIONS:
I've been watching a very heated conversation on the Seattle Commission on DisAbilities facebook page. Now, the links to the conversations have been disabled. (no pun intended.). What I've seen is that the commission members don't recognize the early level of intellectual developmental disability for which guardian decision making is required for an affected person's wellbeing. It's been claimed that all of the members have disabilities. One person, who writes at a very high, if inflammatory, level, claims to be intellectually developmentally disabled, but another writer on the thread refers to him as autistic and seems to think that is not a legitimate intellectual developmental disability.
Another person passionately, if rudely, objected to a participant's referencing "eighteen month level mentation" as "offensive to all disabled people." That person argued that a person who is 30 years old has a 30 year old intellect. Yet, the writer who used the "eighteen month" term thought "the age of developmental intellectual attainment" to be crucial information for knowing how to meet the affected person's needs. I agree with the latter.
The conversation veered away from sub-minimum wage when one contributor who does support RHCs, but hadn't written that, was accused of being "inauthentic" because she "supports segregation." Her defense, though civil itself, provoked passionately irrational accusations of her supporting murder and rape. At first, I saw those comments as simply ignorant attempts to win an argument at the expense of rationality and civility. But after reflecting on it, I realized that they must have been born of the accuser's deep fear and perception of institutions as prison-like environments where any terrible thing might happen to a resident. My thought is that while terrible things can happen anywhere, the strict oversight in RHCs makes them safer than other venues.
There were also comments by commissioners disdaining parents and guardians and denying their legitimacy as spokespeople for their children and wards. They expressed as fact their assumptions that all people with intellectual developmental disabilities could identify and express for themselves what was needed for them and so should be considered their own experts. This perception is what I began to consider to be their denial of early developmental cognitive arrest/delay.
In the 1950s, I'm remembering my mother's denial that my sister was "mentally retarded." We were allowed to think and say that she had "cerebral palsy" (which she also had) because it was recognized that people with cerebral palsy could be smart. It wasn't until the 1960's that mother finally, barely, grudgingly could bring herself to admit her daughter had mental retardation.
I'm perceiving that the roots of what is becoming societal denial of early developmental cognitive arrest/delay are deeply embedded in the misuse of the term, "Mental Retardation. The sense of insult and shame at that label that was felt by people with higher levels of thinking and function, but whose development, otherwise, didn't fit within typical social norms, was strong. Today, despite the replacement of the term, "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability," those old, strong feelings, apparently still are operating to deny that there is any legitimacy in the literal concept of "mental retardation." Those people are influencing powerful groups and public agencies throughout the country.
The term, "mental retardation," used to be common. Only a handful of years ago, groups of higher functioning people with intellectual disabilities and their advocacy groups began advocating it's replacement with the term, "intellectual disabilities." The result has been it's adoption in legislation around the country. I believe, today, we would find that, in addition to their parents and guardians, most of the people in those groups are at the higher end of the autism scale and including Aspergers syndrome.
With the loss of the term "mental retardation" we lost a common language for early developmental cognitive arrest/delay. And since losing the wording, I believe we have been losing critical recognition of the phenomenon. Unfortunately, censorship of language doesn't eradicate a phenomenon; it simply renders it less publicly visible.
We must stop this denial snowball from gaining any more momentum. I'm only now recognizing how serious the danger is in allowing it to continue. For some time, it as been affecting public policy in such a way that it constrains positive measures needed by people whose cognitive ability became severely impaired at very early stages. For instance:
1. In the interest of protecting non-institutional residential rights of higher level people who do not need medical, therapeutic, and other resources to be very close to home, in some areas, laws have been passed that disallow locating residential facilities for people with intellectual developmental disabilities conveniently near a full service therapeutic facility for people with intellectual developmental disabilities.
2. To further the ability of people with higher level intellectual disabilities to be employed by regular businesses, to the detriment of their former workers with minimal cognitive skills, many sheltered workshops have been closed. Today, many of their former workers sit at home without daily activities.
3. Now, the attempt to outlaw the sub-minimum wage threatens to foreclose the jobs of workers whose abilities are incompatible with the profitability of businesses, even with publicly supported job coaches. They, too, could wind up victims who sit at home without activities.
Recognizing that people with higher level autism and people with early developmental cognitive arrest/delay are no more or less important than each other, the needs of both groups and those in between must be recognized in law as well as in society.
The next, important step, as I see it, is to begin reincorporating language that helps differentiate early developmental levels of cognition + their accompanying social or physical function from higher levels of intellectual developmental disabilities that are typical of people with high enough levels of autism for them to be arguing for their own rights or at least to be able to benefit from significantly less intensive assistance and representation by guardians than those with early developmental cognitive arrest/delays.
The Seattle Commission on DisAbilities is a public entity. It's make-up should include as much representation of people whose early developmental cognitive disability requires guardianship as it does of self-advocates. This should also be true of all other agencies which purport to advocate for all people with intellectual developmental disabilities.
Ideally, the Seattle City Council, which, currently is considering the bill to outlaw sub-minimum wage certificates could vote to table the issue until:
1) Protections for people with early developmental cognitive arrest/delay are incorporated.
2) Provision is incorporated for better wage protections for people of higher intellectual disabilities whose work is underpaid due to the current sub-minimum wage certificates.
Then, the bill could be amended to accommodate the changes.
Only then would a vote make sense.
The time to address this request to the Seattle City Council is now.
Please contact the members immediately.
Friday, April 14, 2017
KEEP FIRCREST OPEN: SAVE LIVES
4/13/17
Dear Senator:
I'm writing on behalf of my sister, Kathy, who lives at Fircrest. She is very medically fragile.
We're hearing that some legislators want to sell Fircrest's land to help balance the budget. The medical or mental/behavioral stability of most of Fircrest's residents is fragile. It depends on very strict care parameters that are specific to each person's condition. Their states of fragile stability put them at high risk for Transfer Trauma, defined as "a set of symptoms and outcomes that result from a transfer from one environment to another."* Death is among the outcomes included in the diagnosis of Transfer Trauma.
The stability of most residents at Fircrest is fragile. Literally, your vote could mean the difference between life and death for some of Fircrest residents.
One person died after being moved for Frances Haddon Morgan Center's closure. He died a long, painful death after drinking laundry detergent because he was not watched as closely as he had been at FHMC. One legislator tells me she knows of 5 others whose moves resulted in their deaths. However, even one would be an unacceptable consequence. I hope you agree.
In the last attempt to close Fircrest, 6 people died. The stability of each had depended on very careful adherence to detailed, personalized care and treatment at Fircrest. New caregivers and professionals had received personalized orientation + care plans and histories, but that was not enough. The requisite experience with each person and his or her condition was missing. In the absence of that experience, nuanced signals were missed, wrong decisions were made, treatments were missed or given in the wrong way. 6 people suffered and lost their lives. 6 families lost their loved ones. They were 6 tragedies that could have been avoided.
I'm writing to ask you to spare the lives of all of the Fircrest residents that would be at risk if Fircrest were closed. Please, instead, support the Fircrest Master Planning process for which there is money in all three capital budgets. Two Master Plan versions are under consideration. Both call for replacement of the nursing facility. This short term capital investment will result in long term operational and maintenance cost savings. Both also call for about a 50% reduction in the Fircrest School footprint with the other 50% to be available for revenue source development: WIN-WIN for all concerned.
Please don't try to balance the budget on the backs of Fircrest residents. OPPOSE 2SSB-5594
Dear Senator:
I'm writing on behalf of my sister, Kathy, who lives at Fircrest. She is very medically fragile.
We're hearing that some legislators want to sell Fircrest's land to help balance the budget. The medical or mental/behavioral stability of most of Fircrest's residents is fragile. It depends on very strict care parameters that are specific to each person's condition. Their states of fragile stability put them at high risk for Transfer Trauma, defined as "a set of symptoms and outcomes that result from a transfer from one environment to another."* Death is among the outcomes included in the diagnosis of Transfer Trauma.
The stability of most residents at Fircrest is fragile. Literally, your vote could mean the difference between life and death for some of Fircrest residents.
One person died after being moved for Frances Haddon Morgan Center's closure. He died a long, painful death after drinking laundry detergent because he was not watched as closely as he had been at FHMC. One legislator tells me she knows of 5 others whose moves resulted in their deaths. However, even one would be an unacceptable consequence. I hope you agree.
In the last attempt to close Fircrest, 6 people died. The stability of each had depended on very careful adherence to detailed, personalized care and treatment at Fircrest. New caregivers and professionals had received personalized orientation + care plans and histories, but that was not enough. The requisite experience with each person and his or her condition was missing. In the absence of that experience, nuanced signals were missed, wrong decisions were made, treatments were missed or given in the wrong way. 6 people suffered and lost their lives. 6 families lost their loved ones. They were 6 tragedies that could have been avoided.
I'm writing to ask you to spare the lives of all of the Fircrest residents that would be at risk if Fircrest were closed. Please, instead, support the Fircrest Master Planning process for which there is money in all three capital budgets. Two Master Plan versions are under consideration. Both call for replacement of the nursing facility. This short term capital investment will result in long term operational and maintenance cost savings. Both also call for about a 50% reduction in the Fircrest School footprint with the other 50% to be available for revenue source development: WIN-WIN for all concerned.
Please don't try to balance the budget on the backs of Fircrest residents. OPPOSE 2SSB-5594
WHY FIRCREST IS ESSENTIAL
Dear Senators,
Words that often describe Fircrest residents when they first arrive: "Vulnerable,","Volatile," "Violent," "Unstable," "Fragile," "Difficult," "Traumatized" "Anxious," "Dangerous," "Scared," "Hurting," "Over-stimulated", "Dual Diagnosed", "Physically, mentally, &/or medically ill", "Out of control," "Obsessive," "Paranoid," "Panicked, "Withdrawn," "Frustrated," "Neglected", "Abused," "Suffering," "Desperate," "Terrified,"
They come from "community" residential placements or jail, or inappropriate psychiatric placements or hospitals. They come when their "community" providers have been unable to provide what they need in order to be successful. Most of the time, DSHS tries other remedies first. When they don't work, after multiple, failed "community" placements, finally they are admitted to Fircrest. They come to Fircrest for "crisis stabilization." They come to Fircrest for relief from suffering.
Today, there are 30 such people at Fircrest. With careful help, gradually they find a sense of safety. If they're volatile, violent or tantrum-prone, they're protected from hurting themselves and others. Gradually, with the right kind of individual support, trust builds and self-control is learned.
Words that often describe Fircrest residents after they have become less scared and more stable: "Sweet," "Bright," "Happy," "Loving," "Eager," "Adventurous," "Timid," "Calm," "Curious," "Shy," "Gregarious," "Capable of learning, " "Willing," "Expressive," "Interested", "Exuberant," "Eager to please," "Independent" "interested," "Playful", "Pensive,"Quiet," "well-managed," "safe," "protected."
Most of Fircrest's other 86 residents arrived in similar conditions. They stayed on once they were stabilized because it was the best place for them. They stayed because Fircrest was the "community" that offered them the care and supports they needed. Their stability is relative. It depends on the therapeutic milieu, expert care and coordinated, interdisciplinary teamwork that is the essence of the Fircrest community.
For most people with intellectual developmental disabilities, SOLAs, supported living, or group homes can be appropriate placements. But NOT Fircrest residents. Creating more SOLAs, providing more group homes or supported living can't substitute for Fircrest. If "community" providers could have managed them, they wouldn't be at Fircrest. They still would be out in the general community.
If you've been considering closing Fircrest for the sake of balancing the state's budget, please reconsider. To try to balance the budget on the backs of these most vulnerable people would be careless and inhumane.
The 2 proposed Fircrest Master Plan alternatives set aside about 50% of the Fircrest campus for development for revenue production. Please let that be enough.
Words that often describe Fircrest residents when they first arrive: "Vulnerable,","Volatile," "Violent," "Unstable," "Fragile," "Difficult," "Traumatized" "Anxious," "Dangerous," "Scared," "Hurting," "Over-stimulated", "Dual Diagnosed", "Physically, mentally, &/or medically ill", "Out of control," "Obsessive," "Paranoid," "Panicked, "Withdrawn," "Frustrated," "Neglected", "Abused," "Suffering," "Desperate," "Terrified,"
They come from "community" residential placements or jail, or inappropriate psychiatric placements or hospitals. They come when their "community" providers have been unable to provide what they need in order to be successful. Most of the time, DSHS tries other remedies first. When they don't work, after multiple, failed "community" placements, finally they are admitted to Fircrest. They come to Fircrest for "crisis stabilization." They come to Fircrest for relief from suffering.
Today, there are 30 such people at Fircrest. With careful help, gradually they find a sense of safety. If they're volatile, violent or tantrum-prone, they're protected from hurting themselves and others. Gradually, with the right kind of individual support, trust builds and self-control is learned.
Words that often describe Fircrest residents after they have become less scared and more stable: "Sweet," "Bright," "Happy," "Loving," "Eager," "Adventurous," "Timid," "Calm," "Curious," "Shy," "Gregarious," "Capable of learning, " "Willing," "Expressive," "Interested", "Exuberant," "Eager to please," "Independent" "interested," "Playful", "Pensive,"Quiet," "well-managed," "safe," "protected."
Most of Fircrest's other 86 residents arrived in similar conditions. They stayed on once they were stabilized because it was the best place for them. They stayed because Fircrest was the "community" that offered them the care and supports they needed. Their stability is relative. It depends on the therapeutic milieu, expert care and coordinated, interdisciplinary teamwork that is the essence of the Fircrest community.
For most people with intellectual developmental disabilities, SOLAs, supported living, or group homes can be appropriate placements. But NOT Fircrest residents. Creating more SOLAs, providing more group homes or supported living can't substitute for Fircrest. If "community" providers could have managed them, they wouldn't be at Fircrest. They still would be out in the general community.
If you've been considering closing Fircrest for the sake of balancing the state's budget, please reconsider. To try to balance the budget on the backs of these most vulnerable people would be careless and inhumane.
The 2 proposed Fircrest Master Plan alternatives set aside about 50% of the Fircrest campus for development for revenue production. Please let that be enough.
Monday, August 22, 2016
4/14/17 FIGHTING FOR FIRCREST, AGAIN
The official end of Washington's legislative session is April 23. The Senate bill by Senator Karen Keiser that would close Fircrest School has been held back from a vote in the Senate so far, but we can't breathe that sigh of relief because it may well be dragged out at the very last minute as "necessary to implement the budget." Now, why would that be so? Because there are some legislators who have the lame idea to empty Fircrest out so they can sell the land to fund education and pass the budget. "Never-mind about those pesky residents with intellectual developmental disabilities! They'll be cheaper out in the "community" anyway."
SEEKING VOLUNTEER BASKETBALL "HERO."
Yesterday, I met a delightful young man with special needs. His grandma, whom I met later, is raising him. I believe she told me he is 12 but about 3 years behind his age group because of autism. He first spoke when he was 6 years old.
He came out, alone, to greet me when I came to his yard sale. He said he was the "sales man". Almost professionally, he walked around with me as though we were in a store and he was giving me service. When I found a jar I was interested in, but it had some dry residue left from it's previous contents, he rushed it into the house to wash it up. A little later, he took my money for the jar and a few other things; with a little help, he did the math to make change. I didn't know, yet, that he had autism. His personality was so upbeat and winning, I hardly registered that he had stumbled on a word or two and made 2 attempts at the math.
One of the items I bought was a wheat grass juicer. When I tested it at home I ran into a problem; so I went back, hoping his grandma, who had stayed inside while I'd been there before, could help me learn to work it. That's when I met her. She's raising him by herself, has been since he was a toddler. We hit it off and had a wonderful conversation that ranged far beyond juicer lessons. It was in this conversation that she told me about her grandson.
It came out that she's used up her retirement savings parenting him and his brother, who has another set of problems. Why am I telling you this? It's because she told me he's crazy about basketball, and wants to be able to play it with the other kids, but because of his learning difficulties, he needs special instruction to learn how to play the game. I'm hoping we can network to find him a volunteer basketball tutor/coach. Whoever says "yes" will be in for a real treat! Please comment below or message me on Facebook if you can do it or know someone who can. I'll gladly provide contact info privately.
They live a few blocks north of the Fircrest campus in Shoreline.
He came out, alone, to greet me when I came to his yard sale. He said he was the "sales man". Almost professionally, he walked around with me as though we were in a store and he was giving me service. When I found a jar I was interested in, but it had some dry residue left from it's previous contents, he rushed it into the house to wash it up. A little later, he took my money for the jar and a few other things; with a little help, he did the math to make change. I didn't know, yet, that he had autism. His personality was so upbeat and winning, I hardly registered that he had stumbled on a word or two and made 2 attempts at the math.
One of the items I bought was a wheat grass juicer. When I tested it at home I ran into a problem; so I went back, hoping his grandma, who had stayed inside while I'd been there before, could help me learn to work it. That's when I met her. She's raising him by herself, has been since he was a toddler. We hit it off and had a wonderful conversation that ranged far beyond juicer lessons. It was in this conversation that she told me about her grandson.
It came out that she's used up her retirement savings parenting him and his brother, who has another set of problems. Why am I telling you this? It's because she told me he's crazy about basketball, and wants to be able to play it with the other kids, but because of his learning difficulties, he needs special instruction to learn how to play the game. I'm hoping we can network to find him a volunteer basketball tutor/coach. Whoever says "yes" will be in for a real treat! Please comment below or message me on Facebook if you can do it or know someone who can. I'll gladly provide contact info privately.
They live a few blocks north of the Fircrest campus in Shoreline.
Friday, April 29, 2016
GROUP HOMES STRUGGLE TO REMAIN STAFFED
Detractors call State Run Therapeutic Communities "institutions" as though that were a dirty word.
What we have in WA are 4 state-run, campus based, full service, therapeutic communities especially for people with idd. In order to garner the Medicaid matching funds, the legislature has to fund them at levels necessary to pass annual CMS audits. This makes for fewer people without services, fewer people awaiting services in the community-at-large, even if the legislature decides against better funding for group homes, as it has in Illinois.
CHICAGO — Organizations that provide care to people with disabilities are reporting crisis-level shortages of employees needed to feed, bathe and perform other essential tasks for residents in Illinois, a situation that has prompted the closure of some group homes and kept hundreds of families on waiting lists for services."by Vikki Ortiz Healy, Chicago Tribune/TNS April 18, 2016 in "Illinois - Group Homes Struggle to Remain Staffed."
The article goes on to fault less-than-adequate funding in an improving economy, making it expedient for workers to move on to less difficult jobs that pay better. Unfortunately the situation, the risk and reality of underfunding is not confined to Illinois. We have seen similar legislative decisions in WA. Fortunately, we still have our 4 state-run-residential habilitation centers
"The seriousness of a staffing shortage in this arena can't be overstated. I spoke with Tony Paulauski, executive director of advocacy group The Arc of Illinois, and he said: "When staff don't show up, holy cow. People's lives can be in jeopardy. Because of this, there can be medication errors. People aren't able to follow strict dietary requirements. In some cases we're putting health and safety at risk. It's serious stuff." "Staffing Crisis Hurting Essential Services For People With Disabilities"by Rex Huppke, April 13, 2016 Chicago Tribune.
Forclosing the "institutional" option is a set-up for more deprivation, longer waits for services for people with idd.
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