September 1st...today is back to school day is our town. Today is the first day I am not sending a child to school. Mixed emotions. We are starting a completely new chapter in our lives. Everything is changing.
School systems supply the resources, structure and template for raising a special needs child for the first 21 years (sometimes 22) of their lives. We were lucky to have landed in a small, progressively inclusive town. It was a dream come true and Kate flourished. Sure, sometimes it felt like moving through a difficult maze, but overall our experience was better than I could have imagined.
Kate is a 21 years old and has aged out of the school system. She's entered the 'Adult' phase of her life. Now what? Because we live in a small, sort of rural town there aren't many local resources. We have decided to go the 'self-directed' way. We make up the care plan and put together a well thought out daily experience for Kate. We are navigating through uncharted waters. Truth be told, I am actually very excited about it. For years I have thought about what the years after school would look like (a.k.a. The Rest of Her Life!).
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