Preparing Myself for Billy Ray's Transition to Adult Living

Health issues including a medication reaction that changed him permanently at 14 and his health crisis this summer have delayed the transition plan for Billy Ray.  We continue to work with him on skills he needs for his transition from our home and to stabilize his health.

With a complex special needs child, even when they become adults, the empty nest is not quite the same as it might be for parents of whose offspring can fly away to total independence.  Parents will usually be involved in some form for support their complex special needs child even when they are no longer in their home.

If our plan goes according to our hopes, we will still need to arrange for and train inhome support staff , assure his medical and psychiatric care is continued, etc., etc., etc.

This weekend I was remembering the nine months Billy Ray spent in a residential treatment program to re-establish his medication regime and how I reacted to his absence.  I did not know what to do with myself.  Whether it was depression or just trying to catch up from years of sleep deprivation and stress, all I wanted to do was sleep for several weeks.

I was thinking about it this weekend.  While I have no immediate plan to transition Billy Ray, I know that it is coming.  It is time to preparing me while we are preparing Billy Ray.  Preparation while he is still at home is not something I can actively work at but my thinking needs to be in that direction to avoid the sudden shock that occurred during his temporary placement.

Until tomorrow,
Peggy Lou Morgan
www.parentingyourcomplexchild.com
www.lighthouseparents.com