RECOMMENDED LINKS ON SELF-CARE
We said in the previous web page that it is important to begin self-care skills early. How do you know when a child, or an adult with a disability, for that matter, is able to be left home alone, should be expected to dress herself, get herself ready for school or work in the morning? In some cases, certain skills may always be outside the reach of an individual. A person with a severe mental disability may be able to get a job and go to work every day but may never be able to be completely self-supporting, always counting a little bit on that check from Social Security. The point is to be as self-sufficient as possible given one's capabilities.
Start here ! This page from the University of Wisconsin Extension Program gives 14 newsletters with tips on self-care. These are directed at parents of young children, but some of the issues really apply to anyone. For example, when deciding whether to leave a family member alone, you should consider how that person feels about leaving left alone. Do they want to be able to stay home alone? Although we probably outgrow our fears of monsters and the dark, even adults can experience loneliness and boredom when alone.
Teaching Self-Care to Young Children with Disabilities (You Don't Want to Be Brushing Their Teeth When They Turn 21) is from the July issue of the Miniwakan Waonspekiye newsletter.
Congratulations! You have succeeded in working through childhood behavior problems, giving your child medication and teaching her to use the toilet. Now you are ready to parent a youth with a disability.
NEXT: Parenting Youth