Sandra Pearson and I had a great conversation about transition at Our Special Families Village this week!
The Village is a growing community where families find information and mutual support. Sandra is the gifted and passionate creator of the Village. In this one-minute welcome video, she explains what you’ll find there.
The Village offers a growing collection of interviews on a wide range of topics.
Our audio interview is over an hour long. And we don’t tippy-toe around difficult issues.
It’s a candid dialogue about practical responses to tough questions:
- how can parents negotiate their changing role during adolescence?
- how can we support teens to make informed choices and speak for themselves?
- what happens when there’s conflict on the IEP team?
- how can teens find out about career options?
- where do we start in the maze of adult agencies?
- how can teens learn what to do when they face roadblocks?
If you’re feeling some anxiety about these topics, you’re not alone.
Sandra’s son Matthew is 19 years old and planning for his own life after IEPs. With his Mom’s support. Sandra knows where you’re coming from.
This is a hopeful conversation.
We keep our eye on what matters. Empowering kids to plan and prepare for their future and speak for themselves.
No, it’s not always an easy journey. But it can be a joyful one. For our kids. And for us.
Ready?
You can listen to our conversation here.
Resources
During the interview we talk about these resources:
A Maze of Agencies - Where to Start?
Problem Solving Graphic Organizer
Reading Free Career Interest Tools
Transition portfolios and planning tools
As an extra bonus, check out my 14 yr. old self, in uniform, at this post!
What’s next?
Sandra and I plan to do interviews about more specific transition topics. Today’s conversation was a broad overview.
For now, you may be wondering - how does all this apply to my unique child? Where do I go from here?
You can click on the white envelope in the sidebar to send me an email with questions. Sandra welcomes your emails, too.
Or leave a comment, either here, or at the Village - so we can get a conversation started. We’ll all benefit.
It does take a Village. Don’t be a stranger!
If you found this interview helpful, please share it. Thanks!
And take time to enjoy the journey - one step at a time!
Photo credit - thebarrowboy at Flickr
