Life After IEPs — It's Your Child's Future

Online Community & Resources for Youth with Mental Health Challenges

May 25, 2013

Young self advocates are finding power in connection. Strength of Us (SofU) is an online community organized by young people through NAMI - the National Alliance on Mental Illness. SofU is designed to empower youth through resource sharing and peer support. The site has been developed with the leadership of a young adult advisory group and [...]

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Self Advocacy Online: Empower & Connect

May 16, 2013

A new website is connecting and empowering self advocates around the country. Self Advocacy Online is a project of the Arc and The University of Minnesota’s Research and Training Center on Community Living. The site is designed to be user-friendly for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. Self Advocacy Online empowers users with information [...]

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Mom moments - receiving our child’s gifts

May 12, 2013

There are marvelous moments when we receive what only our child can give. Gifts that need no pretty paper, and can be stored only in our heart. Everyday busy-ness distracts us. But these receiving moments are timeless. Mom moments. They change us. Stretching who we are, shaping our relationship with our child. How might we open [...]

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Letter of Intent & Life-Long Special Needs Planning

May 4, 2013

When a son or daughter needs life-long support, parents ask -”what will happen when I’m gone?”. It’s a difficult question, sometimes unspoken, but always present. When we address the question head-on, we move beyond fear to positive action. In addition to a last will and testament, you will need to work with a qualified attorney [...]

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Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies and Transition Planning

April 20, 2013

Every state has a federally funded vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency. There are differences in the ways states administer vocational rehabilitation services. Different names are used to describe the agencies in each state. Yet, all state VR agencies have a single purpose - to assist persons with disabilities to attain and maintain employment. It is important [...]

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Once a person really belongs: Sarah Stup speaks out about community

April 13, 2013

Rare is the voice - gentle, strong, and true - that opens wide both mind and heart - like petals of a single flower. Sarah Stup touches truth in us. Sarah is an acclaimed poet, essayist, and author of children’s books. She writes to “build a new exotic garden where worlds can meet and differences [...]

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Free Resource for Teaching Employment “Soft Skills”

April 8, 2013

What skills are employers looking for? How can we teach these skills to prepare youth for success in the workplace? The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) interviewed employers across industries to learn the “soft skills” they value most. “Hard skills” are job-specific. “Soft skills” are essential for success in every field of employment. With [...]

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5 Ways to Move Beyond Overwhelm

March 31, 2013

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Are you exhausted by everyday stress and unsure of how to help your child plan for the future? Do you feel confused instead of empowered by all the information available to you? You’re not alone. Most parents share these same feelings at different points along the way. But no one wants [...]

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Why consider community college?

March 16, 2013

When teens plan for college - there’s a lot to consider. For starters, what is your child’s career goal? After all, college isn’t an end in itself. What education or training is needed for your child’s career of choice? For many students, community college is an ideal path toward career goals. Even if your child is [...]

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Charisse Hogan - creating a better world, one video at a time

March 10, 2013

Thousands of people follow her on Facebook . Her YouTube channel has more than 240, 000 views. But when Charisse Hogan began creating her videos four years ago, she often felt alone. As a “new kid” at her high school, Charisse often ate lunch by herself. She felt the cruel sting of being ignored and sometimes even mocked by peers. It [...]