The Right To A Full Life

by Victoria

Overview

An upbeat account of a mother’s journey parenting twins with different disabilities. It is a tale of advocacy outlining the strategies used when working with doctors, teachers and neighbors.

It describes how a mother explored options available to her family, looking for the right “fit” and how as a family they worked on the life skills that helped her son and daughter become independent. The importance of communities and the role they play in supporting an individual is explained. The balance between safety and individual autonomy is explored. The lessons shared are instructive to parents of children with and without disabilities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781946446732
Publisher:	Green Ivy
Publication date:	01/25/2017
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.27(d)

About the Author

Ms. Fickenscher is the parent of twins. An educator for over 30 years, she served in many capacities from class room teacher to central office administrator. She has been active in promoting opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. Now retired, she enjoys her work with a non-profit dedicated to creating intentional communities that support adults with developmental disabilities as they move into their own places. She manages a bowling program for Special Olympics and is active in her church and her community. In her spare time she travels to places on her bucket list.

Table of Contents

Contents

Baby Steps 1
Becoming a Parent 5
Improvements in the Process 8
Becoming Courageous 9
The Early Years with Elaine 10
Parenting Twins 12
Turning a Neighborhood into a Community 15
The Medical World and a Child with a Developmental Delay 18
The Good Patient 29
Dentists 30
The Medical World and Louis 31
Schools 33
Welcomed and Included 38
Life after High School 46
Perspective 49
Support Groups 51
Head of Household 54
Dreams 55
Church 57
Facing Crises 59
Fairness 62
Parenting Louis 63
An Individual First, Not a Disability 69
A Work in Progress 71
Stubbornness or Persistence? 74
Sense of Time 75
Mood Shifting 76
Secrets 77
Social IQ 78
Dating and Marriage 81
Conceptualization and Anticipation 82
Self-Talk 84
Make Believe 85
Being Independent versus Being Responsible 87
Self-Confidence 88
Exercise and Sports 89
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words 91
Understanding and Being Understood. 93
Pronunciation or Communication? 95
Technological Aids to Communication 97
Truthfulness 99
Hygiene 100
Adjustments 102
Community 103
Low Functioning or Few Skills? 107
Moving into a Place of One's Own 110
Out and About in the Community 112
Travel 115
Managing a Life 116
The Sandwich Generation 117
A Full Life 118
A Matter of Perspective 121