What’s Possible?
Using A Life Plan to Build A Better Future for Your Young Person with Additional Needs
Welcome to the “Red Giraffe Solutions” Blog, a space dedicated to providing support for families of young people with additional needs. Much of the focus will be on how to build a better future through using a life plan. While a life plan may not provide all the answers, it acts as a compass, offering direction and clarity when we hit challenges.
Being a parent or carer for a young person with additional needs is undeniably tough. Services are often difficult to access, and we rightly feel we don’t always get the support our children need from healthcare professionals, schools, or the community. Part of the challenge is battling a system that often seems set up to fight against us, rather than to support us and our child.
In the early days of my journey with my daughter, I often felt overwhelmed and, to be honest, there are moments when that feeling still creeps in. It’s easy to feel isolated and perhaps a little guilty as we try to be superhuman but find we don’t have enough hours in the day. Having my daughter has probably made me a better person — some people might say the bar wasn’t that high to begin with! But if we’re truthful with ourselves, most of us wouldn’t have chosen this journey for our child.
It’s tough, frustrating, demoralising, and can be incredibly lonely as other’s don’t always appreciate our struggles, and fears for our child’s future.
Sometimes it is hard to imagine a future in which everything works out just fine for our children, where they have friends, do something with their day, and experience a sense of dignity. This blog aims to share not only aspects of my own journey and the lessons learned but, more importantly, practical solutions that have empowered my daughter to become more self-sufficient around the home, build a community around her, find part-time work and begin to manage her own day to day spending.
I won’t ever say it’s going to be simple, but it’s easier when we connect with a community of like-minded people who share the same aspirations for our children. Together we can work towards a future where our children live the lives they deserve.
Please consider hitting the “Follow” button. This blog is dedicated to making the future better for the young people in our lives through a life plan. Among the topics to be discussed are how to make a life plan with them, how to develop daily living skills, how to build better relationships, how to find a purpose to the day, and how to organize money. It’s about working with them and supporting them to build a fulfilling life. But above all, it’s about focusing on what’s possible.
Graham Caldow
I’m the father of a daughter with additional needs. I understand how the journey can be tough, frustrating, and lonely. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine a future where they are secure, have self-dignity, have purpose in their lives, and have a community around them. These are just some of the issues I write about in my blog.
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