Hi to all.

[JoyB932974]

My name is joy. I'm new here. I have a special needs daughter who has been with me all her life. She is 42 years old. Been trying to find people to share with that are care givers too.

[karee48]

Hi, my name is Karyn.  I have a special needs daughter also, she is 39.  She had a stroke years ago and seizures, but has rehabilitated quite a bit.  She spends quite a lot of time in her room, scrapbooking and watching movies.  I have never found much in the way of resources for her, as she is not elderly.  She cannot drive and doesn't have a lot of money or transportation.  We looked into ARC, but they all seemed much more handicapped than she is.  I suggested church groups to her, but she is not receptive to that.  She loves to read, and a book club might be good for her, except for the transportation problem.  Any sugggestions?

[AmandaSingleton]

Hi @karee48  and thank you for your post!  Would you mind sharing where you are located (general state/metro area)?  Would a virtual book club be an option?  

[karee48]

Hi Amanda, thanks for your response.  We are located in S. Louis.  Thank you for the input.

I am interested in opportunities that would get my daughter out of the house, out of her room/movies/computer screen, and face-to-face with other people.

Karyn

[AmandaSingleton]

Okay, I was hoping we may be located nearby (a long shot, but worth asking!).  

It looks like ARC St. Louis has a strong Meetup presence.  Would it be worthwhile to reach out and ask if they would have an interest in setting up an event (book club or similar) for high functioning adults with disabilities?  Or perhaps reaching out through the St. Louis Recreation Council?  Just kind of thinking out loud here...

Let's keep the conversation going; I'll think more on this and ask around and perhaps someone who reads this post may have some input.  

[TawannaS782958]

Hi Joy! I am a special needs parent as well. My son is 11 so I'm not quite there yet but I definitely share the caregiver journey with you!

[AmandaSingleton]

Hi @TawannaS782958, and thank you for your post!  Can you tell us more about your caregiving experiences with your son?  I am always curious about how parents/guardians of children with special needs feel about the amount of community support they receive and how they connect in with resources like grants, ABLE accounts, and education/therapy services.  Are your son's medical providers helpful in this regard or do you have other advocates who've helped your family along the way?  Thanks, and take care!

[AmandaSingleton]

Hi @JoyB932974 , and welcome!  My brother-in-law, Andrew, had special needs, and lived with his parents for all of his 44 years.  Tell us more about yourself and your family; I'm sure there are other parents of adult children who are caregivers on this forum.  I look forward to connecting with you!  Warmly, Amanda