My name is Cheryl and I am a wife (27 years married), a mother to 2 great young adults (22 and 24) and a fur baby, an Assistive Technology Consultant (14 years) and now a blogger/podcaster at #Life Without a Filter!
For months, I have been hearing that “whisper” (you know the one, that small voice in your head that gives little whispers about where your path should next take you) about sharing my journey as a parent to a now young adult with learning differences as he is transitioning from public school into adult services. Why? Even though many of my son’s friends have started and made this transition, it can still be a very scary, lonely journey from the bubble of public school into the vast unknowns of adult services. I wanted to create a platform to share our struggles and successes and resources that have helped us (and some that may have led us astray) so that other families can join in and create a community of support and assistance.
I also want to highlight other families’ experiences, so we will have interviews sharing their journeys and how they are also “thinking outside the box” regarding programming, services, and life in general.
Every family has a different image/idea of what adult life should be for their child and there is no one “right answer”. As they say, “once you have a met a person with a disability, you have met ONE person with a disability”. Our kids do not all have a cookie-cutter life where their disability label places them into one group with one path. We are all unique individuals, regardless of our strengths and weaknesses, and each individual should be able to live the life that brings them meaning. With that said, where our family’s path is taking us may not be where your path is going, and that is OK! This is a judgment-free, no-preaching-allowed zone! I will open up and share what works for us, and if it works for you, great!
As a Disclaimer: I am NOT a lawyer, a medical doctor, or a licensed psychologist. I am writing this blog as a mom sharing her journey and opinions. My views are my own and should not be construed as being any direct medical or legal advice. (I hate having to write a disclaimer, but this is the world we live in!)
I named this blog “#Life Without a Filter” because one of the many gifts of my son is that he will often speak first, saying what everyone in the room may be thinking but won’t say aloud. This can sometimes lead to laughter, embarrassment, or tears, but that honesty and seeing things for what they really are can also be seen as an “ah-ha” moment for many. Over the years, we have been writing them down, and some of those filter-free moments will appear in the blog/podcast!
Thank you for joining us on this journey, wherever it shall take us.
Talk soon,
Cheryl
#Life Without a Filter 