Ask The Arc
What Do Professional Services Add to One’s Life?
Following the natural progression of life, it is a wise practice for people with developmental disabilities to incorporate professional services into their network of support as they exit school and access adult resources. This allows family and friends to remain as such, with clinical assistance helping with care and skill building; offering respite; providing navigation; and building greater circles in areas such as college, employment, and social life where family and individuals naturally need to separate with respect to dignity and personal growth.
Life’s milestone moments that create separation between parent and child sometime happen on an amended timetable for young adults with disabilities. Some people learn at a more concentrated pace. Others might have fears or need to address safety concerns. There can also be a tendency for an adult child and parent to remain connected because of caregiving tasks. The goal of meeting milestones as close to age similar peers should continue beyond one’s school years.
The Arc of Frederick County is a provider with choice. People served choose the professionals who work with them and people have authority over major and day-to-day life decisions. This model was established by parents and self-advocates so families were not alone, overburdened, and isolated trying to do everything themselves. This allows for thoughtful future planning, with caregiver input, so parents can be a part of their adult child's ultimate independence, seeing their success and passing the baton to a caring community that they helped create and trust.
Incorporating clinical support from The Arc includes Support Coordinators making connections to professional, trained caregivers to maintain and teach skills. This is especially important at work where best practices demonstrate that people with disabilities are more likely to accept constructive criticism from a paid staff person than they would a paid friend or family member.
Life will never be free of barriers or the need to accept situations that send people on unexpected trajectories. Paying friends and family can quickly exhaust resources. However, incorporating professional services widens a person’s network and preserves relationships. The greater a person’s circle, the easier it is for them to maneuver through these times with an ability to look back on how the experience shaped them to come out a stronger, more independent self-advocate.
Contact The Arc at (301) 663-0909 for helpful information.
