Growing Up, Going Forward

By Avril Rinn Julie Dollar radiates enthusiasm as she talks about her life and future goals. Presently enrolled in the Child and Youth Worker program at Fanshawe College in London, Ont., Julie plans to work with deaf children when she graduates.

Life wasn’t always this good for Dollar, who is candid about overcoming many barriers, including her own negativity and lack of a clear vision for her future, to get where she is today. Deaf from birth, Dollar attended a residential school, then had to upgrade her literacy skills before she could start college. It’s been a long road, but now she’s well on her way to a successful career in a field she’s passionate about.

Through an American Sign Language interpreter, Dollar says self-esteem is one of the most important things young people must have to be happy and successful, and that her life began to change for the better once she started spending time with encouraging people and feeling more positive about herself.

Connie Hoffman, whose son Tom, presently attending college, has attention deficit disorder and bipolar disorder, agrees that self-confidence is crucial: “Kids have to know their own limitations, but feel good about who they are and what they can achieve.” She attributes Tom’s success to his own hard work, awareness of his abilities, and having goals for his future. She also believes that strong family support and her continuous and proactive involvement in his education helped him develop a positive self-image and feel confident enough to have high expectations and achieve them.

BUILDING SELF-ESTEEM
Children with disabilities don’t get much exposure to positive role models through society or the media. They seldom see people like themselves in newspapers or on television. When they do appear, people with disabilities are often portrayed as superhuman overachievers who have “overcome” a disability or as powerless and dependent, possibly representing a charity or in need of assistance.

As well, young people with disabilities tend to be more reliant on the adults around them, more sheltered, and consequently have fewer opportunities for independence and building self-esteem than non-disabled children would, all of which can have a negative effect on how they feel about themselves later in life.

Self-esteem and a positive self-image are invaluable assets for all children and are especially important for children with disabilities who, at some point in their lives, are likely to be faced with disability- related challenges or the negative attitudes of people around them.

Families and the school system can encourage the development of confidence and positive self-image from an early age by encouraging children to accept their disabilities as a part of who they are, and focus on the child’s abilities, strengths and talents.

As a guiding force in a child’s life, parents should begin to visualize and plan for their child’s future early. Things to think about include post-secondary education, employment, living independently, and having families of their own. As children get older, they should be included in making decisions about their future.

Activities outside of home and school are wonderful tools for fostering confidence, independence and acquiring new skills. Throughout the country, there are national and provincial programs designed for children and young people with specific disabilities, such as CNIB’s SCORE camp, which teaches computer skills to young people with vision disabilities, or the Special Olympics, which encourages children with intellectual disabilities to participate in sports. There are also many smaller local initiatives that provide activities as diverse as adaptive horseback riding, skiing and sailing.

Activities don’t have to be “special” to have positive effects. Municipal recreation departments, public libraries and community centres are good places to start looking. They offer a huge variety of programs and frequently have inclusion policies, meaning that they are willing to accommodate children with disabilities. These programs are usually reasonably priced, and many offer funding subsidies. Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, and Junior Achievers offer structured, long-term programs geared toward development of self-esteem, self-reliance and community participation. Volunteer work is also an excellent way for young people to get out into the community.

There are also programs that give older teens and young adults a taste of living independently. For example, The Independence Project (TIP), run by Bloorview Kids Rehab in Toronto, arranges for young people with disabilities to stay in a university residence for three weeks and teaches them life skills. (Read about one participant’s experience on page 33.)

Though families may have to search for appropriate programs and become creative in arranging accommodations, the rewards are well worth the effort. Anything that gets children involved in their communities, learning new skills and interacting with different people will create a lifetime of benefits. THE NEXT LEVEL
When it comes to the transition out of high school, Melissa Somerton, a secondary school development resource teacher, says, “It’s never too early to begin planning for the future.” With each of her students, in Grade 9, she starts looking at what comes after high school graduation.

For those making the transition out of school and into community programs, planning ahead is essential. Many programs have waiting lists and require applications and assessments. Starting early, having a flexible goal, and knowing what is available are key to a successful transition. Again, parents play a crucial role, since most services cannot be activated without parental involvement. The best time to begin researching and using services is before the young person has left school.

Somerton also says parents sometimes make assumptions about what services will be available after high school, and wait until the last minute to really think about their child’s future. She emphasizes the importance of “growing a support network” with the student, family, school and possibly social service agencies working together.

For students headed to college or university, the National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) is a good place to start the search for information on all aspects of disability and post-secondary education. NEADS offers resources on accessibility, funding and self-advocacy and provides contact information for various colleges and universities. It also offers an email support group that links students with disabilities from across the country. Students can also benefit from meeting other young people with disabilities by connecting with oncampus disability groups, which are often affiliated with a school’s student union.

All Canadian colleges and universities have offices mandated to assist students with disabilities. However, the type and level of services provided vary. Things like accessible housing, textbooks in alternative formats, assistive devices, transportation and ASL interpreters take time to arrange, so get started long before the school year begins.

There are many federal and provincial financial assistance programs, but applications must also be submitted well in advance. Students should contact their university or college as soon as they are accepted, or even before they apply, to inquire about services.

GETTING TO WORK
Though employment is the ultimate goal for most young people with disabilities, Canadians who report having a disability are much more likely to be unemployed than people without disabilities. There are a number of complex reasons for this, but young people with disabilities can greatly improve their odds of success by being realistic about their abilities, learning how to advocate for themselves, and making feasible educational and career decisions.

Vicki Mayer, who has spent 35 years working in social services as a sign language interpreter, behavioural consultant, life skills coach and executive director in Alberta and Ontario, says: “Often, young people with disabilities haven’t had the same expectations placed on them as their non-disabled peers. They start their search for employment not realizing what qualifications they need or what employers expect. Sometimes they lack crucial skills, like punctuality or basic literacy.”

The school system and families can help make the transition into the workforce successful by giving children and young people responsibilities and placing expectations on them in a positive and supportive environment. That way, when they are faced with similar challenges later in life, they’ll know how to handle them.

Across Canada, there are hundreds of community-based agencies that offer employment assistance and skills-training programs for people with disabilities. These services are usually free or subsidized. Frequently they are not well advertised, but you can find out about them through social service agencies or Internet searches.

No matter what the disability or whether a student is moving on to postsecondary education, employment or community programs, planning, a dynamic support network, good coping skills and a positive self-image will help to ensure a successful transition from secondary school to whatever comes next.

Avril Rinn is a freelance writer in London, Ontario