Transitioning to Supported Independent Living
By Michael Burke
Special education research has recommended considering the transition of neurotypical youth into adulthood and comparing that with an individual with special needs.
When neurotypical individuals leave school, many opportunities present themselves. As a parent or career, these are what you must assist with accessing independently, such as:
Accessing further study
Getting a drivers licence and possibly their own car
Leaving home to live with friends or others
Getting a part time or full time job
Getting a partner
Increasing life skills in the home such as cleaning, cooking, washing…
Going out with friends and/or partner to social events
Managing finances for long term goals and independence
Opportunities for travel domestically and overseas
Making mistakes, understanding and moving forward from them
Choosing whom you want to be part of your life and who you do not wish to associate with
For an individual with special needs, previous opportunities after leaving school were limited to:
remaining at home to be supported by their parents.
Thanks to the NDIS, there is more opportunity to access support and achieve defined goals. An individual also has choice and control over who they want to assist them in achieving those goals.
Despite these added opportunities, this does not alleviate the stress for parents and carers in deciding which opportunities to engage after school. Leaving home and establishing yourself independently is a challenge for anyone. Lavender Co. has assisted individuals to navigate leaving home and increasing their independence through Supported Independent Living.
Lavender Co. believe the process of transitioning to Supported Independent Living should be:
Transparent - where parents and carers are involved in the process
Calm - not rushed or pressured through deadlines or finance
Gradual - where individuals have the opportunity to slowly transition
Personal - where individuals have choice and control over where they live and who they may live with.
We welcome everyone to come visit and talk about our opening for Supported Independent Living opportunities to see what may work for you. Find out more about how we can help you by emailing hello@lavenderco.com.au or calling us on 1300 LAVENDER.
Michael Burke
Founder of Lavender Co.
