A Different Kind of Marathon

In some ways, raising a child with a developmental disability can feel like running a marathon – it is certainly not a sprint. New challenges come up at every phase of your child’s life from birth through school years, to transitioning into adulthood and senior years. Abilis is there for families at every step. I thought I would post just a couple success stories of how Abilis has helped families over the years. We cannot run the marathon for you, but we can help make every mile easier.

“In the hospitals, we were always told about “Birth to Three” services. This really meant very little to us, since we had two other typical children and were not aware of the programs Birth to Three encompassed. With the birth of our third child, we embarked on a new path of parenthood, learning every step of the way. We found that everyone at Abilis Birth to Three provided us with information, support, guidance and, above all else, the assurance that as new as this process was for all of us as a family, it would somehow become normal over time - which it has.”

“Without the help of the Abilis Autism Program…, my child would not have been able to reach most of his objectives and goals… This past June [my son] broke his leg and was placed in a full leg cast. Abilis staffed, developed and oversaw a home program for him, and also found us a grant to pay for the extra expenses. The cast came off in time for school, and not only was his leg healed, he had more language skills and fewer inappropriate behaviors, was calmer and happier than before his accident.”

From one of our residents and a participant in our Employment Services program: “When I came to Abilis, I met Paul Jourdan (Abilis Community Network Coordinator). He took me to a Mets and Nationals game. It was at the old Mets stadium. Now it's Citi Field. I know the Mets lost! Right now, I have a roommate and six of us live in the house all together, including a new housemate who moved in August. I know how to clean and vacuum. I use the dishwasher and sometimes I mop the floor. Pretty soon, I am going to be able to wash and dry my clothes without any supervision. I do it with limited supervision now. I also am working at multi-tasking; that is going to happen soon. My cooking skills are getting better. Pretty soon I am going to be able to cook with no supervision; right now it's with limited supervision. My specialty is cooking homemade macaroni and cheese from scratch. I haven't made it in a while, but my housemates like it… I've done a lot of outdoor work. I enjoy it. This last week or so, we've been going to pick up logs and splitting them on the same day. Depending on the size, I can pick up the logs and put them on the truck. I just like having a job to make money. To an extent, I have a preference for outdoor work, but I just enjoy working for a living.”