The In-Between

There is a place I call the in-between.   It's a place unique to children like my son.  Somewhere in the developmental process it almost seems like you have stalled by the road side and are broken down.  We are in an in-between season and I suspect  we will be for an undetermined amount of time.  Even though my son has officially finished high school, he is not ready for college or trade school.   This journey is new and unpredictable.  My husband and I have taken steps to help him aim for bigger and better things in life and prepare for the next phase.

One of the first things we have done is added a transition counselor who specializes in my son's diagnosis.  He has helped us to focus on accomplishments, creating them, and recording them so they can be an encouragement.  I help him keep track by recording them so in the session I can help him remember if needed.  He is also working on goals and career choices along with investigating careers of interest at his own pace.

Another thing we do daily is create opportunities to learn, apply, or participate in new life skills.  This can be a simple as writing a check, a trip to the store where he goes in alone for items, or staying at home by himself for a few minutes while I run an errand.  We are training him in every possible area.  My son loves learning how to cook foods he likes and it boosts his self-esteem.

We set goals that pertain to his skills and future desires.  He is learning how to type and works on reading regularly for future education.  We have sought out classes and lessons in the community that help him develop his art skills for future endeavors.   He is writing letters of correspondence to his therapist and family to better his communication skills.

Is this a phase I can say is easy?  Absolutely not, but I am learning to take it a day or week at a time.  The reality is that his doctors and therapists are working on skills he has to acquire to proceed with life  and those have to come first.  One step at a time.  If he acquires the coping skills to handle the anxiety, then and only then can life proceed.   It's a delicate balance.  My husband and I continue to seek for wisdom and direction to help him adapt and proceed through this in-between phase. 

One thing that I am sure of is this hasn't been our first in between phase, nor will it be the last.

Learning to Limbo! 

Lynne