From Daniela and Tina -
We have just added a new facebook group devoted to this blog so that everyone here can communicate with each other more easily. We hope this facilitates the sharing of new information and ideas. We'd still love for everyone to comment directly on the blog, but now everyone who has an interest in Daniela's journey AND the journeys of other young adults with intellectual disabilities from around the world can share this common interest!
As of today, people from 27 states and 11 countries have logged on to this blog and it is expanding daily. I hope that the Facebook page encourages more people to check out the blog and also to promote the idea that adults with intellectual disabilities have a great deal to contribute to society and the world.
I hope you all join us on Facebook!
All the best, Daniela and Tina
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=131089560235784
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
A Magazine Article
This week my mom and I did something exciting together. We wrote a magazine article. We wrote it for Adoption Today magazine. My mom has written lots of stories for Adoption Today. Some of them were about me. I've always wanted to write a story for a magazine. This time I got to do it!!!
We wrote the story about the new college programs for students with intellectual disabilities. We also wrote about Think College and my blog. The story will probably be published sometime this summer.
I can't wait until the magazine comes out!!! I hope the story helps other kids who are adopted and have disabilities to have better futures!!
love, Daniela
Adoption Today Magazine
http://www.adoptinfo.net/
We wrote the story about the new college programs for students with intellectual disabilities. We also wrote about Think College and my blog. The story will probably be published sometime this summer.
I can't wait until the magazine comes out!!! I hope the story helps other kids who are adopted and have disabilities to have better futures!!
love, Daniela
Adoption Today Magazine
http://www.adoptinfo.net/
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Photos, Newsletter, and a Job Search
This is a mixed post. I wanted to show you a couple of photos Daniela recently took - one of her cat and one of a dog from the shelter. Daniela has always been a very good photographer. She is a very visual person and I think that is why she takes such good photos. She is very patient and knows when the right moment is to get just the right shot. (future career?..... hmmm)
I also wanted to tell all of you that this blog, which is featured on the Thinkcollege web-site, was also featured in the May newsletter!(go to thinkcollege.net/publications to see the newsletter and an archive of their other newsletters -you can also subscribe to the newsletter -it's a wonderful way to see all the new things going on)
This is great because it means more people will be able to see and follow her blog and her story. Already people from 20 states are following her story. The page view count is now over 600 and this is just since we added the flag counter a few weeks ago. The flag counter has been a super way for her to see that people are actually reading what she writes. She is really hoping for all 50 states. She has a way to go yet!
The next big thing she will be writing about will be her job search. We met with her vocational rehab counselor last week who helped set us up with an organization that will assist Daniela in finding a job. They will use her interests and skills to help them find the right part-time job for her. They also provide a job coach who will assist her to learn the responsibilities of the job and help her feel comfortable doing the job on her own. With school ending soon, Daniela wants to keep busy and earn money until she starts at her (still undetermined) college program. She'll keep volunteering at the Humane Society as well. She wishes she could get a paying job there because she loves it so much. Maybe some day!
Thanks so much to everyone who continues to follow her story. She loves sharing it with all of you!
All the best, Tina
My boyfriend Jeremy
He and I are both working really hard to become independent. Our parents, families and friends are proud of both of us.
Love,
Daniela
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
College Interviews Part 3- Coastal Carolina University LIFE (and overview by Tina)
Hi,
A couple of weeks ago we went to our last interview at Coastal Carolina University. It is in South Carolina near Myrtle Beach. Our drive down there was very windy. When we got there we walked around Broadway on the Beach and went to Planet Hollywood for dinner. I had a blue Spiderman milkshake. It was so much fun!!
The next day we went to the University where we met the program director and the students that are in the program. We went on a tour of the University with a nice student named Jamie. She is a student mentor. She told us all about the program while we were walking. After the tour, we went to the cafeteria, where we had lunch with the other students in the program. They were really nice and friendly. My mom had lunch with the program director.
Later in the day, I had my interview by myself. There were lots of people in the room. They asked me lots of questions. I was a little scared when I saw so many people, but it went well. They asked me what I was interested in. Then my mom went in the same room and talked to all the people. I sat and talked to the receptionist while my mom was in the interview.
Later that day, I went to Magicquest at Broadway on the Beach. It was a fun, but tiring day!
It was a really good trip. I enjoyed all my college interviews. The programs were all very interesting and the students. teachers, and mentors were all very nice. I really hope that I can go to one of the programs I interviewed at. I think it would make me more independent and ready to live life on my own!!!
Love,
Daniela
From Tina - I agree with Daniela that all of the programs we visited were very interesting. Each one was unique, but each also had similar goals - to, as Daniela said "make students more independent and ready to live lives on their own".
Coast Carolina's program was different than the first two programs in that it is a four year program. This past year was their first year of operating so they are still working out some of the components of their program. Their objectives are very similar to Clemson's but spread out over four years.
They do seem to give students a little less freedom to move about the campus, but again since this is the first year for the students and program, I would expect them to be providing more support initially.
The current students (four) either live locally and commute from home, or live on campus during the week and go home on the weekend. I am not sure how they would deal with an out of state student like Daniela, but the program director, Dr. Savage-Davis, said they are working on that issue.
The students are very integrated into campus life with strong involvement with the student mentors. They take classes separately and some together (modified and audited) with the regular student population. They go to many college activities, (as they also did at Clemson), including, plays, sports events, etc. Dr. Savage-Davis said the students have made a great deal of progress during the past year.
All three programs have an involved application and interview process. Each gave us such a wonderful opportunity to get a really clear picture of what their program offered. They welcomed and answered questions thoroughly and always answered my emails promptly (unlike some of the programs we initially pursued). I really appreciated their candor about the challenges their students have in negotiating this new frontier.
I would highly recommend all three programs for families who are interested in giving their children with intellectual disabilities the best chance to succeed in life. Not all students will be ready to undertake such a huge shift in their lives after finishing high school. Daniela wasn't ready last year when she graduated from high school. Give your students as many work, volunteer, and independent life experiences as possible before sending them away to school. It will give them and you the chance to see if they would have a good chance of succeeding away from home in a post-secondary program. Daniela has some friends who absolutely do not want to live away from home. Perhaps if your student feels this way, you will be fortunate enough to find a commuter program in your area. ( We are NOT that fortunate.)
Financing these programs is challenging. They are not inexpensive, especially if they are out of state. We did not save for college. Now we will have to really watch our funds to afford this for Daniela. She receives SSI which will definitely help. (Some states also offer funds for these programs through their Vocational Rehab services. Virginia, apparently, does not.) Daniela is applying for the PASS program through Social Security which would allow her to work and save funds for school without her SSI being severely penalized. Hopefully the Higher Education Opportunity Act will kick in shortly for these programs and students will be able to apply for the same federal grants, loans, etc. as regular college students. Check out the links on this blog for more info on the financial aspect.
We will fill you in more about Daniela's choice of program as we know more from Clemson and Coastal Carolina. She may not start start school this fall, but hopefully within the next year we'll be packing her up for college. What a momentous day that will be!!!
All the best,
Tina
A couple of weeks ago we went to our last interview at Coastal Carolina University. It is in South Carolina near Myrtle Beach. Our drive down there was very windy. When we got there we walked around Broadway on the Beach and went to Planet Hollywood for dinner. I had a blue Spiderman milkshake. It was so much fun!!
The next day we went to the University where we met the program director and the students that are in the program. We went on a tour of the University with a nice student named Jamie. She is a student mentor. She told us all about the program while we were walking. After the tour, we went to the cafeteria, where we had lunch with the other students in the program. They were really nice and friendly. My mom had lunch with the program director.
Later in the day, I had my interview by myself. There were lots of people in the room. They asked me lots of questions. I was a little scared when I saw so many people, but it went well. They asked me what I was interested in. Then my mom went in the same room and talked to all the people. I sat and talked to the receptionist while my mom was in the interview.
Later that day, I went to Magicquest at Broadway on the Beach. It was a fun, but tiring day!
It was a really good trip. I enjoyed all my college interviews. The programs were all very interesting and the students. teachers, and mentors were all very nice. I really hope that I can go to one of the programs I interviewed at. I think it would make me more independent and ready to live life on my own!!!
Love,
Daniela
From Tina - I agree with Daniela that all of the programs we visited were very interesting. Each one was unique, but each also had similar goals - to, as Daniela said "make students more independent and ready to live lives on their own".
Coast Carolina's program was different than the first two programs in that it is a four year program. This past year was their first year of operating so they are still working out some of the components of their program. Their objectives are very similar to Clemson's but spread out over four years.
They do seem to give students a little less freedom to move about the campus, but again since this is the first year for the students and program, I would expect them to be providing more support initially.
The current students (four) either live locally and commute from home, or live on campus during the week and go home on the weekend. I am not sure how they would deal with an out of state student like Daniela, but the program director, Dr. Savage-Davis, said they are working on that issue.
The students are very integrated into campus life with strong involvement with the student mentors. They take classes separately and some together (modified and audited) with the regular student population. They go to many college activities, (as they also did at Clemson), including, plays, sports events, etc. Dr. Savage-Davis said the students have made a great deal of progress during the past year.
All three programs have an involved application and interview process. Each gave us such a wonderful opportunity to get a really clear picture of what their program offered. They welcomed and answered questions thoroughly and always answered my emails promptly (unlike some of the programs we initially pursued). I really appreciated their candor about the challenges their students have in negotiating this new frontier.
I would highly recommend all three programs for families who are interested in giving their children with intellectual disabilities the best chance to succeed in life. Not all students will be ready to undertake such a huge shift in their lives after finishing high school. Daniela wasn't ready last year when she graduated from high school. Give your students as many work, volunteer, and independent life experiences as possible before sending them away to school. It will give them and you the chance to see if they would have a good chance of succeeding away from home in a post-secondary program. Daniela has some friends who absolutely do not want to live away from home. Perhaps if your student feels this way, you will be fortunate enough to find a commuter program in your area. ( We are NOT that fortunate.)
Financing these programs is challenging. They are not inexpensive, especially if they are out of state. We did not save for college. Now we will have to really watch our funds to afford this for Daniela. She receives SSI which will definitely help. (Some states also offer funds for these programs through their Vocational Rehab services. Virginia, apparently, does not.) Daniela is applying for the PASS program through Social Security which would allow her to work and save funds for school without her SSI being severely penalized. Hopefully the Higher Education Opportunity Act will kick in shortly for these programs and students will be able to apply for the same federal grants, loans, etc. as regular college students. Check out the links on this blog for more info on the financial aspect.
We will fill you in more about Daniela's choice of program as we know more from Clemson and Coastal Carolina. She may not start start school this fall, but hopefully within the next year we'll be packing her up for college. What a momentous day that will be!!!
All the best,
Tina
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Please Comment on my Blog!
Hi, this is Daniela again! I am so excited that so many people are looking at my blog. I want to thank all of you. People from 17 states have looked at my blog ( and some other countries!) I would like to ask all of you to please write comments on my posts. I loooooove reading them. It does not matter if I do not know you. I would love to hear from you!
Thanks!
love,
Daniela
Thanks!
love,
Daniela
Clemson and Horizons overview from Tina
From Tina -
I hope you enjoyed Daniela's posts on the first two visits to post-secondary programs. I want to add my take to Daniela's on our visits to the programs she has written about so far. Both the Clemson and Horizons School have fabulous, very well thought out programs. We were treated so well at both interviews.
At Clemson LIFE, whose focus is on students with intellectual disabilities, we were part of a group of families who were given a very thorough overview of the program. We met many of the teachers, mentors, and students. This program, in a very short time, has garnered so much support in the Clemson community and has thought of every contingency. We were incredibly impressed by their goals for their students and their plans to help them meet those goals. The students had a great deal of self assurance which Daniela and I both admired. She was very nervous about the interview, especially since it was the first one. I waited down the hall from her while she spoke with the program director Dr. Sharon Sanders. She put Daniela at ease, because I could soon hear laughter coming from the room.
Clemson is a 2 year program that starts with giving the students lots of support and having them live in on campus housing. They gradually lessen the support and the students handle more and more decisions and responsibilities. They work on campus the first year. By the second year, the goal is for them to live in off campus housing and have an off campus job. They take classes together and with other students on campus. If they are ready, they also take some regular classes at a nearby community college. The student's interests and strengths are strongly considered for classes and jobs.
Daniela was very proud that she has been placed at the top of their waiting list. (They accepted mostly young men for next year to even up the gender numbers in the program). They accept about 4-6 students a year, so for Daniela to even get a place on the waiting list was a real achievement for her.
At the Horizons School, we visited and interviewed by ourselves. The program is one of the older post-secondary programs for students with disabilities. It's focus is on students with learning disabilities (including Asperger's Syndrome), so it was a stretch for Daniela to interview there. We met the director, Dr. Carter, at a conference in No. Va. and she encouraged Daniela to fill out an application and come for a visit.
We met her again on the day of our visit to the program (and her dedicated staff) and had a very full day of visiting the students and school. It, too, is a very well thought out program. They meet the varying needs of their students who were all quite wonderful. Some of these students had regular high school diplomas (and even some college!).
This is also a two year program (with an optional third transitional year) and is independent of any college or university. Though they use some different methods from Clemson in helping their students to achieve their goals of living and working independently, they are very effective and most of
their students go on to independent lives and careers.
We were thrilled that, after a very rigorous application and interview process, Daniela was accepted to the Horizons program. It was really difficult to make the decision to decline their offer at this time, but we all felt, most importantly Daniela, that she really needs a year of living on campus before being able to live in off-campus housing (even with the extra support they give in the housing). Horizons is in the process of preparing to build their own housing and if that component was in place, Daniela would have probably accepted the offer to attend. Daniela grew up in a rural area, like her big sister and myself. Marcy and I both had culture shock when we moved to downtown Richmond Va. for college. Living in a big city apartment would have been even more challenging for Daniela. (I think that is why most college students are required to live on campus their first year.) I do want to make this point - the current Horizons students handle the off campus housing very well and do get lots of support in their apartments.
Daniela will write about her last interview soon and I will also add comments to that. For all families who are entering this same process and who have more questions, please feel free to email me. It is a daunting but exciting process! I wish you all good luck and give my thanks to the incredible dedicated staffs - from Clemson LIFE, Horizons, and Coastal Carolina LIFE for treating us so well and giving us so much of your time. For all the programs out there, thanks you so much for giving these fine young adults the chance to prove they can achieve their dreams!
All the best,
Tina
I hope you enjoyed Daniela's posts on the first two visits to post-secondary programs. I want to add my take to Daniela's on our visits to the programs she has written about so far. Both the Clemson and Horizons School have fabulous, very well thought out programs. We were treated so well at both interviews.
At Clemson LIFE, whose focus is on students with intellectual disabilities, we were part of a group of families who were given a very thorough overview of the program. We met many of the teachers, mentors, and students. This program, in a very short time, has garnered so much support in the Clemson community and has thought of every contingency. We were incredibly impressed by their goals for their students and their plans to help them meet those goals. The students had a great deal of self assurance which Daniela and I both admired. She was very nervous about the interview, especially since it was the first one. I waited down the hall from her while she spoke with the program director Dr. Sharon Sanders. She put Daniela at ease, because I could soon hear laughter coming from the room.
Clemson is a 2 year program that starts with giving the students lots of support and having them live in on campus housing. They gradually lessen the support and the students handle more and more decisions and responsibilities. They work on campus the first year. By the second year, the goal is for them to live in off campus housing and have an off campus job. They take classes together and with other students on campus. If they are ready, they also take some regular classes at a nearby community college. The student's interests and strengths are strongly considered for classes and jobs.
Daniela was very proud that she has been placed at the top of their waiting list. (They accepted mostly young men for next year to even up the gender numbers in the program). They accept about 4-6 students a year, so for Daniela to even get a place on the waiting list was a real achievement for her.
At the Horizons School, we visited and interviewed by ourselves. The program is one of the older post-secondary programs for students with disabilities. It's focus is on students with learning disabilities (including Asperger's Syndrome), so it was a stretch for Daniela to interview there. We met the director, Dr. Carter, at a conference in No. Va. and she encouraged Daniela to fill out an application and come for a visit.
We met her again on the day of our visit to the program (and her dedicated staff) and had a very full day of visiting the students and school. It, too, is a very well thought out program. They meet the varying needs of their students who were all quite wonderful. Some of these students had regular high school diplomas (and even some college!).
This is also a two year program (with an optional third transitional year) and is independent of any college or university. Though they use some different methods from Clemson in helping their students to achieve their goals of living and working independently, they are very effective and most of
their students go on to independent lives and careers.
We were thrilled that, after a very rigorous application and interview process, Daniela was accepted to the Horizons program. It was really difficult to make the decision to decline their offer at this time, but we all felt, most importantly Daniela, that she really needs a year of living on campus before being able to live in off-campus housing (even with the extra support they give in the housing). Horizons is in the process of preparing to build their own housing and if that component was in place, Daniela would have probably accepted the offer to attend. Daniela grew up in a rural area, like her big sister and myself. Marcy and I both had culture shock when we moved to downtown Richmond Va. for college. Living in a big city apartment would have been even more challenging for Daniela. (I think that is why most college students are required to live on campus their first year.) I do want to make this point - the current Horizons students handle the off campus housing very well and do get lots of support in their apartments.
Daniela will write about her last interview soon and I will also add comments to that. For all families who are entering this same process and who have more questions, please feel free to email me. It is a daunting but exciting process! I wish you all good luck and give my thanks to the incredible dedicated staffs - from Clemson LIFE, Horizons, and Coastal Carolina LIFE for treating us so well and giving us so much of your time. For all the programs out there, thanks you so much for giving these fine young adults the chance to prove they can achieve their dreams!
All the best,
Tina
College Interviews Part 2- Horizons School
Hi everybody,
After we left Clemson, we drove to Atlanta where we stayed in a hotel. The next morning we drove to Birmingham Alabama. We went to visit the Horizons School. This school isn't part of a college. This school has a great program to help people become more independent. We spent the day with the students. We went to a class and visited their apartments. I had an interview by myself. I really enjoyed the day.
That night we had dinner at a cool pizza restaurant called The Merry Mushroom. The chairs were shaped like mushrooms.
I really loved The Horizons School, and I was so happy that they accepted me into the program. But I decided that I am not ready to live off campus yet. They are going to build their own housing, but they haven't started it yet. Maybe someday in the future I might go there after I finish another college program. I do feel sad about not going there because I really liked everyone there, but maybe someday we will meet again!
Love, Daniela
After we left Clemson, we drove to Atlanta where we stayed in a hotel. The next morning we drove to Birmingham Alabama. We went to visit the Horizons School. This school isn't part of a college. This school has a great program to help people become more independent. We spent the day with the students. We went to a class and visited their apartments. I had an interview by myself. I really enjoyed the day.
That night we had dinner at a cool pizza restaurant called The Merry Mushroom. The chairs were shaped like mushrooms.
I really loved The Horizons School, and I was so happy that they accepted me into the program. But I decided that I am not ready to live off campus yet. They are going to build their own housing, but they haven't started it yet. Maybe someday in the future I might go there after I finish another college program. I do feel sad about not going there because I really liked everyone there, but maybe someday we will meet again!
Love, Daniela
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