Irma Update

[Guest guest]

Thanks Irma for the update, sounded like a productive meeting even if

the outlook for adult services is bleak. It is the same all around

worse some places. We have been very fortunate and we pray it

continues. All the networking you're doing will pay off big one of

these days and some it already has. I guess you were feeling well

enough to jump in and attend this meeting. Don't wear yourself out. It

sounds like you were Miss Popularity at the meeting, love it, wouldn't

that have been fun for all of us to sit and talk about all these things?

Will look forward to hearing from Martha. Louise

Re: Canada/ Louise, Peggy Lou

Thanks,

Yesterday I had attended the Texas Council on Autism & PDD Meeting

out in Austin to review them in action discussing the State Plan

proposal that has been gathered by all the Council members, TX

Agencies & from the Task Force Chairs who represent their cities here

in TX. I'm partner with Martha Moyer here in SA to help support her.

I was allowed to voice my concerns/input too and by the way one of

the TX Agencies is a mom of an 18 y/o son with the dual dx and her

son was dx with AU at the age of 13. So you can imagine how we hit it

off.

Anyways after my observation there I noticed that some of the

discussions of course was aimed towards the younger kids which is

grand because the sooner the better for services so alot of them

would not fall behind. Some of the parents who were the Council

members with older kids like teen to 20 y/o's still were not so much

knowledegable to see how much to work with the system for the older

adults or when our kids end up getting older and so I decided to

thank you both and I know there are more out there like Sara, Joan,

etc. who has shared some great information. Please continue sharing

your information as yes, we are from different states but reading

what has worked or what is going on I am being more alert to learn

with these concerns. Borrowing information from another state to

continue supporting it to work and so that most well not re-invent

the wheel. Saw the members who wanted to work something out about the

issue of lack of support. Only one particular proposal from one of

the Chair kept bringing up the fact of they needed more funds for

their residential center and many of these parents/AU Regional

Advisory Committee who have sons or daughters who are adults after

the meeting kept venting at me that this agency is not for the adults

they are more for their center only for money as one of the parents

had to remove her son from the facility.

During the meetings with my get away moments to the restroom several

of the AU Committe Chair had chased me down the hall to tell me that

some of the issues I ended up bringing up which several did not agree

in the room like one particular chairperson had to share how I was

certainly true about alot of issues and many do are not aware of the

hidden under the funds which are never questioned about or found on

records and how he supported me. Totally politics here and it really

seems like it has to be their creative way of ideas of plans. Most of

the concerns of the community was shared and will be discussed with

more follow up meetings before the actual proposal actual date in

July to turn them in with the Legislature to get the ball rolling.

The stories that were shared with me from the parents with adults,

does make me nervous, leaves me concerned about it. Most of them told

me we do not hear much of the parents with adults under the spectrum

was due to the lack of support of what it entails and immediately

placed in a residential community and the parents just gave up. So

when these voices are unheard funds are always messed with. Now what

I would like is something like Pathfinder or Louise how 's

program has come along, this sounds wonderful. Many here are not

happy with the day programs, day care for adults or agencies. I just

wanted to thank y'all after this ordeal. I am also going to get

involve as I was invited to become an Advocacy committe member, so we

shall see how this turns out. Sounds interesting, most of all is

because I have new friends who are professionals from all over Texas

and I wish y'all had seen how most of them wanted to sit at the same

table where I was sitting during lunch time. Not bad for my first

day.

Thanks!

Irma,17,DS/ASD

Peggy and Louise I gave your email address to my friend Martha and

shared a little of y'all's stories so just wanted to forewarn. : )

Please do not hesitate on sharing with her on anything to do with the

adult community issues. God Bless.

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