Advocacy and Connecting with Others
One important, if not the most important, step in the transition process is connecting with others when you need help. You will need to reach out to help navigate state programs, find caregivers, manage caregivers, and even managing school and work life when you transition to college
The first step in this process is knowing who to reach out to. If you have questions about managing caregivers, you may need to speak to your IRIS/Family care state worker. If you need help finding/managing state programs, you may need to seek out resources such as the ADRC, ICW, or your current state worker. If you’re looking for caregivers, check here.
The next step is having the confidence and independence to ask for help. This may sound easy, but for some this is the hardest step. It’s important to know that the aforementioned resources all want to help you and want you to succeed. All they need to accomplish this is for you to know your own needs, what questions you need answered, and, most importantly, for you to communicate these needs and questions. It may be nerve-racking to reach out to strangers, but this is an important step to becoming independent and reaching your goals and aspirations.
It is also important to reach out to others in the transition process. Odds are that someone has gone through a similar experience or had similar questions when they were transitioning. It is important to know that you can learn from others. Just by visiting this website, you’ve completed this step, but you can do even more by joining forums like this one. This forum has others who are looking to be independent, and questions that you have may be answered here. Second, it might be a good idea to reach out to your state worker and see if they know anyone who’s gone through a similar experience. Maybe your state worker can open up a communication channel to someone else who had the same situation as you and achieved success, and you could learn from that person.
Finally, it is crucial to point out that anyone can reach out to others, regardless of personality or propensity for shyness. I myself am very introverted, but I realized that if I wanted to achieve my goals, I needed to step out of my comfort zone. Always remember that the only obstacle in the way of your success is you. Only you can achieve your goals, and any obstacle that gets in the way, you can overcome.
