Plenaries
Liz Moulam: My child wants to be independent, just like everyone else
This is the story of a 12 year-old girl in mainstream secondary school who aspires to go to university and live independently. As a parent I have high expectations for my daughter, I want her to be successful and happy, fulfil her dreams, to have friends and a family. But am I being realistic?
It can be argued all parents want the best for their children, so is the parent of a disabled child any different from the parent of a typically developing child? Parents of disabled children juggle all the same balls as any other parent but also need to negotiate their child’s needs with numerous practitioners and suppliers. It isn’t always easy to listen to professional advice, to take on board varying policies, opinions and views and keep on side the people who will make things happen.
The session aims to share the highs and lows of life with a disabled child who is reliant on assistive technology to be independent and successful. This is a personal narrative and will use real examples of what has worked well, the lessons that can be learned and what from both parent and young person perspectives would help in future.