July 15 Post Nine

Casey’s high school assisted in her transition upon aging out of special education services. Her behavioral and academic functioning posed problems with job placement within the community. The school recommended a group home with supervision and was willing to assist in finding an unskilled job, but expressed reservations due to Casey’s tantrums and inappropriate social behavior with men. People with disabilities who demonstrate behavioral issues find it difficult holding down jobs for any great length of time. If Casey is to succeed on a job, her behavioral issues must be under control. Her inappropriate behavior with men could pose the problem of being taken advantage of and the potential for an unwanted pregnancy in the future. The school took both these issues into consideration when recommending a group home with supervision. Casey’s proficiency with daily living skills would serve her well in maintaining herself in the home as well as making her eligible for a job that involved cleaning skills. Fast food restaurants, diners, and other casual eating places, always need unskilled individuals for clearing, and washing tables, as well as sweeping and washing floors.

            Sarah had been feeling stressed about Casey, and the reactions of Jacob and Fred to her pregnancy. Fred never wanted a baby and was against abortion. He wanted nothing to do with the baby, and was out of the picture shortly after finding out about the pregnancy. Jacob was angry that Sarah was not sexually responsible and was about to have another baby when she was already struggling to support and care for Casey. To make matters worse, Sarah had been experiencing morning sickness which affected her ability getting through her day to day tasks. Adding to her stress was word from the group home that they had an opening for Casey, which meant that Sarah faced the task of preparing Casey for the transition. Fortunately, the staff at the home offered suggestions and invited them to visit. Sarah talked to Casey and called Jacob in preparation for their visit. She felt that Jacob would want to be a part of this decision.

            The visit went very well. Casey loved the home and had a positive experience with one of the people in the home. Sarah and Jacob had an opportunity to talk, and Jacob felt the home would be beneficial for Casey to develop some independence. He also felt the timing couldn’t have been better, given Sarah’s pregnancy. Sarah chose to wait to tell Casey about the pregnancy until after Casey had made the transition into the group home. Surprisingly, Casey made the transition better than anticipated. The staff at the home was extremely helpful in making the transition go smoothly. They were also actively assisting Casey with finding a job. A local restaurant was seeking someone to clear and wash tables, as well as sweep and wash floors. They were made aware of Casey’s disability and were still willing to give her a chance.

            Casey had not had a temper tantrum since entering the group home. Inappropriate touching behaviors had diminished with consistent negative reinforcement from the staff. They used frequent reminders, verbal corrections and loss of privileges for inappropriate behaviors. Casey was rewarded for appropriate behaviors with added privileges.  If Casey continued with this progress, the staff was optimistic for her success.

            With Casey settled in the group home and working at the restaurant, Sarah had time to deal with her own situation. She was in no position financially to provide for a baby, especially as a single parent. Fred had left and wasn’t assuming any responsibility for the baby. She and Jacob had divorced, so his relationship focused primarily on Casey. Sarah shared Fred’s feeling about abortion, so abortion was not an option. That left Sarah with giving the baby up for adoption. As much as she hated the idea, it was the best decision for her and the baby. Sarah worried about what effect it would have on Casey, and wished she could have avoided telling her anything. Sarah eventually told Casey, who did not react strongly to Sarah’s news. Casey had been living and working independently, and her low intellectual functioning made it hard for her to fully comprehend the concept of adoption.

            Sarah gave birth to a 6.5lb baby boy and struggled with the idea of giving him up. Sarah had to face the reality of her decision. The one factor that helped Sarah make her decision was that the adoptive parents had agreed to an open adoption. This meant that the family would maintain contact with Sarah through letters and pictures, and her son would know who his birth mother was, and have access to her information should he wish to make contact with her in the future.

            Casey’s living and work situation had served to increase her emotional maturity, and the supervision provided in her group home helped in decreasing maladaptive behaviors. Living in a group home provided a sense of family and consistent opportunities for social interaction with staff and members of the group home. Over the years she achieved a sense of independence, and responsibility for herself and her home. The functional life skills she was taught in school had been used on a daily basis, whether it was at home, work or in the community.

            Sarah had been able to return to school part time, and earned an Associate’s degree which provided the training that she needed to work as a dental hygienist. Sarah was able to find a job that was a 20 minute train ride from her apartment. She started with a salary of $40,000 a year with excellent health benefits. She earned enough to move into a nicer apartment and saved enough to buy a used car, so she could drive to work and get together with Casey more often. She heard regularly from the adoptive parents and had made a scrapbook with pictures of her son’s growth through the years. Sarah sent him presents on his birthday and holidays. Having this job and new apartment saddened Sarah, for she thought, if only she could have kept her son.

            Casey had been seeing one of the group members who had sustained a brain injury as a child. His name was John and he too suffered from intellectual deficits. They had been dating for over a year and Casey, now 34, recently learned she was pregnant. In a recent dinner with her mother, Casey told Sarah that she was pregnant. Sarah listened with disbelief. Casey wanted to keep the baby. As Sarah listened, it brought back memories and feelings of her situation years before. Only this time, the baby would be born to two intellectually disabled parents. The etiology was not genetic, so Casey’s baby could be born normal and healthy. Sarah was filled with a wide range of emotions and was strongly ambivalent about Casey keeping the baby or giving it up for adoption.  What did Casey know about parenting? How could she afford to keep and raise this child? These and many other questions ran through Sarah’s mind.

Questions:

1.     How successful are marriages among adults with intellectual disabilities?

2.     Can intellectually disabled parents successfully raise a child?

3.     What are some of the problems associated with children who are raised by parents with intellectual disabilities?

Decision Point:

Does Sarah help Casey to keep her baby or give it up for adoption?

http://www.iheartadoption.org/open-adoption/about-open-adoption

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_retardation#Epidemiology http://www.researchgate.net/publication/15226208_Parenting_education_for_parents_with_intellectual_disabilities_a_review_of_outcome_studies