Going Solo

BY KIMBERLEE RUTAN MCCAFFERTY To the casual onlooker it was not a remarkable scene. A middle-aged mom trudging through the rain, huge beach bag slung precariously over her shoulder while clutching the hands of a ‘tween and a younger son, heading for the relative paradise of a movie theater overhang. If anyone had cared to look they would have viewed a grim determination in her eyes, a desire to reach her destination etched into the […]

Youth Participation In Transition Planning

BY VALERIE LEITER In 2004, Congress added new transition requirements to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), striving to improve youth outcomes after high school. These new requirements say that the Individual Education Program (IEP) must include “appropriate measurable postsecondary goals” and the “transition services… needed to assist the child in reaching those goals.” They also give students the right to participate in planning once their IEP meetings focus on transition from school. It […]

Depression In Adolescents

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 11 percent of adolescents have a depressive disorder by age 18. Depression can be a chronic illness or a short term reaction to a life stressor. Military lifestyle involves more than just deployments. Stress on the family and adolescent can come as a result of many moves, changing schools, leaving friends and community connections, constant training, and separation of the active duty service member. Deployments are […]

Becoming An Adult

GENETIC ALLIANCE The world’s leading nonprofit health advocacy organization committed to transforming health through genetics and promoting an environment of openness centered on the health of individuals, families, and communities. It is important to think ahead and consider the needs your child will have so that you can make sure those needs are covered without unnecessary interruption. BECOMING AN ADULT NAVIGATING THE HEALTHCARE TRANSITION PROCESS Becoming an adult comes with lots of changes: new responsibilities, […]