Happy Anniversary to Us

This month marks the two-year anniversary of Another Normal.  I love being able to share information here and help families.  And I love hearing from readers and introducing them to each other for additional support and assistance.

I also love summer, and some of the other things that keep me busy and fulfilled.  So I’m taking a break from this newsletter for the next few months to focus on coaching and my writing project about resilience and families with disabilities.  Many of you have helped me research this topic, and I look forward to talking with you in the coming weeks about how you’ve achieved resilience throughout your journeys.  Thank you in advance for your time.

 

Enjoy the warm days and weeks ahead – which I hope are filled with ample time to rest and refuel (at least a little).  Enjoy the following news, information and resources, too. 

Summertime is always the best of what might be.

—Charles Bowden

“Ma difference c’est ma force.”

I think it’s fair to say that most parents of individuals with disabilities strive to find opportunities for their loved ones to contribute – at school and then, as they bloom and grow, at work, too.  This is no easy feat.  Many parents, myself included, struggle to help our adult children identify ways they might become employed. Perhaps this is why I was so elated to discover the Café Joyeaux while traveling recently in Paris. 

 

Meeting the many talented people behind and benefitting from the cafe(s) reminded me of the universality of disability.  Our journeys may be different, just like our “kids.” But all around the globe, parents are working towards similar goals.

 

In our search to find places for our adult children to work and grow, we often wind up creating new companies and business opportunities to provide for an entire community of people with disabilities.  That’s what happened in Paris, with the Joyeaux Café.   It’s occurring all around the world, in fact, and this newsletter joyfully spotlights initiatives that are finding success.  They give us hope.

In France, this concept has spread well beyond Paris. There’s even talk of opening a Café Joyeaux in New York city. C’est fantastique!

 

Close your eyes and see if you can smell the coffee, croissants and croque monsieur (mine was delicious!).  Then take a look at what Café Joyeaux is all about (below).  Their tagline, “My difference is my strength,” says it all. I think the world definitely needs more of this. How about you?

Speaking of employment.

Here is news about a small hotel and some large corporations that are all working hard to provide job opportunities to people with disabilities.  As we know, a job can change everything for a young adult looking to enjoy the benefits of teamwork and feeling successful.  What can you learn from these examples? Who can you share them with?

Dating coaches.

Here’s an interesting segment from NPR’s “Morning Edition” on how dating coaches can help people with autism navigate the world of romance.  Worth a listen.

 

Learning opportunities.

Speaking of dating, East Educates is hosting an online class for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  This virtual offering focuses on relationships & sex education paired with social skills, giving adults the ability to make healthy choices, prevent abuse and see themselves as informed sexual beings.  The class covers relationships, appropriate touch, consent, gender, body parts & functions, hygiene, dating, sexuality, social skills, social media, decision making, birth control, STIs, self-advocacy skills & more.  It also includes one parent/caregiver meeting.   Runs weekly (morning or evening sessions) from August to December.  Learn more HERE.

Unicorn Children’s Foundation in Florida is hosting a virtual class this summer to help enhance retail job skills, plus many more interesting online courses. Check out details HERE.

Another Normal is a free e-newsletter for parents, caregivers and others committed to helping young adults with disabilities bloom and grow.  If this copy was forwarded to you, please sign up below to receive your own beginning this Fall.