Sat. Oct 12th, 2024

A Parent’s Guide to Supporting Young Adults with Additional Needs

What’s Possible? A parent’s guide to supporting young adults with additional needs and the route to creating an independent future

All parents worry about their children’s futures, but as a parent to a child with additional needs, the fears of navigating the future can be further intensified. It is often a parent’s role to encourage young adults and to help them develop responsibilities and learning skills for greater independence, for example building lasting relationships and understanding the value of money. By embracing the future, taking the reins and intentionally planning the next steps, parents can remove the uncertainty, turning the unknown into an exploration of what’s possible.

As a parent to a child with additional needs himself, Graham Caldow’s new book What’s Possible? proactively drives the discussion around how to plan better futures for young adults with additional needs. Through the book, he shares his own experiences as a parent and the tools he has created to support parents and guardians as they guide their children to not only live independently but be fulfilled by finding their purpose.

Within the book, Graham unpacks how every family can create an easy to follow and actionable life plan, using the unique ‘Red Giraffe Route Map’. Similar to a train map, the map is comprised of four main ‘lines’ or sections, detailing a separate focus: becoming more independent, managing relationships better, finding a daily purpose, and organising finances, and how young adults can develop greater independence and fulfilment in each of these areas of life. Graham believes with a life plan in place, young adults with additional needs can have a secure future.

What’s Possible? also combines the Red Giraffe Route Map, with the VOCAL method, through which parents can work through each area on the framework, develop a Vision of how the future might look, Options to get there, and Create a plan. After a period of time, parents can Assess what’s working and what isn’t, and eventually achieve their vision, their  Legacy to their children.

Full of practical, easy-to-implement ideas, What’s Possible? is for parents and those with parental responsibilities to help them push boundaries and explore potential, supporting young adults with additional needs to live the life they want, both now and in the future.

What’s Possible? Is published by Rethink Press and available on Amazon.

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By Penny McCarthy

Penny McCarthy is a seasoned entrepreneur and co-founder of Parents News UK, a pioneering publication launched in 1993 to serve the needs of busy parents in Southwest London. Alongside her husband, Fergus McCarthy, Penny played a crucial role in the rapid expansion of the printed edition, which grew from a local startup to a widely circulated monthly publication with a reach of 192,000 copies across Kent, South London, and beyond. Under Penny’s leadership, Parents News quickly became a trusted resource for families, providing valuable information on education, entertainment, sports, and family-friendly events. Her vision helped the publication extend its influence with franchises in Northern Ireland and Cornwall, catering to a growing demand for accessible, family-oriented content. In 1997, recognising the importance of digital media, Penny spearheaded the launch of Parents News UK Online. The website initially mirrored the content of the printed editions and has since evolved into a comprehensive online resource for parents, achieving significant popularity with up to 700 daily hits. In 2017, the publication transitioned fully to an online platform, continuing to inform and engage families across the UK. Today, Penny remains deeply involved in the ongoing success of Parents News UK, focusing on innovative advertising opportunities and future growth plans. Her dedication to supporting families through accessible and practical content has made Parents News a cherished name in households across the country.

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