Transition To What’s Next
Lighthouse meets every other Wednesday evening from 8:30-9:30 pm (CST). If you haven’t joined us before, we invite you to come and sit awhile with this beautiful group of parents. As a community, we gather to celebrate the highs and support each other through the challenges. This is a conversation with other parents who understand what you are experiencing. Grab your favorite beverage join us. This is a program for parents with students attending Islands of Brilliance programming. Register here.
Can you believe we are already more than a month into the school year? For our Lighthouse families, the year is off to a great start! One of our students took his first in-person college exam which provided a sense of independence and pride. Another didn’t want to leave school early for an appointment and is making it through the days a bit longer each week. While these might seem like small markers of success to some, they are giant victories for many of us. And each moment is one worth celebrating!
Reading isn’t always FUNdamental.
Back in September, I came across an episode of the NPR podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour which discussed The Highs And Lows Of High School Required Reading. In high school and college, I found reading the required books a real struggle. Rather than reading, I developed the strategy of listening closely and taking notes on what the teacher highlighted in class…which typically prepared me enough to get by on tests and term papers.
This podcast made me want to revisit some of the classics that I skipped over. And more interestingly, discover some of the newer classics that are being taught in our schools by more diverse voices than the list I grew up reading. As we prepare for the cooler months ahead, I plan to dive into some of these books with a hot cup of tea, cozied up by the fire:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
The Night Trilogy: Night, Dawn, Day by Elie Wiesel
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Are there any books that you’d suggest adding to the list? If you could create a high school reading list, what books would you include and which ones would you kick off the current curriculum?
IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct)
A few of our families have students who are in their senior year of high school. In our community, the transition that occurs at age 18 is a big one with many considerations. One of which is a change in funding systems. IRIS is “a self-directed program for Wisconsin’s frail elders and adults with disabilities. You have to be eligible for Medicaid to be in the IRIS program. IRIS is built on the principles of self-determination and self-direction. That means that you will have the freedom to decide how you want to live your life.”
Two of our families are just starting the move to IRIS and last week they tapped into the knowledge of our families with older children. Because IRIS is set up to be client-driven, it can be confusing to get started. Case managers do not present a menu of services that are covered. Figuring out the services really does land on the individual and their family. Based on the results of an initial functional screening your child will be slotted into a budgeted funding stream based on their long-term care needs and goals. This actually sets up the system to be a lot more flexible than the funding streams for children under 18.
As one parent suggested if there is something your child wants to do, always ask if it will be covered and explain how the request will help them reach the goals they want to achieve. The parents shared some of the services they have had covered through IRIS including transportation, Healing Harmonies music and art therapy, Islands of Brilliance programs, Pink Umbrella Theater Company, Jewish Community Center classes and health club, Wisconsin Athletic Club, Pace Autism Services, museum memberships, as well as respite and home care services.
Finding the next thing
As our children get older and finish up high school, discovering what’s next is no small undertaking. As one parent shared, they are “moving past obstacles so we can figure out what forward is.” And for many of our students, high school is a huge obstacle! But once the daily structure of school is removed, what can fill that large block of time can become overwhelming as well. In addition to the services listed above, working with your child to discover “what’s next” can be an exciting opportunity. At Islands, we always take the approach of teaching and guiding through an individual’s area of interest.
For many of our kids, the school experience has brought on some serious trauma. This can be an opportunity for our kids to discover what learning can look like outside of the classroom. Self-directed learning can create lifelong explorers. Online courses through Skillshare, Craftsy, Rosetta Stone, and Duo Lingo can inspire many avenues of creativity and learning. There are endless tutorials on YouTube. And continuing education courses at MIAD, MATC, and UWM can provide a new classroom experience. Not to mention all of the classes offered through our local libraries and rec centers. There are also many social and educational experiences on Meet Up and Eventbrite.
Helping your child find opportunities to expand their knowledge and experiences around topics that interest them can provide a safe opportunity for self-discovery, building confidence and independence.
Fall Harvest
As always, we love our food conversations at Lighthouse. As the fall season brings us chilis and soups, we talked about dishes that are using up the last of our garden harvests and farmer’s market hauls. Here are two delicious recipes we’ve recently enjoyed at my house.
Vegetable Stew from the Moosewood Cookbook is a delicious and hearty stew that transformed as the recipe progressed. I honestly didn’t see how it was going to come together…and then there was the molasses that added the magic. (Be sure to add the zucchini and mushrooms that were left out of the online recipe I linked to!)
Lentil Minestrone Soup from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone is one of the author’s all-time favorite soups. Packed with veggies and greens, this flavorful soup is familiar and comforting…like a cozy sweater on a crisp, fall day.
Peace and Love,
Matt and all of us at Islands of Brilliance
