My Supports
My every daily support
system is my family – my husband, Jim, our sons, Jake and Zack. Jim supports me in more ways then one. He is my emotional support system; not only
is he my best friend, confidant, and counselor, he encourages and pushes me
everyday to go above and beyond expectations.
Jim provides more support at home than most husbands that I know. He drops our fourteen-year-old off at school every
morning on his way to work and picks him up after school, so that I can work in
another city and travel for work. Since
Jim and Jake get home at least an hour before me, Jim cooks dinner during the
work week. Since he grew up working on a
farm, Jim willingly works around the house fixing anything and everything that
breaks. Jake helps me with chores around
the house. Being fourteen is a trying
time, but Jake still finds time to hang out with me and sometimes even give me
a hug. And Zack, who is across the
ocean, checks in and chats at least once a week.
I cannot imagine a
life without my boys – Jim, Zack, and Jake.
They push me to be the best I can be.
They give me a purpose in life to continue when all is dark and bleak. Without their support, I would not be able to
balance everyday life, work, and school.
I am dependent on
technology to help me during the day. My
cell phone is not used just to make phone calls. Its alarm wakes me every morning (Mondays –
Fridays) at 5:30 am. It is my calendar
and daily reminder. Without it, I would
not remember which district I was going to visit and work with or when I had a
workshop to present. My phone is my gps
getting me from one district to the next safely and in a timely manner. It is my connection to friends and family on
Facebook. Many teachers and
administrators contact me via text to ask questions, clarify information, or
just chat. My work laptop is my primary support
when presenting workshops, providing support and resource information to district
personnel, and working in the office. My
personal laptop allows me to email friends and family, provide support to my
son with homework, access my online courses, and locate and purchase items for
my family and home. Without my
technology (laptops and cell phone), I would be disconnected from friends, family,
and clients. I would be unable to
provide support to the school personnel in our regional area.
After my surgery this
summer, I wondered what it would be like if something had gone awry during the
surgery. One side effect could have been
a disturbance in my thought and speech process.
My coworkers and their knowledge, experience, and passion for special
education would become the primary support system for me and my family. I would possibly need assistance with
everyday conversations and communications.
Visual prompts may need to be readily available for the occasions that I
am unable to process my thoughts and voice my thoughts. Depending on my speech clarity, a low-tech
communication board may be necessary to help me clarify my basic needs and
wants. On the days that my speech was
increasingly challenged, an iPad with communication apps or program may be
necessary to assist during face-to-face conversations with family, friends,
co-workers, and clients. Without assistive
technology devices, low-tech and/or high-tech, my ability to connect with other
and develop relationships would be greatly hindered. Losing the ability to
communicate with others can greatly affect the quality of life, since we are
such social creatures.
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| Core Board (low-tech) |
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| iPad with Proloquo2Go (high-tech) |
