PARENTS & CARERS

As most adults know from their own experience, the period known as adolescence is probably the most difficult and unsettling period of adjustment in one's development. It is a time filled with physical, emotional, and social upheavals. Until a young adult leaves secondary school, a parent experiences a sense of protective control over the young adult’s life. This protective guidance normally involves educational, medical, financial, and social input to assist the young adult’s growth. When your young adult leaves this setting, you as a parent will undergo a personal struggle in "letting go." There is always a certain amount of apprehension associated with the young adults’ entrance into the adult world, as the greater responsibility for adjustment now falls on the young adult and the parent's role diminishes.

For the young adult with additional support needs, this developmental period can be fraught with even greater apprehension, for a variety of reasons. Depending on the nature and severity of the support required, you as parents may play more of an ongoing role in your young adult’s life even after he or she leaves secondary education.

Depending on your young adult’s capability to make reasoned decisions, you as parents may have to continue to make vital decisions affecting all aspects of your young adults lives; you need not shy away, thinking that you are being too overprotective if you are involved in the young adults life after they leave school. On the other hand, as parents you should use all your energies to encourage the young adult’s steps toward independence if possible.

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Since planning for the future of a young adult with additional support needs can arouse fear of the unknown, you may tend to delay addressing these issues, and instead focus only on the present. It is our belief, however, that working through these fears and thinking about the young adults best future interest will ensure a meaningful outcome, regardless of the nature and severity of a support needs. You as parents will be exposed to a transitional process during the young adult’s school years that will provide a foundation for the adult world. This transitional process will include many facets of planning for the future, and should be fully understood by everyone concerned each step of the way. Planning for the future is an investment in a young adults well being, and the purpose of the Fairway project is to support that investment and to help all understand all the aspects of this important time.

deFur (1999) states that “transition refers to a change in status from behaving primarily as a student to assuming emergent adult roles. These roles include employment, participating in post-secondary education, maintaining a home, becoming appropriately involved in the community, and experiencing satisfactory personal and social relationships.”

It is with this in mind that the Fairway project aims to provide a support service that will support young people with additional support needs to realise their potential and support the development in their role as adults. We will provide an individualised approach putting the person at the centre and moulding the service around the needs and aspirations identified by the person, providing a positive transitional experience that prepares them more for the adult role.  

The model of service was designed by the young people themselves in order to be further supported in the areas they felt they required more guidance and assistance.

Furthermore, Fairway supports the carers by researching and resourcing information and advice and signposting them to appropriate and relevant agencies and services. Fairway also works in partnership with the carer, communicating and meeting on a regular basis to update and review the progress, support and concerns regarding their young person.

If you feel this service is right for your young person, then please contact their care manager or social worker in order to make a referral to the Fairway Project.

We hope you find the information contained in this website interesting and informative.