August 15,2007

Finding Center

Sometimes life with a child who has a disability is overwhelming. There’s a lot to coordinate each day beyond the usual mayhem. All parents feel the push-me, pull-you of life from the moment their children are born. When you add in “the disability factor,” this mayhem often continues far longer in our lives than we expected. There are days when my family thinks I’m looking for the keys to the car or my cell phone, but I’m really looking for my sanity. Usually this means I need to take some time to be quiet, focus, and center myself to find what I’m looking for. It is a process that also works when evaluating how to best meet the mission of Creating Solutions: To do good work for and with people with developmental disabilities and their families, to improve the quality of life and communities.

This past spring I went back to school to earn a Master’s in Education in Instructional Design through the University of Massachusetts – Boston online program. One of my intentions is to be able to create easy-to-access and understand online learning opportunities for parents, self-advocates, health care professionals and others through Creating Solutions. The opportunities for people unable to travel due to time or other constraints seem endless.

Students in the online degree program are required to take two intense summer courses face-to-face on Nantucket Island. I just returned from that experience and I have taken away far more than the learning planned by the instructors. It was a rare slice of time, during which I was able to step away from my usual disability-oriented life and center down in thought and spirit to replenish my soul. Thanks to instructors who challenged us to think and classmates who embraced the experience with a passion for learning, exploring, playing, and personal growth, it was a gift with great impact.

Just as the time with classmates in Nantucket centered me personally, the time spent with families and self-advocates in Kansas City at the National Down Syndrome Congress Convention centered my work on my way home from Nantucket. It is clear the programs of Creating Solutions are unique, collaborative, and needed. We are reviewing the results of the survey posted online to determine the next best steps for a for Creating Solutions. Be looking for more information regarding sponsorship, Disability Solutions, the Down Syndrome-Autism Information Center, and webinars this Fall. In addition, there will be poignant insights from The Adventures of Turning 18. It was a colorful year, filled with mystery and intrigue.

Attempting to place all the pieces to the puzzle of life is not easy. Sometimes things just don’t fit together the way they look like they should and I focus too much on one piece, neglecting the others. It can be overwhelming. Spending time on an island, with no television, radio, or Internet access, but filled with time to learn, play, engage in meaningful discussions, and go on motorcycle rides (even when lost) can do wonders for regaining focus.

For parents of children with disabilities, opportunities for such a complete break are rare. But when they come, for me, they bring an exciting resurgence of passion for "creating solutions" that impact the quality of my family's life and yours. Regardless of where you are in life, think about taking some time to find your center. I plan to make time on a more regular basis, thanks to Nantucket!

Joan Guthrie Medlen, RD, LD, is the Project Director of Creating Solutions, Founding Editor of Disability Solutions, and the mother of two young men, one of whom has Down syndrome, autism, and celiac disease.

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©2007 Joan Guthrie Medlen
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