Parents of teens with disabilities

I have three children, two of which have disabilities. My oldest son who is 19 has severe ADHD, OCD, and Aspergers. My daughter who is 16 has Down Syndrome. My husband and I love them both dearly but I have to say they are more of a handful now than when they were little. Am I the only one that is experiencing this or does anyone else here share the same feelings?

I have heard of someone with a similar situation. In order to avoid the stress, it would be advisable to employ a nurse or helper who comes in like three times a week. This will give you the parents some time alone as well as relieve you of the stress you have been going through.

All you need is patience and a miracle to survive it all.

darkchild,

Thank you for your response. I greatly appreciate it. I think your idea of hiring someone to come in to help out is great but unfortunately we don't have the money to do that. Believe me if we could my husband and I would. It would definitely relieve some stress from us. It is just hard to transition from out kids being little and sweet to getting older and being more defiant (my daughter) or closed off and having a lack communication with me and my husband (my oldest son). I do have my oldest son in therapy and that is helping him out. Like you mentioned patience is necessary to help survive this part of life.

Hi,

Things get a bit tougher when stress comes from everyday factors not to mention being on a tight budget but I think it's wonderful that you guys still manage to survive despite all these things that you're waking up to and living through day by day - that's pretty impressive and I can't imagine myself going through that.

I hope your patience never withers and that you remain strong as time passes..

Growing up with a brother who was disabled wasnt easy not just to me but my parents too. You are a strong mom and I commend you for that. God bless you.

Hello,
I am sorry to hear the story of your three children. I do understand the pain you may be going through and the challenges you are faced with. However, I just want to encourage you to soldier on, and I know you will succeed. I just want to share something little on how to take care of the child with down syndrome.
Be patient with the child- because of the condition; the child may take a little longer to grow and respond to stimuli. So you must always remember to be patient.
Ensure that you take the baby to tests regularly to help check the condition of the heart, the hearing, vision and the overall health of the child.
Love and care- this is the most important thing that should be given to the child who has down syndrome.
Give help- whenever you notice that the child is trying to do something, but he is unable, you need to try and give help. The child may be slow at crawling, walking, you need to help and support him.
As a parent, you need to create a support network of friends and family as well as the community.