Q&A: Adulthood Transitions: Developing New Dreams and Goals

In this episode, Ashley Belknap discusses life with a young adult impacted by disability through the lens of a parent’s goals and dreams for their adult child.

As children with disabilities grow, it is important to pause and reflect on parental goals and dreams in each stage of life. Sometimes parents’ expectations need to be reframed in light of the realities of their child’s personality, gifts, strengths, and weaknesses. Parents may need opportunities to grieve their dreams that may never happen. But it is very important for the mental health of the parents and child to continually dream and set goals—even if those goals and dreams need to be changed along the way.