I was diagnosed at a young age and went through the special education system in public schools. Family is incredibly important to me as I grew up in a large supportive family. I enjoy being outside in nature and arts and crafts.
View all postsGratitude for My Supports Team
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I’m so fortunate to have a support team of people who care about me. I had been making do for many years before I was fortunate enough to be able to join a program that had support staff. The dedication and the hard work these people do on behalf of many people who need support is amazing. I know from my own experience that they’re caring, kind and that they go above and beyond the job description. I know for a fact that this job is hard, stressful, and it involves long hours. I appreciate the fact that they have smiles on their faces, positive attitudes, and the willingness to listen to my problems even though I know as human beings they probably have a list of their own problems too.
Speaking of issues, I believe that human services are a really important service however I don’t think they get the respect, support, and resources they deserve. I know that’s true of many different positions, especially the less glamorous behind-the-scenes type of jobs. I wish that I could make the lives of the people who support me better. I wish I could increase their pay, decrease the working hours, and I wish they had a lot more support.
I know that it’s not possible for me to do that however I can say “thank you” on a regular basis and I can say I appreciate what they do. I can make sure that I try to decrease the amount of complaining I do. I can make sure that I pay attention to what they’re saying. I also need to follow through with what I say I’m going to do not just say it. I also try to give them a warning before I make changes in my schedule that affect them. After all, their lives are unpredictable as it is, and adding to that uncertainty is one thing I don’t want to do. Most of all I can give them respect as people working hard for a difficult and demanding profession.
I tried to communicate through my actions and words this sentiment that my support team makes my life better. What they do matters to me and lots of other people. My support team makes my life more complex, vibrant, and rewarding. They have allowed me to be more independent, self-confident and I’m able to take more risks than I would by myself. Without my support team, I know I would have probably been hospitalized a couple of times. I know I wouldn’t be living independently without the team. I most certainly wouldn’t have this job. I feel like my life is so much richer in that I have two cats, I live in a great apartment, and I have good friends. There’s so much that I would never have achieved on my own.
It just struck me that if you live in Pennsylvania and you receive support, you can write to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Autism if you’re interested and let them know how much that support means to you. You could also write to your representatives to say how much the funding for the services that you receive improves the quality of your life and/or loved ones. I know for a fact that writing or even calling has an effect. Speaking up and saying how much this improves everyone’s lives is important. I’m not sure of the details but I know that lots of people speaking up are the reason that I received my program right now.
This blog was inspired by and dedicated to my support team. Thank you for being there for me every day. Thank you for treating me like a friend. Thank you for trusting and showing your real personalities. I guess in a way this blog is about gratitude and appreciating what I have. I hope you as a reader have people and things that make you joyful, happy and help you feel secure. I believe that everybody should have people around them who care about them. As always, I hope you find something useful in this blog, and best wishes to all of my readers.
Out-of-Sync Woman
