Book On Children With Disabilities- The value of work for kids with disabilities
Most presidential historians consider Abraham Lincoln to have been America’s greatest president. Of all the values and principles our 16th president believed in, the idea that an individual should work hard was the one he believed in most. For a frontiersman like Lincoln, hard work meant survival, and that strong work ethic stuck with him his entire life. “Though laborious and tedious … work, work, work is the main ingredient for success in life,” he said.
I could not agree more.
Sadly, a lot of folks don’t believe this today. In my fifteen years working closely with hundreds of parents and guardians of youth with disabilities, I have encountered many families over the years that resisted having their child enter the workforce because they can get paid not to by collecting disability income—even if their child is willing and able and eager to work.
When informed that in some cases their children may be able to both work part time and collect supplemental monthly SSDI benefits simultaneously, most parents or guardians choose to have their child just collect and not work.
By not subscribing to Lincoln’s belief regarding work—and the belief of millions of others—I think that these parents and guardians greatly limit their children. And that’s a shame. If a child can work and wants to work, I think they should be encouraged to. Even if it’s volunteer work. Work is good for the soul.
Although I’ve never been opposed to giving a man a fish to feed him for a day or even a few days, weeks or months, I feel it is far better solution to teach a man how to fish to feed him for life.
When speaking to parents, aside from letting them know how rewarding a paycheck is for someone just entering the workforce, I expound the virtues of the many intangibles a job would bring a teenager with a disability. This includes a boost in confidence, the ability to be a part of his or her community, the feeling of belongingness at work, opportunities to socialize with other people working hard, a positive and safe place where he or she could go within their community, and an opportunity to advance in a career, to name just a few.
If after saying all of that they’re still not interested, with one last-ditch effort I remind parents or guardians that their child may still be able to work a certain amount of hours each week and keep their SSDI monthly benefits. I try my best to make my case, but many parents don’t buy it. And, of course, it’s their right not to. I get that.
At the end of our meetings with these particular parents or guardians, I’m often told that their decision has already been made. There’s nothing that I can do to change their minds, so I thank them for their time and leave. Their child is usually crushed because they’re being prevented from working just like everyone else. And I leave the home crestfallen.
I believe this mindset is a massive impediment to any hopes for a future career for these kids who often want to work, yet are prevented to. I’ve seen kids with all different types of challenges who were once written off as “unemployable,” “too challenged to work,” etc. succeed once given a chance to work.
Thankfully, over the years I’ve been blessed to work with some parents and special educators who support students with disabilities getting out into the workforce. They’ve hired me to provide community-based vocational and educational services to their children/students above and beyond what schools may or may not be providing them in the school. Though I don’t make much money in my chosen line of work, I’ve never been “paid” as much as when I help a teenager with a disability get their very first job. It is an incredible feeling.
In my next post, you’ll read about how a 14-year-old classified with multiple disabilities is thriving because of the business he created and the emotional support and encouragement he received from his parent. Yet another ‘special story’ from Special Stories.
For more stories on children with disabilities, visit https://www.specialstoriesbook.com to learn about the new book, “Special Stories: Short Stories On Youth With Disabilities And My Adventures Working In The Disabilities Field” by Mike Kelly (2017, Vendue Books)
