Our Services Part 3: Helping You Achieve Independence

Education is only one of the important aspects of personal growth; the other most essential part of personal development is their independence. Beating all of the obstacles that seem to work against us can seem to be overwhelming and impossible at times, but once you do, having that sense of freedom is an awesome feeling. Self sufficiency isn't something that is easily earned; it is a gradual process; even at the age of 23, I am still a work in progress. 

For the past couple of weeks, I have written about the many services that NRS offers; I want to touch on a few today that I feel will open the doors of independence to clients and will help them to soar to unimaginable heights. I also want to share the hopes and dreams I have, and the kind of mentor I aspire to become. 

Driver's education classes are something that we are hoping to provide in the future; they will be made available to all clients, and will teach them important on the road knowledge such as, how to change a flat tire or what to do in the event of an accident. We also will work with those who face the battle of anxiety and panic attacks. As a mentor, I would want to be someone who is relatable; I have had an issue with that very battle since I was 16 years old; there is nothing more terrifying than driving down the road, and suddenly not being able to breathe, not hearing anything around you, and feeling as though you are not present in your own body. I have overcome a lot in my lifetime, but I will admit I haven't dealt with it all. I hope to conquer the anxiety issue and drive successfully some day. I would want clients to see that I'm very much in the same boat as them; I'm just a girl with relentless determination, brown eyes, and a big smile! 

The continuing education seminars and the habits of independence classes that we offer will benefit the young adult client who is either going to work or is starting college. I am looking forward to being a speaker and sharing my college experiences with them and their families;I will offer note taking tips, tips on how to study, class scheduling advice, dorm life advice, friendship advice...I have stories for just about any scenario and will be more than happy to answer questions!

The most important thing to us at Next Right Step is that our clients and their families learn to work together to grow and learn. We want to show that with the right attitude, hopes can become a reality; it is a long road with many challenges, but it is worth it to keep moving!

Our Services Part 2: Making the Plan

While the building of a solid life foundation is important, it is only the beginning of a transformational journey. The next phase of the NRS process, is for us as a team to work together with you and your family by taking part in your educational experience and helping you to create a life transition plan that is made to fit your specific needs and goals. 

At Next Right Steps, we strive to make every phase of your life as positive and stress free as we can; as consultants, we provide IEP support, transition plan development and/or review, and recommendations for supportive aids and services that utilize the Universal Design for Learning approach, which works to decrease the barriers of learning by encouraging inclusionary activities in the classroom; college support meetings are also provided to clients that wish to further their education. We have services for just about anything!

As a part of the process, we want to provide as much guidance as we can; we provide one on one tutoring for those who may be struggling in school with any particular subject; we also serve as mentors to provide you with access to convenient, real-time advice on any situation you may face. As one of the mentors, my main goal is to use the experiences I've had to influence another person's life. Much of my life has been lived on a trial and error basis, and I had to learn a lot on my own, but I hope to change that for other people. I want to be the voice of reason for many. Always have fun in life, but also have goals! Be content with yourself. These kinds of things give a glimpse of the impact I hope to make.

At Next Right Steps, we also focus on the teaching of life skills such as time and money management, and how to navigate the services that colleges offer (ie. disability services, library services, and on campus tutoring options). Self exploration and the inclusion of the family in the soul searching process is also included as a part of your NRS journey, because we believe that the transition to adulthood is a family affair; we help you to determine possible career choices by matching your strengths and interests with the environment and the demands of the field. In other words, we help you to find a possibly perfect fit!

Next Right Steps is something that we hope will empower many; we work to help you through any challenge that's in front of you, and we care about your happiness, success and the quality and satisfaction of the care you receive. Stay tuned for next week as I write about even more of our services!

Our Services Part 1: Building The Foundation

Next Right Steps™ is a program that solely focuses on working with people who have disabilities by helping them to transition into adulthood and achieve their goals; what makes us so unique from other occupational therapy programs is that we work together with you and your family to bring out the abilities one might have in spite of their disability. We offer services that benefit both the parent and the child while covering all the stages of an individual's life journey. 

Last week, I gave only a glimpse of what we as coaches, mentors, and consultants do at Next Right Steps™. Moving forward, I hope to go into a little more detail about a particular few services we offer, with each week being focused on a different cluster of  services; this week, I have chosen to write about our shared interests groups for children,  our caregiver/parent coaching and support system, and the teaching of social emotional coping skills that a person of any age who faces the real world with a disability will need in order to function in society. 

I chose to write about these services first because I feel that they are the most crucial ones; developing a sense of belonging, self worth, and determination at an early age is the foundation  of being fulfilled in all parts of life. The biggest obstacle for the parents is having to accept that their child is different, and having to change parts of their life to accommodate the needs of their child. The biggest obstacle for the child is trying to learn how to fit in, how to belong, and figuring out how they might one day contribute to society. 

Our shared interest groups are something that I am really excited about because it's something that I wish I had growing up. We offer many activity groups for clients including rock climbing, fencing, technology, fine arts, yoga, botanical horticulture, etc. The biggest way to combat anxiety, depression, and the emotional issues that come along with being labeled "different" is to get involved in something you love. As a teenager, I was involved in theater and getting to play different roles. I loved acting. I loved performing period; one of my favorite shows to this very day is Glee.  Nowadays, my love is being a writer because it is something I can identify myself with. I have a purpose; some of my best work is done on days when I am full of feelings. Our shared interest groups will also give clients the chance to learn to socialize and to have a place of support for each other and I like that; having a friend who knows exactly what you might be going through can be the biggest source of comfort. 

In my life, another obstacle that I have faced is having to grow up constantly being ridiculed for my cerebral palsy. I kept a smile but never truly new how to defend myself. I just took the punches.  I ended up going to college not knowing a thing about how to properly socialize and when someone got close to me, my lack of self esteem took over and I stuck with those people in any way I could. Social skills and emotional coping skills are crucial to successful, positive peer relationship development during any stage of life  and the teaching of these said skills is something Next Right Steps™ offers as a part of the process. I think this service in particular is one of the main reasons I am happy to be a part of something like this; I've learned a lot in life just by both my successes and my failures. I am looking forward to sharing my story with clients and being their tour guide of life. I'm just one. We're all here to be listening ears!!!

The last service I want to touch to today is probably the most helpful in building a solid life foundation for a child, and that is the coaching and supports that our consultants provide for parents. I wrote of this in a previous post, but the parents' lives are the lives that are changed forever; their normal is gone and so they have to adapt to what we call  a "new normal"; having a disability is all that child knows, but the coaching and counseling that is provided is meant to help the parent realize that even though their child is different, they can still be productive; it is also meant to help the parent cope emotionally with the specific needs and/or demands of the disability their family may face. Learning how to deal with all of it can be very beneficial to the child in that it will make them see that the parent does believe in them and it will affect their life in such a positive way. The best thing a parent can do is be the strong one; my mom always has been and I've picked up a lot from watching her in situations over the years. All of the things I mentioned in this post work together to form the foundation of a healthy, happy life, this is just the beginning...stay tuned to read more about Next Right Steps™.

Why Choose Next Right Steps?

Everyone knows that growing up with a disability can be challenging; it can make life seem very complex. If you or someone you know needs a guiding hand, a listening ear, or a group full of encouraging friends to help you conquer life one step at a time, then Next Right Steps™ is the place for you! You might be wondering what makes us so different from other disability rehabilitation programs, and today I'm here to tell you all about what we do. 

We Encourage Self Exploration: We serve clients that range in age from middle school preteens to college students. During those years, life is a time that is all about self exploration; we won't put pressure on you to make a definite decision about what to do with your future. We just want to be there to be the guides of your path and to listen to you and your family when you need us most. 

We Let You Go At Your Own Speed: Life can get very busy at times; change is inevitable and we understand that. As a client of Next Right Steps, you will not be required to take on more than you can physically or emotionally handle. An overwhelming life causes more stress than is needed, so we are more than willing to accommodate you every step of the way . We would encourage middle school and high school age clients to find classes and/or extracurricular activities that not only interests them but also fits their environmental need. We cater to what YOU want! 

We're Here to Listen 24/7: We strive to serve you and your family as coaches, mentors and consultants who are readily available at your convenience. We use collaborative and proven interventions from around the world that will meet you where you are.  We want to make your transition to your "new normal" as stress free as possible. 

We Help You Set Realistic Goals: Our main purpose for encouraging soul searching is the goal of one day seeing clients take what they have learned from it and to find their direction. We want to be able to help you to realize your strengths, talents, and potential and apply that to your future; it is all about learning to think you "CAN" instead of you "CAN'T" because anything is possible. 

Next Right Steps™ is a privately owned program that lets you decide what is best for you. We encourage a six month commitment to our NRS process that will allow you to experience on a first hand basis the services we have to offer! Our mission is to bring gradual, authentic transformation to lives of those with disabilities by putting the "Ability" into "Disability". Check out Next Right Steps™ today!