Supporting Families Through Coaching, Mentorship and Creative Expression


Barton Cutter


AT THE AGE OF FOUR, I RETURNED from a day at camp where one of the older campers had been using her new power wheelchair. At one point, she recognized my intrigue and offered me the opportunity to sit in her lap and take the chair for a spin. I was hooked. The freedom to move independently was so freeing and I knew, even at that young age, that this could open up worlds for me. That evening at home, I said to my parents, “I need a wheelchair with one of those gear things so I can make it go on my own.”


They recognized immediately what I was saying as well as my desire and motivation to be able to navigate my world independently. Amazingly, I was fitted for a wheelchair and as soon as I got myself into the seat, I was tearing off about the house trying to fit into the tiniest places in order to learn the limits of my newfound tool.


In my work as a coach and mentor for families and youth with disabilities, I’ve noticed over the years that


26 EMPOWERED | Winter 2011


the ability to transform the core beliefs about who we are and what we’re capable of has a huge and lasting impact on our abilities to create meaningful and independent lives. My work with families in particular has shown me that parents are the single most important influence in determining how capable and dynamic a child can become as they grow into adulthood.


When we can shift our perceptions about ourselves from what we cannot do to what we can do, and even more importantly from what is supposedly wrong with us to recognizing ourselves as whole people (even as children), we can begin to identify a plan that speaks to our own dreams while addressing a variety of personal needs along the way. This in turn, sets up a reservoir of energy that we can tap into to navigate challenges as they arise from day to day.


Parents of Young Children: Wading Through an Overwhelm of Opinions


Before diagnosis, it’s not uncommon for parents to know that their child is somehow different from others, whether or not other professionals formally diagnose a developmental or intellectual disability. Family members may feel ignored when they bring up questions and concerns that experts in the field dismiss. In some occasions, receiving a diagnosis may serve as a confirmation that the family understanding is accurate. At other times, however, a diagnosis of a


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