disability may come as a shock, raising a whole host of other questions. Now what will my child’s life be like? What will they be capable of? Will they live a normal life? How can we find the best support systems for them, and what do those look like? Do we have financial and personal support systems in place to care for our child? What are the implications for my own life?


One of the biggest issues I see from parents of young children has to do with the varying opinions of what to do after a diagnosis. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with the number of personal and professional opinions. Having a coach or mentor who holds the family’s visions in focus acts as a sounding board to enable each of the members to clarify their personal perspective, is able to integrate this with the perspective of other family members and creates an action plan to move forward can be a lifeline to parents.


Deciphering Your Family’s Path I often hear from both parents and youth alike that my approach to developing practical solutions to move people toward their dreams is a bit unorthodox. It is not uncommon for me to encounter families that have been struggling so hard to maintain hope that their dreams have faded or have even been forgotten. In both coaching and creative expressions, the first step is always to revitalize the family with the courage to dream again.


Sometimes this can be as simple as using a healthy dose of humor and respectful sarcasm to shake family members out of complacency. At other times, however, this humor needs to be combined with helping the family identify lists of assets, be they community members, businesses, support agencies, or other networks, that they already have at their disposal to bolster a recognition that are not alone nor are they powerless.


We then dive down straight into touching the core, balancing personal hopes and dreams with practical daily living, understanding life values and cycles, and action steps to achieve short and long-term goals.


Self Expression, Communication


and Learning In addition to coaching, my wife Megan uses journaling and creative expression to offer a safe space where families can process emotions, filter outside perspectives and creative problem solve to move forward.


So often, children with disabilities find their day filled with PT, OT, doctor appointments, evaluations, testing and other modules to address their disability. Yet, creative and imaginative play are both a vital part of


child development that is often left behind. Educational learning modules may become repetitive and may not fit every child or youth’s way of communication skills.


Finding ways of helping a child or youth to express themselves, whether it is through storytelling, non- verbal communication, scribbling or drawing, and writing provides unique avenues of communication and relating to our outside environment. We all speak in different ways, and providing a safe space for each of us to be heard, no matter what our ability, can build self-esteem, enhance confidence, and open doors to new and deeper interactions.


There are times when children and youth are well aware of what is going on around them, but they may not be able to express their emotions or perceptions in a way that others acknowledge. Megan has found that given the opportunity, youth express much more than what people recognize is possible, and when this happens, they are able to create more meaningful relationships and connections with the community and in doing so, recognize their own personal worth.


Fostering Independence One of the major components to empowering children and youth with disabilities to become independent as they grow into adulthood is providing them with a space to test their own set of skills and talents. In addition to working with the family or parents, I also find that one on one coaching and mentorship for youth provides a wonderful opportunity for them to discover who they are and bringing this knowledge into practice that cultivates a solid sense of independence.


At times, there can be a temptation for parents to shelter their children from what they perceive as a hard and challenging world. While boundaries are always necessary for children, restricting this capacity to explore and discover independence can impede a child’s curiosity. Because of this, the trick for parents becomes providing their child enough room to explore their world, sometimes pushing its limits or making mistakes, while at the same time maintaining a safe and nurturing space.


In our work at Cutter’s Edge Consulting, it’s become increasing apparent to both Megan and myself, that many families find value in partnering with someone who can offer the perspective of someone who has been in a similar situation but also can be unbiased and objective with a family or individual to discover the unique path that works for them, which may integrate different solutions and systems.


For more information about coaching, mentorship and creative expression visit www.cuttersedgeconsulting. com.


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