Transition to adulthood

Questions of life planning do not always come at a time when parents and young people welcome it. On the one hand, important decisions must be made on possible training, professional development and forms of living. On the other hand, young people are already busy with changes anyway. They are confronted, for example, with a number of interrupted relationships such as finishing school or switch to adult health care. Other changes in the living environment can also reduce the willingness to make plans for the future. To get closer to the wishes of your child "the method of  personal future planning (PZP)" could help, also for small targets, see chapter 5.1.

This chapter is about the life planning during transition to adulthood. We especially intend to talk about work and education, living and health, and therapy:

Professionally and educationally, how much choice do PWID really have?

Depending on the severity or type of impairment, the curriculum vitae often appears pre-defined and institutionalized. In some cases, disability-specific offers are increasing, e.g. for people with an autism spectrum disorder. However, if the young person wishes to work in the first labour market (which is an objective of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), this requires a lot of perseverance and energy from the parents in implementing an extraordinary individual solution.

See further information in Chapter 5 and the Human Rights module, especially in Chapter 4 "Employment for PWID".

This checklist may also help you to keep track: Checklist for vocational preparation.

The time to move out is currently - similar to young adults without mental disabilities - perceived as favourable when changing into working or studying, as changing situations can be combined well with moving out.[14]

The ideal case would be, of course, to wait until the child develops their own impulses for leaving. This often does not seem to be possible, and parents must take active steps.

At the same time, one should be aware that professional arrangements cannot offer "equal" proximity and care. It is acceptable as long as it corresponds to what every young adult experiences and has to learn: to get along in different "worlds" and "frameworks".

However, in order to avoid crises, it is also important, that extraction is not too early so as not to overstretch them, so that young people themselves also want it.

"Desire" to move out, on both sides - how can you make them wake up? It's a tightrope walk: entice, push - with as little pressure as possible! [15]

Sometimes children have to move out much sooner due to the distance from their training or work or due to special needs or if there are constraints, e.g.  Waiting lists of dormitories.  If extraction is "prescribed", however, the child can not perceive it as a self-determined step of detachment.  They are thrown out of the nest.  This is also very difficult emotionally for parents.  "Being active in relocating a child must trigger ambivalent feelings and requires a redefinition of one's role and responsibility."[16]