Becoming an adult is a stage every child reaches, moving through your SEND journey you will start to hear professionals refer to this as 'preparation for adulthood'.
With support, most children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities can live a full and independent life. They can continue in education, find work and have a full and active social life.
Professionals will talk about the preparation for adult programme (PfA) which is funded by the Department for Education, and will start to share information and resources with you to help you make decisions around:
- Employment (Looks at the process of getting a job and asks what your aspirations are)
- Independent Living (Looks at decision-making skills, living alone or supported living options.)
- Community Inclusion (Understanding what is available in the community such as youth clubs, and social groups)
- Health (Understanding what GPs can offer, what happens with health appointments, understanding your health issues and needs)
Barnsley’s Preparation for Adulthood strategy covers:
- What does Preparation for Adulthood mean for us?
- Strategic Aims and Key Principles
- Our priorities
You can read about the SEND strategy in full here
When you start to think about your child becoming an adult the first step is to start to gather information, and build your knowledge so that you are in the best position to help your child and talk to professionals.
Key sources of information are :
- The Preparation for Adulthood website, where you can find resources and information to help you make informed decisions about your future.
- Transition Information Network has some useful resources for parents and disabled young people. They cover things such as activities, housing, employment, money, and participation.