Living in the Community
A
s a parent of two young children with developmental disabilities, I have been given the privilege and opportunity to share my own personal insight on various supports, programs and services in the Commonwealth.
My two daughters are currently 7 and 4. The oldest, Ella, has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and our younger daughter, Elsie, has 16
www.lexingtonfamily.com
“A Parent’s Perspective� by Eric W. Wright Angelman Syndrome. AS is a neuro-genetic disorder characterized by developmental delay, seizures, walking and balance disorders, and lack of speech. AS occurs in 1 in 15,000 births, often is misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy or autism, and those with AS require life-long care. Additionally, we have a son, Ethan, who is 21 months old. Needless to say, our house is busy and could be considered chaotic at times. We are a family who enjoys
being out in the community as much as possible and loves to be around people. In the past that was nearly impossible because of logistical challenges. Today, we have supports and services that benefit our family immensely. We adopted our oldest daughter from the Ukraine when she was 17 months old. We knew very little about her medical history but were told she had a heart defect, was born prematurely (2 pounds, 2