Illinois Special Olympics

Brian McCabe/Medill News
A group of students from Woodson School participate in the opening ceremony of the Illinois Special Olympics.

The opening ceremony for the 40th Illinois Special Olympics was held yesterday at Soldier Field. Along with the participants and volunteers, two students from my school, reporters with the Medill News Service, attended the event. Check out their story for coverage of the volunteers that help make the event so special.

The Illinois Special Olympics Web site has all the information about the 21,000 participants and events that will occur across the state, but there is an interesting story on the site about a young man with autism and verbal dysproxia. Tommy Shimoda competes in the gymnastics events, but is unable to communicate with his voice. Instead, he uses a machine called a VOCA (voice output communication aid) to express himself.

Another example of technology enhancing the lives of people with handicaps and disabilities!

Click after the jump for more pictures from the opening ceremony.

Aging caregivers and disabled children

Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal has an article about limited options for support and housing for disabled children as their parents or caregivers grow older. I was impressed to see such a thoughtful treatment of this subject in the Journal. And it was even in the “A” section.

The article focuses on the story of 79-year-old Anna Dromgoole and her 41-year-old son, Kent, who has Downs Syndrome. Anna has been Kent’s sole caretaker since she divorced his father when Kent was five. Anna entered Plano Specialty Hospital a month ago with severe leg wounds. The hospital originally let the Dromgooles stay together in a semi-private room, thinking it would be a temporary stay. But Anna went into respiratory arrest and remains at the hospital while Kent had to leave.

Unfortunately, there were no family members or friends who could take Kent in, and he had no where to go. Kent’s care has fallen on the shoulders of Beth Lambdin, Plano Specialty’s clinic liaison. While Beth has only known Kent for a few weeks, they have bonded, and she has offered him a home with her family if no other option can be found. (The picture is of Kent and Beth.)

I’ve got feelers out everywhere. Unless by some miracle, someone comes in and says they have him covered, he’ll come home with me.

The Dromgoole’s situation will become increasingly common as an estimated 2.9 million people with intellectual or developmental disabilities or some significant functional limitation live with caregivers who are 55 years or older.

I don’t know what the solution to this problem is, because government funding for services to help people with developmental disabilities is increasing, but 80,000 people nationwide are on waiting lists for various services. Charlie Lakin, who researches residential programs at the University of Minnesota, said, “The reality is, it’s not growing enough to meet the demand.”