My Supports

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I     I have an amazing support system. I have an amazing husband who supports me in everything I do. He does this in really simple ways. Things such as doing the laundry so I can study or cooking dinner or bringing me a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning when I am working on school work. He wants me to be successful and has been supporting me in this way for the past 9 years. We joke that I am a professional student and he is the support! My friends are a great support as well, they are constantly encouraging me and taking me out to relax instead of stress with work and school and all the life things. My work family is incredibly supportive as well always providing an ear to listen or verbally process things. 

     Aside from relational support, I believe that we have the support of technology and research. Without technology I could not be taking this journey while working full time in an entirely online program. If these support systems were gone from my life, I am not sure that I would be on the journey I am on now. I know that i would be in a different place in my life than I am now without these relationships and supports. My life is better because of these supports! 

     

      Looking at a challenge I could imagine, I chose to imagine what my life would be like if I were deaf. I would need the same support systems through relationships I currently have, but I think there would be many more supports necessary. My home would have to be set up differently so that I would be able to know when someone was knocking on my door and I would have to have different technology to help in various areas of my life. Learning a new language would be difficult, maneuvering through life would be a completely different experience than what I know now. Another support might be hearing aides to aide in hearing some things.

      While I can work through my life without the supports mentioned above, although it would be difficult, I do not think I could be as successful without supports if I were deaf. The supports such as setting my home up to know when someone was knocking on the door or calling the phone would be absolutely necessary for success. I think life would be extremely lonely without these supports if I were faced with the challenge of living in a hearing world without being able to hear. One of my co-workers has a brother who is completely deaf and I have had several conversations with her about how life is different for him than for others. The lights in the house blink when the phone rings or the door bell rings. When her brother's wife had their first child, they had to adjust a lot so that he knew when the baby needed something and was able to help his wife. Without supports things are much harder than they are with supports. 

      Is it impossible to work through challenges or varying abilities without supports? I don't know for sure. I do not have first hand experience, but I know how difficult it would be for me to work through my emotional challenges without my relational supports. I think that is the point. We need each other and we need support in all shapes and sizes. We need people and we need new found technology and research. We need places of inclusion that provide encouragement, not only support, but a place to grow and succeed. I hope that I am able to provide that for children and families as well as advocate for high-quality inclusion programs in early childhood and beyond. 

       

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