West of Mpls MN about 50 miles on Hwy 12 | Great story partimer my two boys were given a standing ovation by the whole school, and both towns when they walked across the stage and received their diploma's from the President of the school board at graduation several years ago. I don't think there was a dry eye in the auditorium.
" Hmmmm, some adults need the same ambitions!" x2 on this comment partimer.
My oldest son has downs, and number 2 is good old fashioned hand flapping autistic. They live together in their own house in town with a little assistance, and head to work everyday at Functional Industries where they assemble everything from valves for our sprayers, and water softeners, to pillows for the US armed forces. All the same tax deductions get taken out of their pay checks as any other working person. They go to social events, out to eat, movies, bowling, plays and on vacations without mom and dad. Sometimes I won't see them for over a week they're so busy. It will be a challenge for him, but your son will reach his life goals.
Many days my sons assistants(my self included)are just in the way. I don't think I could assemble 2600 valves in one day. They are held to a 0% defect rate. "Normal" people doing the same job are allowed a 2% to 3% defect rate. Most people would cry, complain, and scream discrimination, the Functional assembly crew don't care, they're just happy to be at work and being an important part of society
At our office in town, my wife was not happy with the attitude/job her janitor(me) was doing, especially in the spring and fall. So she fired the janitor and hired a professional sanitation crew from Functional(our boys are not on the cleaning crew, they hate cleaning)to clean our office in town. Her previous janitor(me)tried to get his job back by under cutting the Functional crews price one day when they Functional crew was there working. My wife told me the Functional crew has a much better attitude than her previous janitor, and the bathroom smells like bleach, she gave them a raise, my new cleaning bid was thrown in a cross cut shredder. Boy did I get harassed by the Functional crew and a couple customers...I wonder if Shopko is hiring? :)
The opportunities and expectations of sons and daughters like partimers and mine are much greater now than in the past. They are no longer considered a "drain" on society. That's a good thing. It's great to watch our kids except these opportunities and challenges, and excel. It's really great to watch the positive effect they sometimes have on other people's lives.
FWIW, at least two "normal" kids that graduated with my boys are doing time(like five to ten)in jail for their life choices that I'm aware of...talk about a drain on society. |
Homecoming King
