GROUP SEEKS RESOURCES FOR PARENTS OF DISABLED ADULTS

Carol Laudi, with her son Kenneth, who has cerebral palsy, is organizing a support group for parents of special needs adults.

Carol Laudi and Margaret Grant worry about what will happen when they no longer are able to care for their sons.

Laudi's son, Kenneth, 23, is a quadriplegic. He has cerebral palsy. Grant's son, David, 34, has asthma, scoliosis and physical disabilities as the result of cancer treatments he received as a child.

David has a part-time job at Target in Cape Girardeau, but Kenneth is unable to work because of his disabilities.

The two Cape Girardeau women, in cooperation with the Community Caring Council's Cross Disabilities Issues Committee and the Semo Alliance for Disability Independence Inc., are organizing a support group for parents and families of special needs adults.

Members of the Cross Disabilities Issues Committee identified a support group as one of the primary needs in the region.

"Listening to parents, listening to professionals, listening to the disabled, we thought that we could organize a group," Laudi said.

Grant said the group will allow parents and family members to discuss concerns, identify available resources and gaps in services and learn about issues like parental rights, how to set up trust funds and how to help disabled persons "make the transition from childhood to adult."

Many resources already are available for special needs children and their families, said Miki Gudermuth, SADI's executive director.

"But there's still a group that nobody's helping, that nobody's dealing with, and we want to reach them," Gudermuth said. "What's out there? We want to know what's available" in terms of services and funding.

The group's first meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the SADI office, 121 S. Broadview Plaza, Suite 12.

The Cross Disabilities Issues Committee will next meet at 9 a.m. Friday at the Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau.

Laudi said her son became disabled after he drowned and was revived when he was 15 months old.

Kenneth is non-verbal, she said, "but he's very intelligent. He needs a lot of stimulation during the day. He's a fun kid to be around. People have trouble relating to him because of his disability. He doesn't fit anywhere around here because of his disability."

Grant said her son was disabled after undergoing cancer treatment. He has lost much of his sense of balance and his chest cavity is malformed.

"It's been very difficult for him. When he was in school, there were no learning disabilities children except for the ones for retarded children," Grant said.

Funding was available to send David to cooking school, which he loved, Grant said, "but there were no jobs for him. There was no one to place him anywhere. He can't work full-time because of his disability. He can work on a part-time basis, which helps him to have a sense of self-worth."

David and Kenneth both live with their mothers. There are few resources available for adults who require some assistance with daily living, but don't need to be institutionalized, Grant and Laudi said.

"What's going to happen to the special needs adult when the parent is no longer around to care for them, to see to their needs?" Grant asked. "Even my son's going to have to have a certain amount of guidance or help monetarily and making sure the bills get paid."

Day care programs are available for the elderly and for special needs children, Laudi said. A similar program for special needs adults would benefit the disabled and their families.

For more information about the support group or SADI, call Carol Laudi at 335-4087 or SADI at 651-6464.