Life after the diploma

Skills to work on before graduation

Planning for the future can be very daunting and while it is a great big world out there, it is best to start small.  One of the first questions a school will ask is how independent is your child? What can they do on their own? While your child is still in high school it is important to collaborate with their IEP team on fostering their independence.  This doesn’t just include academic independence but life skills as well. It isn’t just about remembering to study for the test but can they get themselves lunch if they forgot it at home? As parents you can help prepare your child by giving them more responsibilities and chores at home, this is very important if they are going to a program with a residential component. Campuses will have Residential Assistants or Mentors for support but the majority of the work will fall on your child. The more they do at home before living away the more prepared they will be!

Advocating for supports
Once your child moves on to post-secondary education they move into the world of eligibility.  In the school system they are entitled to many accommodations and supports that after graduation will unfortunately fade away.  At the college level it will be up to your child to advocate for their needs. If during the application process your child does not state they have a disability, they may not be able to get the supports needed for their classes. When visiting colleges ask questions about: campus size, number of students in each class, testing accommodations, note taking supports, audio books, seating accommodations or other supports you think your child may need.  This will be helpful in narrowing down programs you and your child that will best suit their needs.

Degree or Certificate
As your child moves on to their next stages of life what do they want to do?  Are they looking for a two/four-year program or a certificate? This decision stems from the big question “What do you want to do with your life?”.  This is possibly one of the hardest questions for our kids to answer. Do some research with your child, see what they are good at, what do they enjoy doing? Is this something they can get a certificate and find a job or will they need an associates or bachelors degree?  A great resource to research what would work best for your child is Think College. This site offers family resources, trainings, college searches and so much more. https://thinkcollege.net/

Some programs to look into:
CIP https://cipworldwide.org/
Vista Vocational https://www.vistalifeinnovations.org/
Landmark https://www.landmark.edu/
Centenary University Project ABLE
http://www.centenaryuniversity.edu/academics/disability-services/project-able-program/
College Steps https://www.collegesteps.org/

  • College Steps and County College of Morris

CCM Culinary Opportunity Program https://www.ccm.edu/workforce/cop/
Beacon College https://www.beaconcollege.edu/
East Stroudsburg Career and Independent Living and Learning Studies

by Jennifer Mandato
"The various psycho-educational testing Dr. Liz conducted on our son gave us critical clues about where his learning strengths and weaknesses lie so that his needs could be better addressed at home and school. Moreover, because of their warm, kindhearted personalities, both Dr. Liz and her associate, Stephanie, formed an immediate bond with my son. He eagerly looks forward to his weekly therapy sessions. We are so lucky Dr. Liz came into our family's lives when she did! For stressed-out families trying to help their children as best they can, she is a calming voice of reason!"
- Julie C.
"Dr. Matheis has a remarkable ability to understand the unique needs of her patients and address them constructively. She builds strong, meaningful relationships with patients and their families, encouraging trust and collaboration. When working with my son who struggles with autism-related anxiety, she created an environment in which he was able to calm down and open up to her in ways I had not seen before. She was able to reach him and helped him work through his crisis/problem. Most importantly, she empowered him to move forward."
- N.L.
"Dr. Matheis is amazing. She has tremendous resources and loads of energy. She is not willing to accept anything less than the most effective results for her clients. She made me feel as if my son was her top priority throughout the entire process. I would, without reservation, give her my highest recommendations.  Thank you, Dr. Matheis!"
- Anonymous
"Dr. Matheis has an amazing ability to read kids and connect with them. She has been an invaluable resource for our family over the past several years and has helped us with everything from educational consulting, to uncovering diagnoses as well as family therapy. Working with Dr. Matheis never feels clinical and most importantly, our children love and trust her. We can not thank you enough Dr. Liz!"
- Anonymous
"My teenage son had been seeing Dr. Matheis through his senior year of high school, as he was only diagnosed with ADHD at 16 years old.  Dr. Matheis came highly recommended from our pediatrician and she has done wonders for our son as well as our family, navigating new ways for him to deal with his diagnosis without the use of medication.  She taught him ways to organize himself and even when something did not work for him, she patiently continued teaching him new ways to keep himself on track.  She has also helped us as parents to understand how his mind works so that we did not continue to blame his lack of focus on him, rather on his unique way of thinking.  Thank you Dr. Matheis!!!!"
- LG
"Dr. Liz is the best! Our family was directed to her by our Pediatrician to assist with figuring out severe mood changes, severe anxiety, strange new fears and food aversion that had come onto one of our children literally overnight. After just a couple of visits, she suggested that the issues may actually be rooted in a physical issue and suggested we immediately take our child to be swabbed for strep, because Dr. Liz suspected PANDAS (a pediatric autoimmune disorder brought on by strep). The same Pediatrician that suggested Dr. Liz would not do the swab (they do not believe in PANDAS and we no longer go there) but I took my child to my doctor who did the swab and it was positive for strep. When our child went on antibiotics, within 24 hours all symptoms went away and our child was back :-) Dr. Liz then recommended a PANDAS specialist who helped us and our child is in complete remission and is happy and healthy. We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Liz for her knowledge of all things, even the most remote and unusual and for helping us so much! Thank you!"
- Anonymous
"The various psycho-educational testing Dr. Liz conducted on our son gave us critical clues about where his learning strengths and weaknesses lie so that his needs could be better addressed at home and school. Moreover, because of their warm, kindhearted personalities, both Dr. Liz and her associate, Stephanie, formed an immediate bond with my son. He eagerly looks forward to his weekly therapy sessions. We are so lucky Dr. Liz came into our family's lives when she did! For stressed-out families trying to help their children as best they can, she is a calming voice of reason!"
- Anonymous
"Thank you, Dr. Liz. Although we have told you countless times, it will never feel enough. You have listened when J could barely speak and continued to listen when he was sad, angry and confused. You've challenged him and directed us in our roles as parents. You've helped J face his fears while the list evolved and changed, and yet you've stayed committed to 'the course.' We pray that your children realize that time away from them is spent helping children learn and that vulnerability is a sign of strength and bravery."
- June I
"My son was admitted to an Ivy League school when only 2 years ago, you assessed him and saw his struggles, his Dyslexia. We are grateful that he no longer has to carry that deep feeling of inadequacy or shame that must have kept him so self conscious and from reaching his potential. He has the PERFECT program for him. He has A's in high math and economics. He became a Merit Scholar, a Boys State legislature, the HEAD captain of the football team and help a job ALL while studying and managing his classes and disability. I am PROUD of you, a young doctor, who knows and sees the vulnerability of children and helps them recognize "it's NO big deal" God bless."
- Anonymous

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​Livingston, NJ 07039