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Community Living

Overview

  • Each state provides an array of residential programs. These vary not only by state but by localities within each state. The range of residential services also varies among provider agencies.
  • Residential services may range from independent apartments with minimal supervision to supervised apartments, group homes, and host homes (where a child lives with another family).
  • Some agencies provide both residential and vocational/day programming services, while others provide only one of these services—meaning the person and family must deal with two sets of providers.
  • There are also residential settings for families in a position to pay privately. See the “Living Settings By State” section of the NFXF Adolescent & Adult Project (link below).
  • Because there tend to be extensive waiting lists for residential services in many states, parents often look for other options. One trend is parents getting together in a community to set up independently operated programs for their children. When parents do this, the options are almost endless. Some of them are listed below.
    • Note that not every program founded by parents will have a name—many will just get together and do what it takes to meet their children’s needs.
    • A group of parents may coordinate their efforts to buy a house and pay for a care provider to be responsible for their children.
  • Transition to a residential program should ideally be gradual. One method of transition that parents may find helpful is to seek respite services at a residential agency before their child moves in. This affords their child the opportunity to both test the environment and meet other residents and caregiving staff.

Success in living away from home can be maximized by:

  • Teaching your child independent living skills while he or she is still living at home.
  • Investing time to find the best living situation for your child, as there is no one best way to approach this aspect of his or her life.
  • Cultivating friendships for your child.
  • Finding dedicated and caring people willing to work with your child and family.
  • Making sure your child is active and engaged in the community during the day.
  • Ongoing family involvement and advocacy.

Contact your local disability organization to find out about the services in your area and to get your child on the appropriate waiting lists.

 Additional Resources