How comforting would it be for you to know that you can help your adult child live well after you are gone? I believe this knowledge would be a great relief to you-and that is why I wrote this book. When Brandon, my 40-year-old autistic son, said, I don’t know what I would do without you, Mom, I knew I had to create a detailed written plan for his future. I have created a comprehensive, step-by-step plan and a personalized Instructional Care Manual for you to complete so that others can take care of and help your child live well. I will show you how to find the right people to stand in for you by creating a network of supportive individuals who can assist and be an advocate for your child. My Step-In Parenting Network program (SIPN) will help you identify potential step-in parents who can continue to love and care for your child when you no longer can. I’ve also included detailed chapters on independence because what you do today to help your child reach maximum independence will affect the quality of the rest of his or her life. Working on letting go of a special needs adult child is a sensitive area that many parents are afraid to face head on. However, the more your child knows and can learn to do, one step at a time, the easier it will be for your son or daughter to continue on. We cannot pretend that our children will be magically taken care of in the future if we don’t do something about it today. This is why the Instructional Care Manual (ICM) will be crucial for every child with special needs. It will follow them wherever they go for the rest of their lives. I wrote this book to inspire you to move forward, knowing that there are things you can do today to ensure that your child is not alone or forgotten. By taking action now, you will feel as empowered and relieved as I have become. This book is your best opportunity to be heard and to help your adult child reach maximum independence and live the best life possible-while you are still here, and after you’re gone. Amalia Starr takes her readers by the hand and walks this journey with us with sensitivity and decades of wisdom. Every special needs parent should read this book, which deals with the reality that our children need to be prepared to outlive us. From tips on how to launch our adult children into the maximum level of independent living to planning for them to thrive after we have left this planet, this book has it all-encouragement, practical advice, and the forms to create a personalized Care Manual. Bobbi Sheahan, author of What I’d Wish I’d Known About Raising a Child With Autism
