Thinking About the Past and Hoping for the Future
Last year, this article was published in the on-line content of Johns Hopkins University Press "Narative Inquiry in Bioethics Project Muse". Here is it in its entirety. As Jacob’s mother, I made it a priority to make sure Jacob always had what he needed. Today, the result is a Jacob representing over 15 years worth of love, patience and so many supports, services, and therapies that I can’t quite remember them all. He’s a confident young adult. He attends public high school and is on track to graduate with his class next spring. He has a part-time job at Best Buy through his school’s Workability program. He has a few friends with which he frequently interacts and plans weekend stay overs at our house. He manages all of his school work on his own with no supports from professionals or me. He even advocates for himself at his annual IEP. By most accounts, Jacob is a success. While I know that the combination of all the prof...