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Valentina Pereira of Silverdale is doing her bit to help families achieve security and stability for their disabled children who may face living on the breadline as they transition to adulthood.
Her 15-year-old daughter Laetitia has Down Syndrome and Valentina says the family has always focused on helping her achieve her full potential.
Valentina will share her personal experiences and expertise at the Transition Expo in Auckland, next month. The expo is designed to help families create financial and lifestyle security for a young person with a disability.
Valentina says when Laetitia started at Carmel College it became clear that the family needed to put plans in place to help her move from a mainstream environment to a wider world that could hold fewer opportunities.
Laetitia loves school, swimming in the Special Olympics Hibiscus Coast squad and Tae Kwon Do, along with her peers.
The big difference is that her parents spend significantly more for the special assistance required for her to pursue her interests and they are not alone. Valentina wants other teenagers like Laetitia to have good support and financial security as they transition from school.
“Families do their best for their children and when you are consumed with the day-to-day caregiving, it can be difficult to plan for the future,” she says.
At the Transition Expo, facilitated by Disability Connect and the Ministry of Social Development, families can learn more about the future for young people with special needs.
The expo includes information from vocational service and recreation providers as well as Work and Income, Ministry of Education and Taikura Trust representatives. Although the expo is aimed at ongoing resourcing scheme (ORS) funded students (aged 14-21) and their families and wider support network, all students with a disability and those involved in the disability sector are welcome to attend.
The expo is on Tuesday, August 7 at the Auckland Netball Centre, 7 Allison Ferguson Drive, St Johns, Auckland, 9am-2pm.
