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EveryonceinawhileIliketotakeabreakfromtalkingaboutmoneyandinsteadtalkaboutthingsIhavelearnedfrommyownlife.Recentlymymentallyhandicapmovedinwithme.ItsbeengreatItrulylovehavingherherewithmebutIhadnoideaIhowharditwould.Iamalsodisabledalbeitphysicallynotmentallyandjugglingthetwosometimestookalotofwillpower,patience,andluck.Ihavebeenintheemergencyroom,hadtothecops,andhadstartedgoingtotherapy.OntheotherhandIhaveweeklylibrarytrips,joinedadisabledbowlingleagueanddiscoveredhowtherapeuticartsandcraftscanreally.NeedlesstosayIwouldn'ttradetheselastfewmonthswithherfortheworld.OvertimeIrealizedthattheonlywayIamgoingtobeabletotakecareofproperlyislearningfromotherswhohavebeenthereanddoingsomeresearch.HereisalistafewthingsIhavelearnedatthebeginningofmyonlineandlibraryresearch.Ihopethishelpsotherpeoplewhomightbeinsimilarsituations!

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Speaktothementalageofthepersonandnothisphysicalage.MostMentallyhandicappeoplehavephysicalagewhichistheagetheyarechronicallyandtheagetheyarementally.Forexamplemysister30yearsbutmentallyshefluctuatesbetween8-15yearsold.SowhenIamtalkingtoherImakeItalktoherthesameIwouldan8yearoldorateenager.Thismakesitcomplicatedbecausethatsom

etimessheislikemychildandothertimesshewaslikemylittlesister.

2Enunciateyourwords.Donotslurthemtogetherasthiscanleadtolistenerfrustrationandfatigue.

3.Speakinalowvoice.Toraiseyourvoiceindicatesangertomanymentallychallengedadultsandcancausefrustrationonbothsides.(thiswasnewtomeandexplainedalot)

4.Acceptthatsexualurgesdoexistinthosewithlimitedmentalcapacities.Afirmhandandabasicexplanationastowhysuchactionsarenotacceptablecanoftendefuseapotentialproblem.

5Becalmandrelaxedwithyourbodylanguage.Nervousness,pityorfearareeasytodetect.

6.Smilewithbothyourmouthandyoureyes.-IhavenoideahowtosmilewithmyeyesbutIwillseehowthatworks

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7Accepttheattentionspanofmentallyhandicappedadultsisoftenverybrief.Donotbeinsultedifamentallychallengedpersonwalksawaysuddenlyorblurtsoutthatshe'sbored.MysisterwondersoffinthemiddleofconversationasifitsthemostnormalthingIusedtothinksheisdoingitjusttobugmenowIknowsheisjustdonetalking

8Praisepeopleforajobwelldoneandoffergentleencouragementwhenneeded.Neverletasenseoffailureoverwhelmanyone.

9Encouragenewchallenges.Ifamentallyhandicappedadulthasconqueredatask,encouragehimtostartanewone.WhenmysistergetsboredItrytoevent"missions"smalltasksthatrequirefocusandstepstogetthrough.Itcanbeassimpleasdrawmepicturesofbarnanimalstoashardasmakingyourbedandchangingsheetsorlaundry.Anythingthatwhenitsdoneyoucansay"missioncompleted

"andshefeelsasenseofsatisfactionandpride.

10Appreciatelimits.Everyonehasaplacewheretheyplateau.Findanewactivityortopicofconversationwhenamentallychallengedadultneedsachange.

IFYOUHAVEANYADVICEORSTORIESYOUWANTTOSHAREPLEASEFEELFREETOCOMMENTBELOW