Intentional Communities of Washtenaw - Intentional Communities of Washtenaw

Creating a future where individuals with disabilities can share the common bond of supportive living in a dignified, productive and independent manner.

Keeping up with the latest information can be an arduous task. Why make it more difficult than it has to be? If you see an article or a Web site that you feel would benefit others in the ICW family, send the article or link to info@intentcom.org. We’ll post articles on our News page and give proper credit to the news source. We look forward to expanding our site through your knowledge.

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Intentional Communities of
Washtenaw is a program of
Catholic Social Services

Intentional Communities of Washtenaw

Intentional Communities of Washtenaw (ICW) is a group of parents, families and friends who want to improve the quality of life for adults with developmental disabilities by providing housing, employment and social opportunities. Based on a model of "community interdependence," ICW promotes development of individual strengths and gifts while respecting personal needs and preferences. ICW community building strives to improve the lives of adults with disabilities that:

Create unique, high quality housing options for clusters of 6-10 individuals
Provide a Community Builder to live on-site to support independent living and facilitate social activities
Develop a large network of families, individuals and businesses who support and participate in social, recreational and educational activities

ICW Photos For ICW, community means attachment to other people, having a sense of place and belonging as part of a group of people who care for, and about, each other. ICW intends to foster, support, build and sustain - in partnerships with agencies, businesses and others - this sense of attachment and belonging for our loved ones in all conceivable living settings. ICW housing options will take many forms and will integrate into the larger community. Further, ICW thinks a community - not only among our children, but among the families of people with disabilities too – supplies the foundational support, resources and commitment that offers security, and the hope of endurance.

Most people with disabilities have a desire to live independently, work, contribute to society and enjoy the company of others. Successful implementation of the Intentional Communities concept will allow individuals the choice to live as they wish and experience a far better quality of life.

Providing Alternate Housing Options

Saline Reporter article by Pete Cunningham, published April 9, 2009 with an interview with some of our very own ICW folks.

Linda Klenczar and her 23-year-old daughter, Sarah, both of Saline, were apartment hunting in Ann Arbor last summer. It wasn't long before Sarah made it clear to her mother that they weren't going to have any luck. Ann Arbor may only be a couple miles from Saline, but, to Sarah, it's just not home.

"My daughter said, 'But I don't want to live in Arbor. I grew up in Saline. I work in Saline. I want to live in Saline,'" Linda said. "I looked at her and said, 'Well, of course you want to live in Saline.' "

The Gregarious Brain - By David Dobbs
New York Times Article, July 8, 2007

If a person suffers the small genetic accident that creates Williams syndrome, he’ll live with not only some fairly conventional cognitive deficits, like trouble with space and numbers, but also a strange set of traits

that researchers call the Williams social phenotype or, less formally, the “Williams personality”: a love of company and conversation combined, often awkwardly, with a poor understanding of social dynamics and a lack of social inhibition.
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Caregivers Worry About Their Own Mortality

Even when adult children with disabilities are relatively independent, many aging parents worry what will happen when they pass away. Some are trying to teach their children about mortality, personal finance and basic living skills in the hopes that they can continue to live well once their parents are gone.

Watch the video at http://bulletin. aarp.org/ yourworld/ family/articles/ What_Will_ Happen_To_ Andy_.html to see one touching story about dealing with one's own mortality.

Disability Scoop Articles

Disability Scoop is the first and only nationally focused online news organization serving the developmental disability community including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, fragile X and mental retardation, among others.

Five days each week Disability Scoop sifts through the clutter to provide a central, reliable source of news, information and resources. Plus, Disability Scoop is the only place to find original content and series like “Scoop Essentials” that take an in-depth look at what lies beyond the day’s headlines.

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Chartering a Plan After High School

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act calls for schools to help students develop a plan that will carry them to college or the workplace, but the requirement remains a challenge for families and educators alike.

Kathy Eckert-Mason doesn’t think she's an unrealistic mom.

Yet as she worked with school officials on a plan that would provide a smooth path from high school to college for her son, Rick, she wondered if teachers saw her that way.

Rick Mason, now 20, has autism. He had always been included in regular classes, but with an aide providing support to him and other classmates with special needs. His mother wanted his high school to help him attain the self-sufficiency to handle classes at an out-of-state university.
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Featured Article

Helicopter Mom Lets Go

Her goal was independence. But how do you tell your child she faces limitations others don't?

By H. Resnick

February 5, 2009 at 10:05 AM EST

I'm one of those mothers - smothering, protective, controlling my daughter's every move, comment and reaction to ensure she is safe, sound and sociable with a secure, employable future.

For 22 years, I conferred and argued with doctors, social-service workers, teachers, government employees, parents, employers and more. I structured her life to lead her along the path of good fortune. I made decisions contrary to hers, creating stress and disagreements that often spiralled out of control.

From my daughter's perspective, she would probably say, "My mom is a nag. She's always on my case. Do this. Don't do that. Go wash your face, know your place, give people space, make haste not waste, blah, blah, blah ..."

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