H5. Over the years it's always been my observation that, if one just gives mentally challenged people a chance to contribute to the whole of society, they outdo their "normal" brethren in the sheer amount of hard work they do. By a good amount, usually. Over on the island, the mentally challenged are used to provide Dem votes, and that's all they want them for.
My BIL lived with us for 14 years, he at age 8 developed high fevers that fried his brain. He could read and write before this but came out of it having lost that ability.
He was placed in schools for the retarded for years and at 16 left to get a job in a factory that required no reading or math. This man learned to survive and recognise work signs by color--Hot or cold water by the color of the labels.
40 years he worked at jobs that were manual and when he came to us at age 50 after living his life with those that took most of his pay check and kept him dependent on them. Quite an adventure for us watching this old man grow up before our eyes. we taught him to drive a car get a license verbally and how to use a check book---He would get a bill and he recognised the numbers and we printed out on cards of how to copy the words and handle his own finances.
In all those years no one had expected him to do so, as no one had tried to force him to. Hubby and I both working could not take off work to get him to his doctors or drive him to the store, we had to make him learn--and he did with great pride.
I insisted his doctors send ME a written report of all his visits and any new medication he was put on. From there we taught him to recognise his medication from the size, shape and color of the pill.
We found that the less help we gave him and expected him to do on his own the prouder and happier he became. For the first time in his life he gained a life of independence, he had no choice, he had no where to go but here and I refused to allow him to depend on us as a child.
Not easy for a man now close to sixty who had never had to make his own decisions, but he came around when he had no choice.
When it came to shopping we showed him how to read the word sodium to buy foods that were low in it, took 14 years but slowly we turned him into a Man and not a child dependent on others to care for him.
He no longer lives with us, his health became so bad he needs 24/7 help so we with fear turned him over to a sister that agreed to care for him. I can bet you dollars for donuts she now treats him as a child, cooks for him, does his laundry and keeps him as a child again.------So sad.-----At least the man had 14 years of independence and the feeling of being a MAN for the only time in his life.
