Parenting Adult Children with Special Needs with Cindy Semark

Join local author Cindy Semark to discuss her book, They All Grow Up: Parenting Adult Children with Special Needs, and hear the story of her son Jeremiah.

The unexpected discovery that her son Jeremiah had autism and an intellectual disability changed the whole landscape of parenting and set this mother on a new path for a lifetime. Cindy's path as the parent of a differently-abled child was one of special education, school events, meetings, and therapists, but when her son aged out of school, the path became very lonely. Most parents she knew didn't share her circumstances, actively parenting an adult child. She discovered that there were no adult programs fitting Jeremiah's unique needs, and he became isolated and bored. This was also true for the majority of young adults like him, so she and other parents worked to create a farm-based program for their adult children. With this book, Cindy recognizes the many parents who must continue to be active long past graduation, as they are largely ignored. Through Jeremiah's story, his mental health struggles and eventual death, she shines a light on the adults whose challenges do not end and on the families who support them.