Supporting disabled teenagers

[dragonsdenn]

Hi all,

My DD is 18 and has epilepsy. She has had it since she was 11 but has recently started university and is really upset at the lack of independence she can have.

I'm so deeply upset for her but I just don't know how to support? I've been good up until now I feel because I've been doing practical things like driving her places, sorting her appointments, going to the chemist for her, but she wants to do it all herself.

I'm perfectly happy for her to do independent things as long as they are safe, but she won't talk to me and is clearly upset about it all.

Advice would be greatly appreciated.

How well controlled is her epilepsy?

Many people with epilepsy live life independently.

Did she consider living in halls?

She may still get a room in halls.

Maybe she needs you to back off a little bit and to show her that you have confidence in her ability to look after herself.

Being supportive doesn’t mean doing everything for her. Let her make her own appointments and use public transport.

What independence is she lacking? Is her epilepsy controlled?

What is limiting her independence at uni?

She can't live in halls, at least for this year, as her seizures aren't well controlled and she's currently having quite a few each week. I can't let her use public transport and she's hating me for it.

Epilepsy is stopping her from enjoying uni.