Independent Living
Every year your student is at West Chicago, their IEP team will be reviewing an important piece of the IEP - the transition plan. This document helps us plan for your student's future and helps the IEP team put you in touch with the necessary resources in order to assist with that future. One of the four pieces of this transition plan is regarding independent living.
Below are a list of resources within our community for independent living. While this is not an exhaustive list, we wanted to highlight these as a starting point.
Should you have any questions regarding these, please reach out to your student's counselor or our Transition/Vocational Coordinator, Erica Gutesha.
Seguin
At Seguin, we believe that all people, regardless of ability, deserve to achieve their potential, advance their independence and act as full members of the community.
So we stop at nothing to provide life skills training, assistive technology, meaningful employment and a place to call home for people with disabilities. We place and support them in community jobs throughout the Greater Chicago area, including in our own social enterprises Seguin Auto Center and Seguin Garden and Gifts.
We ensure that adults with disabilities can live and socialize within their community, by offering residential services in multiple small, community-based homes. And we support their physical and mental well-being and vocational needs with training centers across the region. We also give a home to children and adolescents, with nurturing foster care from birth to 21, including specialized care for children with behavior or medical challenges. In addition, our specialized assistive technology and accessibility services allow us to serve more people, advancing independence and promoting inclusive opportunities for thousands of children and adults with disabilities. Infinitec, with its partners, provides invaluable information about assistive technology, as well as training, equipment, and access to specialists and resources. Our innovative programs leverage the latest technology, but the individuals we serve come first in everything we do. Our goal: life without limits for people with disabilities.
Western Dupage Special Recreation Association
Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (WDSRA) provides engaging, community-based cooking 101 class recreational programs and inclusion services for children, teens, and adults with special needs. WDSRA offers Special Olympics, adaptive sports, dance and art programs, camps, trips, special events, and more. We provide a safe learning environment with caring, dedicated, trained staff.
WDSRA’s mission, the development of individuals through recreation, makes it possible for the more than 4,500 individuals served to grow personally, connect with their community and discover their potential.
WDSRA is an award winning organization and has been providing recreational and social opportunities to individuals of all ages with disabilities since 1976. WDSRA is a cooperative extension of nine park districts serving the communities of Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Glen Ellyn, Naperville, Roselle, Warrenville, West Chicago, Wheaton, and Winfield