For my son it was as follows: "That as an adult Nick will be living independently or semi-independently, be gainfully employed and a taxpaying and contributing member of society, and be able to navigate his community either independently or with assistance."
Having such a statement clearly articulated and written down helped me to then create steps to get him there. It provided a platform for discussion with many people who helped us along the way and it gave them a vision of what their contributions would be. It also gave me a view of what my life might be like when Nick was an adult. Below I will outline how I took that statement and used it as a powerful tool to engage others in the journey of making it reality. But first, let's talk about some other useful tools and strategies that helped us move ahead.