The Birds and the Bees

As Danny gets closer to turning 18 years old, it has become harder to avoid facing the future, and aside from the "big" and scary questions of where he will live and what he will do, there's another whole issue of romance and sex. He is a very sweet young man (when he's not whining) and loves to hold people's hands, and receive hugs and kisses. Lately, when he hears a romantic song, he will get very close to my face, almost nose to nose, and cuddle. He attended one wedding already for a former camp counselor/teacher, and loved all the dancing and good spirits, and is eagerly looking forward to his cousin's wedding Thanksgiving weekend.

Although I'm not sure how much he really knows about romantic/sexual relationships, he does perk up when a pretty girl or young woman pays attention to him, and he has adopted his own style of flirting --saying funny words or noises to get a laugh. It's very hard to imagine him ever having a girlfriend or sexual relationship, but then it makes me feel sad to imagine a whole life without it. Finding love is hard for everyone, and even more so for those with disabilities, but I pray that he will not feel lonely, and that he will find someone who will love him for all he is, not who he isn't



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Michelle K. Wolf is a non-profit professional and parent advocate in Los Angeles. She blogs on www.jewishjournal.com/jews_and_special_needs and is on Twitter on @specialneedsima