For families of young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, high school graduation can bring an important question: What comes next?
Once school-based services end, families may find themselves looking for opportunities for their adult children to continue learning, develop practical life skills, explore employment, build relationships, and participate in their communities. They may also be wondering how to balance their loved one’s support needs with the demands of work, family, and everyday life. Panhandle Special Needs, Inc. (PSNI) could be that answer.
Panhandle Special Needs, Inc., based in Sandpoint, has been providing services to adults with developmental disabilities since 1975. Today, the organization serves more than 200 people annually through individualized life skills training, employment services, Adult Day Health, and other programs. Approximately 20 participants come from Bonners Ferry and the surrounding Boundary County area via Medicaid-reimbursed transportation providers.
Learning doesn’t stop at graduation.
Adulthood brings new opportunities to practice everyday skills, explore interests, develop workplace abilities, and make gains toward personal goals. At PSNI, support is individualized because everyone’s abilities, interests, needs, and goals are different. Progress may look like preparing for employment, learning to navigate daily routines, developing new skills, or taking steps toward greater independence.
PSNI’s programs also offer something important to families: support they can build into their own lives. For parents and caregivers who have spent years coordinating schedules, appointments, and services, knowing their adult family member has a place to go, opportunities to learn, and support throughout the day can make a meaningful difference. When a loved one attends PSNI, families can have greater flexibility to maintain employment, manage household responsibilities, and make time for their own needs, too. Supporting an adult with a disability is a family journey, and families deserve resources along the way.
For Boundary County families, finding the right resources can take time. Starting conversations early about adult services, eligibility, transportation, and available programs can help families explore options and prepare for the transition beyond high school. They don’t have to figure it all out alone.
PSNI is located at 1424 N. Boyer Avenue in Sandpoint and serves adults with developmental disabilities from both Bonner and Boundary counties.
To learn more about PSNI’s programs and adult services, visit panhandlespecialneeds.org or call (208) 263-7022.
