My oldest son is a resident in a group home here on Long Island. Our family, including my son, have covered all the bases over many decades from various group homes run by different agencies, to out of state residences, to numerous psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, hospitalizations and medications. There is no magic pill. One of the most difficult days of my life was when we left my son in an out of state residential setting for individuals with his diagnosis and drove away while watching him in the rear view mirror. He was just a teenager at the time, and spent three years in that setting. He has a dual diagnosis and as such falls between the cracks, neither wholly an MR patient nor an MH patient, and so he is aware of his condition. It is a constant battle to lessen his anxieties, but we cannot give up. This brings us to a decision that many parents have trouble accepting.
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