January 2024 Special Needs Living Magazine

On A Quest For Independence! Introducing You To Amy Lichtenwalter!

BY ANDREA HURR PHOTOS BY JULIAN CURET

For Amy Lichtenwalter, employment has always been an important part of her life. Her mother, Carol, describes her as a “very charming young woman who loves to work and enjoys her job at Pegasus Farm, where she has worked for ten years.” She has also worked at Wendy’s, Kraus’ Pizza, and Aultman Hospital in Project Search before accepting her current position at the farm. Amy loves to learn from each position she has had, and she continues to strive for independence.

Amy’s quest for independence led her parents to open up their family home to become a group home for Amy and three of her friends.

In this setting, Amy and her housemates were able to live together for 10 years learning valuable independent living skills. Thanks to the skills she learned, Amy was able to move into her own apartment. However, upon the passing of her father, she made the decision to move back into her family home with her mom, Carol.

Listening to Amy and treating her as the capable adult she is allows her to grow and thrive.

Carol says, “Not every person with special needs fits into the same mold. Amy has taught us that we need to listen to her and let her guide us. Don’t be afraid to speak up and work with professionals as equals until you find solutions that work.”

Carol’s advice for parents of newly diagnosed special needs children is to not be afraid to reach out to other parents who are or have gone through similar experiences. “They are a wealth of information and truly understand and often have found solutions that can help.” “Sometimes it seems like you are alone in trying to figure out how to meet the unique needs of your child. You are not… It can be overwhelming, and this can happen at each phase of your child’s development.” There are a plethora of services available and Amy and her family have benefited from many along their journey together. “Starting with early intervention through the Stark County Board of DD, we learned how to support Amy’s growth and development, connected to other parents for support, and learned about community resources.”

Listening to Amy and treating her as the capable adult she is allows her to grow and thrive.

Keeping Amy involved in inclusive activities has given her the opportunities to build relationships with both people with Special Needs and those who were typically developing. In addition to her job at Pegasus Farm, Amy also volunteers by helping to deliver meals for Meals on Wheels and she is currently serving as the President of The Stark County Aktion Club (a service organization sponsored by Canton and Belden Village Kiwanis Clubs). Amy’s long-term plans are to continue her work at Pegasus until retirement where she loves the work she does in the Country Store helping customers and keeping the store clean and well stocked. Carol says that she also loves sharing time with her family and traveling to see them.