A life goal

New experiences

Travel. Trying things. Going somewhere your loved one has never been, doing something they have never done, growing into a life that is bigger than the one they were handed. New experiences are how a person discovers what they love.

The system was not designed with travel and new experiences in mind. Traditional Regional Center services pay cleanly for ongoing weekly supports, not for the one-off ramp-up around a vacation. That is a real gap, and it is one of the strongest reasons the Self-Determination Program (SDP) was created.

But families who plan well do this all the time. The trick is to treat new experiences as a goal you fund deliberately, not as a sometimes-treat that depends on whoever happens to be on shift.

What new experiences can look like in San Diego

  • Day trips up and down the coast. The Coaster train, Torrey Pines, La Jolla Cove, Coronado, Cabrillo National Monument, Sunset Cliffs.
  • Inland adventures. Anza-Borrego Desert, Julian apple country, Mount Laguna, Palomar Mountain.
  • Cross-county explorations. Ride the Pacific Surfliner up to Los Angeles, take the trolley to the border, visit Tijuana with a familiar guide.
  • Cultural firsts. A symphony performance, a Padres or Loyal Soccer Club game, an opera, a play at the Old Globe, a museum sleepover.
  • Faith-and-tradition trips. Family weddings, religious pilgrimages, cultural festivals.
  • A first plane trip. Many San Diego families build toward this with a series of progressively longer day trips and a careful flight plan.

How to fund travel and bigger outings

  • Supported Living Services (SLS) can fund the staff hours for an outing if the Individual Program Plan (IPP) names “community participation” or “new experiences” as goals. Multi-day travel often requires written approval in advance.
  • The Self-Determination Program (SDP) is the cleanest way to fund travel. You can budget for a travel companion’s hours, an event ticket, or a community connector who specializes in trip planning.
  • Regional Center direct services (RDI) day programs occasionally include longer outings; ask explicitly when touring vendors.
  • Family contribution. For most families, travel is a mix of funded support and family-paid expenses. The funded support is what makes the trip possible at all.

How to plan a new experience that goes well

  1. Build a “story” of the experience. Photos, social stories, a written or visual schedule of what will happen.
  2. Practice the in-between parts. Airport security, hotel check-in, ride-share waiting. Most “bad trips” come from the in-betweens, not the destination.
  3. Bring a familiar staff member if possible. A new place is easier with a familiar person.
  4. Plan for recovery. A quiet day after the trip is part of the trip.
  5. Document what worked. Next year’s planning is faster every year.

What to put in the IPP

“Try at least three new community experiences per year, with the support needed for safety and enjoyment.” Add specific named experiences as relevant — a first plane trip, a first concert, a family wedding out of state. Specific, ambitious, fundable.

What funds it

  • Regional Center Direct Services (RDI)

    Traditional Regional Center services — case management, assessments, and access to vendored providers under the Lanterman Act.

  • Self-Determination Program (SDP)

    Lets families control their Regional Center budget directly — choose providers, design services, and have real say in how funds are used.

  • Supported Living Services (SLS)

    Funds in-home support staff, life coaching, and the help needed to live in your own home as an adult with a developmental disability.

Common pitfalls

  • Defaulting to the same outings because they are easy to staff. The same Saturday trip to the mall, year after year, is not a life — it is a routine that started for someone else's convenience.
  • Treating travel as impossible. Adults with developmental disabilities travel — to family weddings out of state, on group trips, to national parks, to Disneyland for the first time at 35. It takes planning, not a miracle.
  • Letting a single bad outing close the door on category. A loud concert went badly does not mean concerts are out forever. Try a smaller venue. Try an outdoor show. Try matinee timing.
  • Forgetting that the Self-Determination Program (SDP) can fund travel companions and event support that traditional services struggle with.

By age

1821
This is the window for big "first time" experiences — the first overnight away from family, the first plane ride, the first major event. These are skill-builders as much as they are joy-builders.
2235
Build a yearly tradition of one larger trip — even a long weekend in Big Bear, a road trip up the coast, a flight to see family. The planning, the support, and the recovery teach skills that compound.
Ages 55+
Travel shrinks but does not disappear. Day trips, scenic drives, train rides on the Coaster up to Oceanside or down to the border — keep the world feeling big.

Ready?

Add this goal to your roadmap. Track it. Bring it to your IPP meeting.