Creating guardianship when childhood protections end

It was about as subtle as the first clap of thunder in a Texas storm.

I had taken Meredith to get some routine ultrasounds, and I had explained that it would not hurt and that she might see some funny pictures on a monitor. She understood, though — she was still asking questions in the waiting room.

Once we were called back, I picked up Meredith’s backpack and put my arm around her and we followed the assista nt, who turned around when we got to the door and delivered this jolt.

“You can ’tg o i nwi th her,” the technician told me. “What? Why on earth not?” “She’s over 18. She’s an adult.” “But she won’t go in there without me,” I pleaded. Meredith has intellectual disabilities because ofararecong enital brain difference called partial agenesis of the corpus callosum. This means the bridge between the two hemispheres did not fully form and, as ares ult, Meredith has no way to get information from one hemisphere to the other, which is cru-