posted
on Friday, July 17, 2015
Blake, a graduate of West High School, native Waterloo resident, recently moved from his childhood home into a home he shares with three housemates. His journey is much like many other 22 year olds – full of twists, turns, and new experiences from which to learn.
When Blake was young, he was diagnosed with Autism. For Blake that means his senses are intensified – his sight and hearing for example. While some of these experiences bring him joy (like looking at links or prisms) others bring him great discomfort (such as dogs barking or the garbage disposal).
If you would have asked Jan and Randy, Blake’s parents, a couple of years ago if they thought Blake would someday live on his own, they would have stated without hesitation, “No.” Then, life happened and persons close to Jan and Randy suddenly passed away.
They began thinking differently, “What if that was us? What would happen to Blake?” Jan said it felt like they would be setting Blake up for failure and causing him to have to suddenly move to a new home where he didn’t know anyone. So, they asked EPI for help and began to see how, with EPI’s help, Blake could live successfully in a place of his own.
“EPI was open to our ideas and genuinely looked for solutions.”
The family was part of choosing the home (one they would be comfortable living in themselves), finding compatible housemates, furnishing the home, and adjusting the time frame to move into the home.
Jan holds the EPI Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) in very high regard stating, “They are very special people to me. This is a life they do not have to be a part of, but they chose to make a difference in Blake’s life.” Through the partnership with EPI they can trust the persons working with their son have all had background checks, training and continuous learning, and the reliability of someone being there even if one person gets sick. “It feels like family,” Jan says of her son’s home.
Since the move, Blake has started to value time with his own family – staying at the dinner table longer and spending more time with his parents.