I stumbled on my posts from 2013 -- the last time I wrote about my son -- and couldn't believe that much time had gone by. What happened? Well, life, I guess.
Zac is now 30 years old. 30. And a lot has happened since 2013. He's had several jobs - the last was commuting by bus about 35-45 minutes for a data entry position. It was a great set-up, designed to employ people with disabilities. Then the company was sold and the new owners relocated, taking the jobs with them.
So, in trying to find a job field where he could find more stable employment, for the past year he's been taking a daily class in medical coding and billing. This class is for young adults on the spectrum -- hopefully, their attention to detail and good memory skills will make them prime candidates for this kind of employment. They have to pass several accreditation exams, so I'm crossing my fingers and hoping.
But perhaps the biggest life change that's happened is that Zac has moved into his own apartment! Something I wasn't sure would ever happen, has happened. I've looked at a lot of potential places -- apartments, houses, group homes -- and this exceeded my expectations. We jumped at it, although Zac was not at all excited about the prospect of leaving home. We started out with a bribe -- a new tv with cable, on us. Then it was "you stay there Monday through Thursday, and you can come home on the weekends" (we're roughly 15-20 minutes away). And by golly, things have worked out! Now I pick him up for class on Fridays, he comes home to do laundry, have a meal, and then he's back to his apartment.
There's a wonderful woman, Maggie, who is in charge of residential living who pops in once or twice a week, plus a nurse to monitor bp, weight, etc., and several agency people who drive him to the store or wherever he needs to go. And he has learned how to navigate public transportation, which has opened a lot of doors for him. And though I never forget my mantra of "never let your guard down", we are cautiously optimistic about our son's prospects.
So while it may (and probably will) take years, things can take a turn for the better. For now. Who knows what's around the corner. All you can do is take one day at a time.
