Day in the Life: Teaching Life Skills and Academics to 7 Young Adults with Special Needs

It's 3 30. It's dark out. That must mean it's 3 30 in the morning. Okay Savannah, we are here. There's our truck that we're escorting and the load. That load is 13 and a half feet wide. But we need to get set up here. So can you turn on the sign so we can get it moving please. Okay when I tell you, you can push that button again and that'll shut it off. And then we're going to test lights. Okay Savannah, try our final light. There we go. Okay they're all working. Good job. Do you want to close it up? How was work today? Good. What did you get to do? I got to go paddling. Was it fun? Yes. Now you have to get ready for school. Savannah learned the job today. What it was all about. And it's pretty much 99% boredom. Sometimes interrupted by about 1% sheer terror. So what should our plan be for school today? What's the weather like out there? Right now it's overcast. It's sitting at zero Celsius, so at the freezing level. The forecast today is for snow mixed with rain wintery mix for this afternoon. So I don't think the staff's going to be overly excited. But we're going to be outside doing some pruning and stuff I think this morning. And we'll do all the inside academic type stuff this afternoon when the wintry weather hits us. Okay so I will get a schedule done. Sounds good to me. So were you bored this morning? Yes. So you don't think you'd want to be a pilot driver? No maybe a truck driver. You think that would be more exciting? Yes. So Savannah's probably our most morning person in this house. And she is usually up and going quite early. Where everybody else is wanting to stay in bed as long as possible. Part of our routine in the morning is getting the fire going. This is the way we heat our house primarily. Good morning. How did you sleep? Good. Are you ready to get up and get ready for school today? Okay I'm gonna help you. We're gonna get all ready. Good morning Fritz. How are you this morning? This is the entrance that the staff uses here. And we'll be coming in. They get the stuff sorted out. Stuff put away. It's kind of a little area that we use for them. And we get back here and get it prepped in the morning. Get the door unlocked. So how do you start your day? I start my day with three golden puppies. Sit. Wait. All the dogs are learning to sit and wait till they're asked to go outside. Okay. Two on one. It's not very fair hey? She doesn't seem to be upset about it. I think she's enjoying the attention. Breakfast time. More morning routine. Cheyenne gets the dogs their food. On deck. Sit. Wait. Break. Sadie. On deck. Sadie. On deck. All. Sit. Wait. Break. Sadie. On deck. On deck. Sit. Wait. Break. Getting the nishes done there Savannah? How are you today Dino? Good. Did you have a good sleep? Did you have a good sleep? Yep. Somebody comes and eats with you for each meal because you can't get upstairs? Do you like having your own private dining table when you just pick your guest for the evening? Yeah. Or morning? Breakfast or lunch. Yeah. So you chose Cheyenne for breakfast? Yeah. And you are trying to play with that dog instead of brushing your teeth. So way to go. Have a conversation with your toothbrush. You're all set up and ready for your tutor? Uh pretty much yep. I just have to go grab my book. I'm just looking at my grades from the past assignments. You're ready on time? You're going to go outside? Yep. Prune some trees? Dad's going to direct? So here's the start of today's schedule. Cheyenne's going to start with her tutor doing her English work and then she's going to go outside and do some pruning and life skills outside. Dean's got a project that he's been working on with his support person so he's going to be working on that and then he's going to do a little bit of carding. What are you building? A table. A table? You're refinishing it? Yeah Is this the top of it? Yep. Good job. He's showing them the real top. Look at that. Whoa. Yep. You had to re-glue it all? Yep. And flatten it? Yep. How did you flatten it? With a concrete piece and a some we put some stuff on it and then. Did you get it wet first? Yeah wet first yeah. And then you flattened it? Yeah. And then you glued it all back together? Yep I did. The other kids are going to work on pruning and life skills outside except for Darren because obviously he's not going anywhere outside. How's your puzzle coming? Good. You're getting there aren't you? Yeah. It's looking good. I fucked it. You're so good at puzzles. The tree's crying. Or the tree's saying thank you for the hair patch. What do you think? I think it's just fortunate because because yesterday he trimmed that one our plum tree and now it looks like a tree from a scary movie A Haunted House. Lorelai what's your job? Trimming. Trimming? Yeah. And then getting them in the buckets? Yeah. What's your job Jake? Trimming. Trimming them up? Yeah. Meredith our OTPT assistant is coming. She's there in the blue and she'll spend time with each of them. So you're on lunch duty today? Yep. So you have some homemade bread, cold cuts, cheese, mustard mayo? Yep. How's lunch coming? Good. I forgot to do that one. That's dad's. Okay. Making sure all the favorites are out? Yep. Helping with lunch Savannah? Yeah. Making it so healthy Luke? I'm impressed. Okay lots of fruits and vegetables. Get some vegetables. Guess what I'm trying? Mango steam. What are you trying? Mango steam. This kind. I tried it. It was good. It's not garlic. Just try it. Be brave. It has a pit in it. It's like a grape and a mango. It's good. Do you think it'll be good or do you think she's going to poison you? It'll be good. She'll never poison me. Then in the afternoon we're going to come inside and switch over to some more academic type things. What are you working on? Math. I'm doing grade 8 of pre-algebra. You're doing pre-algebra? And you're working on teaching textbooks? Yep. What are you guys playing? This game. What letter do I start with? Yes. Okay what letter does the picture say? You need something that starts with K? What can you find? Chi. No that doesn't start with K. Q for queen. Q for queen? Kite. Kite? Yeah then your turn. P for. Can you find a P word? Football. Football doesn't start with P. Penguin does. Dean is going to do his OT, PT exercises with his support person. Then they're going to do some board games and then they're going to practice the dog training that Dean's been working on. Do you think you're going to win Dean? I don't know. It's a game of life. What are you working on now? What are you working on now? My culinary course. How's today's workout going? Good. You don't even look tired yet. I am sweating. How long have you been running for? Close to maybe 20 minutes. 20 minutes and you're not even tired? Have you been at this speed the whole time? 3.5 then 4.5. 3.5. You just keep going back and forth? Yeah. Good job. Are you going to be ready for that track meet in no time? Get my workout done. Good job. What are you doing? Playing dice. Tenzy? Yeah. What number are you getting? 10? I don't think so. Dice doesn't go up to 10. 11? You have 10 dice and you have to get all the same number? Yeah. This is what happens when you have to get up so early for work. A little afternoon nap. So what have you been building? I've been building Lego. And this is a giant ship? Yep. It looks like a cruise ship. Kind of does. Can you tell us about it? First, I would have to show you about this. This I got the idea on a TV show I watch while I'm doing it. So I made the deep area for someone digging. And then I made the cruise quarters where you can go dig. And then I made a separate place for the contractor and the helicopter. Nice. I've been coming up with all kinds of creative ideas. And I had them all sorted but I don't have any tubs. That's why I'm working on that. So you're getting it all sorted so you can do a lot more? And this is all different colors but it was all sorted. All these pieces here was from a home deco set. Very creative.