Brendan is Thriving!

August 19, 2021

 Brendan loves watching movies, swimming, and most of all spending time with his family. Not only that, but he also is a very hard worker! 

Brendan started at Elim when he was in middle school. His local district and his family thought it would be the best place for him to get the proper resources to meet his individual needs. 

Brendan went back to his local district for high school. But after he graduated, Elim was his and his family’s first choice to go back to for the transitional program to better prepare him for the “real world” and teach him independence. 

Working on Goals

Some of Brendan’s goals have included learning vocational and domestic skills. These skills are hands on and help him learn how to prepare for the day-to-day challenges of participating in the community and growing his independence. 

In his domestic class, Brendan has been working on daily life skills such as drying dishes and folding and putting away laundry. He practices these skills every day at home, but some days are more challenging for him. It takes practice, and we know with all his hard work he will get it on his own one day. 

A vocational skill he has been working on is learning how to help clean up and put away equipment – a skill that can be used in the workplace. These different skills can help Brendan thrive, and we have already seen evidence of this as he continues to progress. 

Applying Skills

Brendan is very motivated by TV, so during remote learning, his teacher made sure there were video lessons available online to watch. One video taught about carts and how they can be used for various activities. 

One day when Brendan and his family were volunteering at church, someone brought out a cart, and as soon as Brendan saw it, his mom said, “he lit up, ran right over to it, and knew exactly what to do!” It just clicked to him. After watching the videos, he was able to apply them to a real-life situation. 

Not only that, but Brendan has also been working on his communication skills and using his communication device to have meaningful conversations with others. 

It is evident Brendan has not let the pandemic slow him down. His family and teachers are all so proud of him for working so hard at home and at school, even during these times.