(2019 Summer Series, Blog #4)
After working on Matt’s transition to his new home over several months (years!), Rob and I made the monumental decision for Matt to spend an entire week at First Place–Phoenix without us while we spent our 35th wedding anniversary in Kauai—just the two of us! With Matt making steady progress settling in and an able on-site staff, we took the plunge.
Leading up to our anniversary trip, we prepared and tested a lot: monthly master schedule for work, meals and socializing; daily schedules for his personal routines; high-tech tools, including camera apps and FaceTime practice sessions; and more. The combination of First Place staff and family being front and center for Matt also contributed to that critical peace of mind for us being so far away.
With systems in place, including his established SMILE Biscotti work routine, we just needed to get on the plane and put it all to the test:
- Daily updates to his iPad schedule – check!
- Meal preparation – check!
- Personal care and medication routines – check!
- Laundry and clean-up routines – check!
- Daily engagement in community life activities – check!
- FaceTime visits scheduled – check! (Often early, as Matt is also eager to check things off his list!)
Encouraged by the experience, we increased Matt’s time at First Place upon our return. He began spending weeknights there and weekends at our family home. Weekends provide us with valuable, concentrated time to observe what Matt can do, test out new skills and set goals for continued forward momentum toward increased independence. Years of IEPs have helped us appreciate the value of goal setting and the fact that Matt continues to learn—as do his parents!
Our next adventure? Yellowstone National Park this fall. Rob and I plan to experience all of the national parks in the years ahead as we enjoy Matt’s ever-increasing independence—from up close and afar!
Up next, blog #5 in our summer series: The journey continues!