This article is included in our Fall 2022 newsletter!

Elijah Brown began attending our Career, Activity, & Community (CAC) program in January 2020.

At first, he was very shy, overwhelmed by large crowds, would hide behind the CAC stage, and often refused to eat lunch. He would say very few words and for the most part only communicated with staff.

Elijah’s goal was to become more confident and comfortable around peers, staff, and a new environment. To help him achieve this goal, we offered him a variety of community experiences and smaller staff-to-individual group ratios that didn’t overwhelm him.

Because of these changes, Elijah is thriving at CAC!

Now he’s very vocal, communicating to both peers and staff the moment he walks through the door. He’ll walk room-to-room at CAC and have full conversations with most people while waiting for his On the Go (OTG) group experience. He gives everyone hugs, asks how they are doing, and will remember their name.

Some recent successes for Elijah:

• He now wears his helmet all day when attending his day program, a goal of his that had been difficult in the past.
• Both staff and his mom have remarked that Elijah has been communicating more effectively this past year.
• He continues to socialize more every day with his peers and staff.

Elijah enjoys experiences like swimming, basketball, visiting pet stores, checking out different parks around town, going to the movies, and eating at restaurants. Elijah will now tell staff where he wants to eat, will order his food, and even talks with all the restaurant staff! (They love when he visits)

When Elijah is ready to have fun, he’ll say his newest go-to phrase: “I’m gonna turn up!” 😊

Check out the slideshow below of Elijah’s recent experiences that highlight his growth at Open Door!