Week Thirteen

Thomas has just celebrated his 28th birthday! He is still living at home full time and was granted minimal SSI benefits because of this. He has attempted many different jobs but still has not found one that suits him or that can effectively deal with his behavior and social issues. Thomas is still fascinated with video games and spends a majority of his time playing them on the computer, television, and anything else he can get his hands on. The virtual world gives Thomas an opportunity to interact with other people and he feels like he can be a “normal” person in these games without any judgment from people who do not understand his disability.

A few weeks later while out running errands, Molly drove past a video game store with a “help wanted” sign in the window. On a whim, she stopped in and began talking to the manager about Thomas, his love of video games, and his disability. The manager was more than understanding and offered Thomas the job of a part-time sales person on the spot. Molly and Ian were overjoyed upon hearing this and Thomas was looking forward to it as well. Since the store was about a ten minute drive away, Thomas was motivated enough to take a drivers education course and obtain his driver’s license before beginning the job.

At 30 years old, Thomas is doing better than ever. He has been promoted to work at the video game store full time and his boss says he is one of the best employees they have. Thomas knows all there is to know about the video games, is enthusiastic about them, and gives helpful advice to customers. This not only has helped greatly with his social interactions, but has also broadened his friend group. He enjoys hanging out with his fellow coworkers outside of the workplace, and has even attempted to go out with them on the weekends. There have been a few times where Thomas has been overwhelmed while out at a bar with the sheer amount of conversations going on around him and the loud music. He knows that in order to deal with a situation like this, he needs to remove himself from the situation and either steps outside for some fresh air or excuses himself and goes home. Thomas’ new friends are very understanding and supportive which has helped Thomas with this transition.

Thomas is 35 years old and attends The Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County where he has become very involved with The Op Shop.  Thomas works on crafts with other individuals with disabilities, whom he has grown very close to.  He also attends the Canteens every month which he looks forward to and loves.  Canteens are supervised social activities for individuals with disabilities 14 and up.  There are usually two canteens a month and this month The Arc had an Easter Dance and a BBQ.  Thomas has been able to gain great friendships through this network and it helps him improve his social and communication skills.

Through his work, he has attended three video-game conferences in Washington, DC.  This was a big leap for Thomas because it was the first time Thomas has been away from his parents for several days.  The first time attending the conference, it was very difficult and Thomas threw a tantrum because he was scared.  Thomas took a train from Staunton and was overwhelmed by the rattling sensation and close proximity to people.  However, each trip got easier with the help of peers and his support group.  Once he got used to the different feelings, he was able to calm himself down and was able to enjoy the trip.  These trips have definitely been a milestone in Thomas’ life as well as his parents.

When Thomas was 33 years old, he attended the video game convention for the second year.  He met a 30 year old woman named Rosie and they hit it off right from the beginning.  For the first time, Thomas felt at ease talking to someone.  She was interested in all of the same video games and activities that he was interested in. They have been dating on and off for a couple of years now and he has grown attached to her.  Thomas introduced her to his parents and Ian and Molly have grown to care for her.  Ian and Molly both think that this relationship has benefited Thomas in many ways though they believe that she may also have a mild form of Autism or Asperger’s syndrome.  However, Rosie has never been assessed or diagnosed for either.

Thomas is now 40 years old.  Rosie and Thomas have been dating long-distance for five solid years now.  They have agreed to have Rosie move from her home in Richmond, VA to an apartment in Rockingham County about 15 minutes away from Molly and Ian’s home.  Thomas was able to deal with this very well because Rosie has been able to relate to Thomas and help him make the transition.  They are very happy in their apartment and Rosie enjoys being able to call this apartment her “own home”.  Molly and Ian visit at least 2-3 times a week and they all have dinner together at least once a week.

Earlier in her adult life, Rosie attended J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and got her Associate’s Degree to become a dental assistant.   Rosie got a job working at Kool Smiles in Richmond, VA after she completed her degree.  Gary, her boss at Kool Smiles enjoyed Rosie and considered her one of his most efficient workers.  Gary helped her tremendously in getting a job in Harrisonburg, VA at Brown & Sutt Dentistry when she moved.  Although Thomas’ SSI/ disability benefits help, the rent for the apartment is largely maintained by Rosie’s salary which is $42,000/ year. Thomas has learned how to cook for himself and maintain his own home while Rosie is at work.

When Thomas turned 42, he decided to sign up to be a volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club of Harrisonburg.  Throughout his first couple of weeks helping out here and there, he became especially fond of a fifteen year old boy named David.  Thomas felt that David was like him in some way but he couldn’t quite place his finger on it.  Thomas’ supervisor felt that it would be beneficial for Thomas to become his mentor. The young David and Thomas bonded over action figures and video game equipment.  Rosie began to notice how much David has influenced Thomas to come out of shell even more so than he has over the past five years.  At age 45 Thomas and Rosie got married in a very small and personal ceremony in Molly and Ian’s backyard.  Those who attended were close family and a few friends they had made together over the past years.  Shortly after they got married, Ian suffered a dramatic and severe fatal heart attack.  The news quickly spread and Thomas was devastated as any child who lost a parent would be.  Thomas and Ian were very close in their later adult lives and this took a toll on Thomas.  Rosie and Thomas’s finances were more than they could handle at this time in their life to due pay cuts at work; so, to lessen this financial burden they moved back into Thomas’s childhood home with Molly.  Molly’s needs have increased with her age and she is thankful to have Thomas by her side and Rosie to help her with small daily living tasks.

Thomas is now 50, and although the past couple of years have been very difficult for him without Ian, he has managed to pull through. Thomas felt empty after his father’s passing, therefore he met with a psychologist every two weeks, for six months, after his father’s death. (The psychologist had experience in working with children and adults with Autism).  The psychologist showed Thomas some new ways for Thomas to express himself when he feels upset over losing his dad, or any other feeling that he is not comfortable discussing out loud.  Art Therapy is one coping technique that has helped Thomas work through some of his more difficult feelings.  Thomas enjoys drawing sketches of potential video game scenarios as well as making collages that demonstrate his sometimes hidden feelings. Art therapy was not offered when Thomas was in school, but Thomas is bringing awareness to it now, and Art Therapy programs are now being integrated into the local school systems.  Thomas’ art has been displayed at the local Boys and Girls Club, and Rosie is planning a exhibition in the near future that will display some art from children in the local school systems.  Thomas and Rosie are more financially stable than ever before and are very happy in their marriage. They continue to live with Molly (who enjoys having the two around), and they have also decided not to have children. Rosie and Thomas have formed a great partnership with the local Boys and Girls Club, and spend much of their free time there because they have each begun to mentor more children in addition to David.  Currently, Thomas’ art accomplishments have given him confidence to submit some of his video game scenario pieces into a contest where the winner will get to work alongside video game designers and contribute to the creation of the new video game.