We’ve hit a major milestone in Gavin’s transition into his adult life. It’s been a journey that has taken us down countless winding roads and back again but he has found his path for now.
For those who are new here, Gavin is my 23 year old, autistic son. He’s had a very rough life filled with trauma and life threatening health problems. The very fact that I’m writing about this transition journey is a beyond amazing because there were times along the way that just didn’t see this as a possibility for him. Yet here we are. 🙂
Gavin is such a unique kid and has overcome so many obstacles in his short life. He’s doing incredibly well but still needs help to navigate the world.
He recently hit a major milestone in his adult life. He found a job and loves it so far. It’s right up his alley and he just got his very first paycheck. He’s so proud of himself, as he should be. Gavin has a lot of skills but they don’t always translate into something useful in find employment. He knows all kinds of random things from what the best hunting crossbow is, and how many frames per second the new Zelda game runs at on the Nintendo Switch, to plastic surgeon seo, and literally anything about anime or the Marvel Universe. He’s got a lot of information stored in that amazing brain of his. He’s picked up a lot things from going down the YouTube rabbit hole.
Gavin also likes to organize things and that’s the path he followed for employment. He was hired as a stock clerk at a local grocery store and so far, it’s a really good fit. He enjoys it and they treat him well. Both are huge wins in my book.
The next goal he’s working towards is independent living. I don’t know what that looks like yet. He still needs help and living alone wouldn’t be safe at this point in time. There are a tremendous number of options out there for people in his situation. There are lots of things for home care for seniors but not for adults with developmental disabilities. He wants to live with roommates and that’s possible for sure. I just don’t know what it looks like.
At the end of the day, I’m incredibly proud of who he is, how far he’s come, and how well he’s already doing. I’m thrilled that he’s found a job he likes and they treat him well. Maybe this is his long term path or maybe it’s a stepping stone for him. For now, he’s happy and that’s all that matters to me. Some day maybe someday he will move onto a different path but until then, he’s doing amazing and I couldn’t be prouder.
