Susan Senator

I kept getting reports from Nat’s Day Program — from a particular staff person — that were a bit negative in tone about Nat, such as how Nat was bumping into cars with the shopping carts, giggling too much. Yet everyone else’s interactions with Nat have been terrific. It’s been (almost) the sunny Nat of old. He is still quieter than I like, but he’s also more flexible and communicative. He seems to really understand a lot more that’s going on.

So I mentioned my concern to the program director, suggesting that perhaps Nat is sensing the staff person’s frustration and it is making Nat uncomfortable and thereby a bit anxious, loose, wiggly. Like maybe they are reacting off each other. This happens, right? We all have poor chemistry sometimes. And not everyone “gets” Nat at first. So… now they are observing the staff person and retraining! I am so impressed.

Today there was more good news. We and Nat’s Day Program have succeeded in moving Nat into a M-F work schedule, so that he will no longer be in DayHab at all! His earnings will pay for part of his job coaching and transportation, and hopefully he will eventually move out of being dependent on SSI (Supplemental Support Income) and will be able to move into SSDI (Social Security Disability Income). SSDI allows you to save more money without penalty. We are getting Nat onto our insurance once he is 26 so he won’t need Medicaid anyway. I feel like the less he needs from the government, the better, in so many ways.