moment for him to finally have the voice to say ‘no’ or ‘yes.’ Little by little, he started to use small phrases such as ‘I want more’ or ‘I don’t want that.’” Mosaic’s April Johnson, who was Mark’s direct support professional at the time, said, “I always communicated with Mark whether he was engaged or not to let him know ‘Someone is listening to you, I see you, and you are recognized.’” “He also began to show and tell us about things he liked to do,” said April. “He likes to go out to eat, watch TV—especially game shows and soap operas—and go to movies. He’s also accomplished things such as picking up his dirty clothes and placing them in a laundry room hamper and taking his plate to the sink after he’s done eating.” “In the past two years, Mark is game to go anywhere,” said Allison. “He feels more empowered now that he’s using his voice. He’s a really good guy. He’s very kind, smart, he’s very sweet and importantly, he’s well-loved,” Allison said. “He also shows his appreciation when you’re working with him or making sure he’s comfortable in the way he wants to spend his day.” “He’s pretty smart in knowing how to make things go his way,” Louise said. “There are parts of him and his personality that just make me laugh; I love that he can figure his way around to do what he wants.” Louise then added, “I think the older we get, the more we see we’re all really the same.” Because of his increased communication, Mark was able to express his recently discovered love of coffee. He now starts his days with a cup of coffee and a high-five. Promise | 7
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