Nurturing Staff at Casa de Adora Help Two Brothers from Lanterman Developmental Center

Nurturing Staff at Casa de Adora Help Two Brothers from Lanterman Developmental Center Find Their “Voice” and Express Themselves Positively

Eight years ago, brothers John and Daniel, who had spent much of their adult lives at Lanterman Developmental Center, moved into Casa de Adora. And contrary to all of the naysayers who argued keeping adults with developmental disabilities like John and Daniel in the developmental centers was better for them, with nurturing and support from the staff at Casa de Adora, John and Daniel have all but disproven this.

It’s not to say that it didn’t take time to achieve the marked progress that can be seen in their lives and the daily lives of the other residents at Casa de Adora, but they are a case in point example of the breakthroughs that can be achieved when clients are provided with ways in which to find their “voice” and express themselves positively.

“When they first came to Casa de Adora,” recalls Julio Vicente, a QA Specialist in Lanterman’s Community Services department, “the two brothers had uncontrollable behaviors, including hitting, kicking, head banging, yelling and spitting, and they didn’t like to be around others, especially people they didn’t know. For Daniel, these were the ways he used to communicate as he didn’t’ have any other means or know what else to do, and John would also retreat to his room and spend hours in his chair alone.”

Fast forward to Daniel’s most recent birthday celebration, and the two brothers can be seen celebrating with the Casa de Adora staff and the other two residents – Jaime and Mario. Julio adds, “Daniel no longer exhibits any of the above behaviors, enjoys hanging out and has learned some basic sign language to communicate with others. John, who never came out of his room and did not want to participate in any activities, now spends time in the living room watching television with his brother and his peers, partakes in meals with the rest of the residents, and has even learned to smile and attempt to communicate through sign language as well.”

Mario and Jaime have also made leaps and bounds since moving in. The staff have worked very closely with Mario and his doctors on medication reduction, and Jaime has gone from being introverted to talking, singing and making eye contact with his peers and with people in general.

Julio adds, “This is all very endearing to me, because I saw them when they first got to the home and I’m looking at a totally different and amazing picture now.  Wonderful to see!”

File

• View a video of Daniel's most recent birthday celebration