Little City, Big Progress.

Little City, Big Progress. 

Mark came to Little City under difficult circumstances. 

Mark had experienced some neglect and poor experiences in a previous residential setting and had gone back to live at home, but the transition proved difficult, and he started to noticeably regress. His parents found a perfect fit at Little City, but even that was difficult as Mark came in the middle of the COVID pandemic in late 2020. 

When the Autism Spectrum Engagement (ASE) program – specifically designed for adults with higher- level needs – started to meet again, it was in a smaller space at Little City’s Recreation Center. Mark initially had difficulty adjusting to his new surroundings. 

Adebayo Okenla, a Direct Support Professional who has worked with Mark for most of his time at Little City, said Mark would refuse to leave the room, even to go to the bathroom, and he would try to hit his head on a desk or wall if he got frustrated. 

“He had a hard time transitioning for anything and he would not talk to people much,” Adebayo said. “But he is completely different now. He is very sociable and very independent. He has made so much progress.” 

It all started to change for Mark nearly two years ago when the ASE program moved to a bigger space at Little City’s Countryside Center. 2024 was his best year yet. 

At Countryside Center, Mark has grown into his potential, becoming one of the most social people in the building. Whether it is spending time with friends, helping hand out materials to different classrooms or stopping by his housemates’ classrooms to let them know it is time to go home for the day, Mark has become a familiar face to everyone. 

In 2024, he went on community outings that simply would not have been possible when he first arrived at Little City. From picnics in the park to bowling with friends and even a special day spent at Medieval Times, Mark took big steps this past year in engaging with the community and becoming more independent.   

“It’s amazing to see Mark be so social with everyone and even just walking around the building to see familiar faces,” said Tim Gavin, Assistant Director of Day Services at Countryside.  

“To go from not ever wanting to leave a room to participating in so many things with so many different people – it has been great to see.” 

One of the unexpected keys to help Mark handle transitions and new activities has been a glow light that works as a timer. When the timer goes off, Mark’s light changes color and he knows it is time to move on to the next activity. Tim said he even has color-coded paper schedules for Mark because he enjoys it so much. 

Adebayo said that Mark’s independence has also transferred over to the home, where he lives with others who are his age but, in some cases, have higher levels of independence. That has helped Mark learn and improve his own life skills by seeing and interacting with them. 

He went from not wanting to go to the bathroom on his own to being able to shower, have breakfast, and get ready for the day with minimal assistance. 

“The goal for everyone at the Countryside Center, no matter what class they are in, is to become more independent, explore new activities and interests and just find things that are fulfilling for them and help them reach their potential,” Tim said. “Mark grew so much this past year and I think he is just going to continue to grow.”