A Reading Journey

After reading together three times a week for about a year, Adam and his mom Susan have made their way to the third book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, “The Return of the King.” The Fellowship has formed with Frodo and the hobbits, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Gandalf the Grey has come back as Gandalf the White. The battle of Helm’s Deep has been fought. Sam and Frodo have set off by themselves to destroy the ring together. It’s been quite a journey.

Adam has been a member of 3LPlace since 2022, and he is on a big journey himself. With the help of Susan and Meghan Montgomery – 3LPlace’s Co-Executive Director – Adam is learning to read with lessons at 3LPlace and practice at home.

“I use flash cards and sound out words,” Adam said. 

Meg explained that they are also focusing on a combination of skills, including phonological awareness, sight word identification, a rules based literacy curriculum, picture books, and chapter books. "Encouraging an adult to read needs an open-hearted and a multiprong approach,” she said. “Focusing on a combination of skills is working beautifully.”

Teachers and staff at Adam’s middle school picked up on his interest in reading years ago and supported him, according to Susan. As he began to take part in adult programs, however, “things went into a different realm. They were more related to work things, and there wasn’t the ability to continue to focus on reading.”

That changed when Adam joined 3LPlace.

“We wanted our lives to be different, wanted Adam to experience opportunities for personal growth and the fuller life he desired. I started to look at the self-direction thing, and I was so excited about that,” Susan said. 

She could feel the impact of self-direction in action from the first time she walked into 3LPlace. “Welcoming, warmth, growth. You could feel that life. You could feel the energy. It was immediately like the phrase I hear people say sometimes at 3L: People should be given the chance to live their best lives.”

Adam works with Meg once a week. He also works with his mom during their Lord of the Rings sessions, reading some paragraphs out loud himself. There’s more to it than just enjoying a ripping fantasy tale, though.

“It’s good, and it makes me feel confident,” Adam said. He also uses his growing abilities to “help people be safe, like when a sign says ‘Do Not.’”

The team has been collaborating on reading for a few months now. 

“Meg has given us the tools to accomplish something important, and Adam is pushing us. He’s so on board. Everyone at 3LPlace has a real desire to help people grow and learn,” Susan said. “It’s like someone’s taken the fetters off, and he’s asking ‘What can I do? What can I learn?’ It’s all so individualized, and it’s all so focused on who he is and what he wants to accomplish.”

Meg agreed when describing Adam and his reading lessons. “He was vocal. He wanted to learn. And he’s such a strong learner. This is such a joyful moment for all of us.”

Adam recently used his skills and talents in his annual Individual Service Plan at 3LPlace. He and Meg put together a slide presentation to describe his reading work and his future developmental, social, and vocational goals. Adam then led the meeting where his service coordinator from the Department of Developmental Services, staff from 3LPlace, and his mom Susan went over the ISP and his accomplishments and plans.

It was a very different experience, according to Adam. “[Previous ISP meetings] didn’t go so well. I didn’t get a word in edgewise. It was like I wasn’t even there, and I was like, ‘OK…’”

At 3LPlace, though, “I feel respected and make good friends.”

Watch a quick video of Adam reading from The Lord of the Rings by clicking the slide below.