Best Kept Secret Page #6

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we try that they have fun.

We have a lot of people from

this school, and after lunch

they can go there --

we can pick them up here.

And we accommodate according to

the disability that they have.

We need to know everything so we

can help in the right way.

And just remember, this is

a medical daycare service.

Robert, Kareem, and Quran

just started going

to Birchwood in the afternoon.

I wish they would stay

until the end of the day

and then go to Birchwood.

That's not my choice.

I don't have no say over that.

I don't know

what they're doing there,

but if they're not working

one-on-one with them

and not pushing them, they're

doing absolutely nothing.

I know that.

Hi, how are you doing?

-Great! How are you?

-I'm good.

Good. I'm Janet.

How are you doing, Kirk?

-Nice to meet you, welcome.

-Thank you.

-Thanks for coming by today.

-Thanks for having me.

We're going to check out

the program if that's all right.

So you're going to be the one

touring me around?

Yes, I will do my best to be

the best tour guide.

All I've got is my family.

I think of them all the time.

I think of my family members

all the time.

MAN:
So, what do you do

after you do that?

MINO:
Move over a little.

Can I squeeze in there?

Can I squeeze between y'all?

Hi, Kareem.

Put your hands down.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-How you doing?

-Fine.

MAN:
Do your socks go

on your hands? No?

Where do the socks go?

Show me where on the body.

Show it.

Point to it.

Where do Socks go?

Where does this go?

Right here?

So, what goes first?

Kareem, let's put this

on the side.

Yeah, he might get

distracted.

Look.

In the morning time, right?

Listen first.

Put your hands down.

Look at me -- In the morning,

when you get dressed,

what do you put on first?

You put on your...

What is that?

MAN:
What are those,

Kareem?

MINO:
What is it?

MAN:
Where do those go?

MINO:
You put on your pants?

Okay.

Put the hands down.

So, um...

I would prefer like if they

were interacting,

with games and different to

bring out more communicating.

-Communication with each other.

-Sure.

Things like that.

Um, it is what it is.

MAN:
The spectrum of autism

is very wide.

So there's some we probably

won't be able to handle

because we have...

So, you wouldn't take children

with behaviors?

That's not true, no,

I'm saying it's case by case.

-Case by case?

-Yeah.

I was just seeing if this is

a proper place for my kids.

'Cause I heard this was more

for senior citizens.

Well, it originally was.

So I didn't quite understand.

So I said,

"Let me come see."

But, what the parents are

looking for

that you offer is the hours.

-Yeah.

-And the transportation.

But the academic part that they

don't realize but they need

is just communications

and life skills.

That's what they need.

And money management,

dealing with knowing that,

if I have this money,

I can buy this object.

With the state, we can't deal

with any real money.

Because we're a private

company...

No, but if you had a store and

the kids had an opportunity --

Even, are you allowed to go out

in the community?

And...?

Walks. Around the neighborhood.

Are you allowed to do that?

We can't, being a medical

day center.

I wish we could; there's so many

things I'd like...

MINO:
That's a life skill, too.

MAN:
We do the best we can.

We go out, show them Central Av.

from the end of our parking lot,

and do our nature works --

we do a lot of special events

with them, too.

I was just wondering,

is there a speech therapist?

We don't have

a speech therapist now.

Want me to show you how?

I can teach you real quick.

-Yeah.

-It's quite simple.

If they see the picture of

a cookie,

they won't associate it

with a cookie.

You start with one picture

of a cookie.

Then you actually have

the cookie there.

That way, they start to

understand this is a cookie.

And since you don't

have a lot of staff,

you can do it in a group thing

as a game.

That's what we would

try to do to that.

But this is definitely going

in the right direction.

I think you're doing

a good thing.

Well, we're working on it.

You've figured

a lot of different ideas

to add different programs and

different choices you have here,

and make it larger.

All the parents are going

to come to this place

because they've got

transportation.

That's like the hardest thing.

But I would just hate to think

that everything that you did

all through the years,

and then they come back,

and if you don't practice

anything, you lose it.

Quran's higher functioning

than adult daycare,

which is Birchwood.

He's much better than that.

I don't recommend that

for Quran.

I'm not trying to belittle

the program.

For the right persons,

it's okay and it's great.

But for someone who has

capabilities beyond sitting

and playing games

and going on trips,

they can go beyond that.

MINO:
A lot of parents,

they're looking

for a baby-sitter.

They need a place.

Right, and I understand that

because they have to work

and they have to make a living,

so they need something.

But they're not looking

for quality.

Right, and that's what we have

to gear them towards,

to look for appropriate places

that meet their child's needs,

not just somewhere to put them

for so many hours of the day.

Ms. Mino told me, she said,

"I'm so mad at you 'cause Quran

gotta leave at 12:00."

And I was like, well,

"What is he gonna miss?"

They said, "Speech."

Him being at Birchwood

in the afternoon

is more productive for him

than being in a classroom

and, you know,

and I don't know what

he's doing.

But the hours,

that's what's the benefit,

you know what I'm saying?

And it saves us

a lot of money.

You know, I'm kind of happy.

Not happy, but,

you know, content.

MINO:
It's really hard.

It's...

[Scoffs]

I guess I gotta just...

I don't know.

[Laughter]

MINO:
Maybe you got something at

the firehouse they can do.

Oh, no.

-I can solve the problem.

-Okay, solve the problem.

You have to integrate them

into the community.

That's what we're trying.

Okay, I'm telling you

what to do.

Right, I'm listening.

Would you mind if they worked

at a car wash?

-No.

-Okay.

But, if...

I don't wanna just...

If that's something that's

in their interest.

JENKINS:
How about janitorial

services, maintenance?

MINO:
Yeah, they do that.

They do maintenance

in the school.

Okay, so if you've got them

in the schools,

why can't you develop a program

where they go to

all different schools?

You gotta go be

the advocate for them.

Right, and I did that,

but --

Then you didn't do it

hard enough,

because I'm sure, if you go

to the principal --

-That's who I went to.

-Then go over his head.

That's who I went to.

-It's easy to make it happen.

-You think so?

Yep, all you got to do is light

the fire under yourself.

[Raps table]

Light the fire under myself?

Oooh.

I don't know.

Matthew, come back here.

Good morning, Quran.

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