Title: Kenny's Self Determination Story


[Visual Description]


A collage of photos and videos appear one by one. The first photo is of a young baby named Kenny being held up by his mother. The first photo fades out and another one fades in of three children, one a young child, another a toddler, and the other a baby sitting side by side on a blanket over grass with their parents sitting behind them. 


FEMALE SPEAKER:
Kenny was born very premature and
determined to teach all of us a lesson
about determination and survival. 


[Visual Description]
The photo fades out and a video fades in of a young child. Kenny, feeling along the walls of what appears to be a garage. An adult woman watches the child from behind and moves a propane tank out of the child's path. 


FEMALE SPEAKER:
He contradicted all doctor's predictions by
surviving his second birthday in good
health. Sign language was introduced at a
very early age to include choices on
food drinks games and toys. His receptive
language was amazing and had a hard time
expressing his needs it became very
clear that we needed to read his face
and body's expression to learn what he
wanted. 


[Visual Description]
Photo fades in of three pre-teenage boys laughing together. The boy in the center of the three, Kenny, holds a medium sized green ball or balloon. Kenny bends over to pet a goat's neck. 




Kenny is now shown as a teenager interacting with an elderly gentleman to his left using hand on hand contact. Kenny touches his index finger to his lip while the older gentleman rests his hand over Kenny's hand.


FEMALE SPEAKER:
At age 11 we did the first
person-centered planning to organize his
educational program, based on his
preference and choices. 


[Visual Description]
Kenny, now an adult male, climbs out of a public pool. 


FEMALE SPEAKER:
And although it took a few years finally Kenny
understood we were honoring his choices.


[Visual Description]
The same adult male crouches at the edge of a public pool in a diving position. An adult woman stands behind him holding his hips to keep him stable. The adult male dives forward into the pool and floats with his head above the water momentarily.  


FEMALE SPEAKER:
Kenny might not see or hear us, but he
can feel when people around him are
pleased to take an extra step to
understand and accept the way he is
requesting for something. Kenny's circle of
support knew he was not a candidate to
sit quietly for long periods of time, he
enjoyed being outdoors stimulated by
different smells and touching different
textures. 


[Visual Description]
The same male collects chicken eggs in a wire basket with large gloves on. An adult male intervener stands on his left. 


FEMALE SPEAKER:
The idea of the farm was born
and transitioning into the adult world
was not a difficult task since we had
found a place where he could feel
productive respected, and doing all kinds
of activities which would support and
promote his self-determination. Kenny had
been working in the same place for more
than eleven years and his independence
and his sense of self has continued
increasing every single year. 


[Visual Description]
An adult Kenny stands in a kitchen using hands over hand tactile sign language with another adult male. The intervener whose face is not in view guides Kenny's hand to a small square table with a large silver bowl of eggs, an empty egg carton, and a half filled large black egg tray on top of it. Kenny's hand is guided first to the empty egg carton and then to the tray with many eggs on it. Kenny then picks up eggs from the try with his right hand and places them into the empty egg carton to his left. The intervener steps back and watches on Kenny's right beside the table. 


FEMALE SPEAKER:
At age 31 and with a very slow process of
adjustment Kenny left our home to move
into his own apartment with the support
of a couple who have been trained in deaf-blindness.
And at this point he has a total sense
of belonging and control of his
environment. 


[Visual description]
Both Kenny and the intervener stand side by side in front of a table with a binder and egg cartons on it. The male intervener holds a paper of labels on it. Using hand over hand contact Kenny's hand is guided to the paper, peels off a label, places it on the side of an egg carton, and then begins to pick up the carton. 


FEMALE SPEAKER:
Kenny's happy transitioning
between our home and his own, from his
workplace to a social event or engaging
in any type of activity, he has been
accepted as a member of his own
community lives a life with dignity and
everything he does. Professionals and us
working together we gave him access to a
world he has all the tools to do what
makes him happy.
If he is happy and doing well we as
parents feel we did okay by him. 


[Visual Description]
The video fades out and a picture fades in of two egg cartons stacked on top of one another. The bottom carton has a label on it that reads "Queens from County farm. Local, Free-Range Eggs! Collected by Kenny the week of 6/15. Www.queenfarms.org"


Foreground of a gray metal fence with a gray sign on it that reads "Queens county farm museum" with small unreadable text below it. In the background Kenny uses a walking stick while walking  and down the sidewalk side by side with the male intervener. Both of them are wearing backpacks as they walk out of view.


FEMALE SPEAKER:
He has fulfilled his and our own dreams by
having a typical life like his brother
and sister, and Kenny has taught us what
self-determination is all about and how
easy it is to accomplish.