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Steps Toward Independence
Sylvia Kinder, born with an intellectual disability and blind since birth, was afraid of walking unattended. She was so fearful that, whenever she was led by someone, Sylvia would hang on tightly, pulling the person back as he tried to move forward.
“For years we tried to figure out how to get Sylvia to walk on her own,” says April Dislers, a Community Residential Services Administrator for Aspire. “We knew it would help her become more independent.”
Enter Susan Ottlinger, Sylvia’s caseworker for the past three years, who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“I told her, ‘Sylvia, we are going to get you out and about walking with a cane,’” says Ottlinger. “At first she was scared. It took a while for her to trust me, but once I convinced her I would be nearby at all times, she was game.”
The two women started out on the sidewalks of La Grange, the town where Sylvia lives with seven other women in an Aspire Community Home. Walking the width of the double-wide sidewalks assured Sylvia there was plenty of room. Holding her head up high and shoulders square gave her a better sense of direction. Over the course of a summer, Ottlinger, walking backward and facing Sylvia, gradually moved farther and farther away while speaking words of encouragement (and telling quite a few jokes) as Sylvia navigated curbs and crosswalks.
“Sylvia has a great sense of humor,” says Ottlinger. “We had a lot of fun.”
Today Sylvia ventures out more than she ever did in the past. She walks to nearby restaurants and to the La Grange Public Library to check out books-on-tape in her favorite genres: non-fiction and biography. Ottlinger goes with her, but now she walks a few steps behind. Sylvia has become more self-sufficient at many of her other activities, including grocery shopping, swimming and bowling. She is happy about her progress and smiles as she says, “Susan is always suggesting new things for me to try.”
She will have to fit new activities into an already busy schedule. A pianist, Sylvia plays the keyboard for her housemates. She takes a dance class and enjoys “boogie nights” at home every Friday evening. Once a month, she goes out to dinner with her boyfriend, fellow Aspire participant, Robert. Sylvia plans to take up golf this spring and hopes to travel to her outreach group on a more independent basis.
“I am more confident than I ever was before,” says Sylvia. “Susan really helped me with that.”
Sylvia demonstrates that self-confidence in the job she has at Aspire Industries, a vocational training program in Hillside, where she is top earner. She enjoys work and she likes to make money. “I work fast and I can be done with whatever job they give me in about an hour,” boasts Sylvia. “Then I tell them to give me more work.”
Dislers praises Sylvia’s caseworker Ottlinger for helping Sylvia live a more fulfilling life. “Susan and Sylvia have a wonderful, trusting relationship and because of that, Sylvia is up for trying anything. This is an amazing feat.”
Ottlinger gives credit to her colleagues at Aspire for giving her ideas, inspiration and constructive criticism when she faces challenging obstacles in her job. “Everything at Aspire is about teamwork.”
