Our son has been living at Vanguard Landing for almost three months. All of us are very pleased with his experience there so far, for the following reasons:
1) he wakes up every day in his own chosen space -- one that he has decorated with his own, curated collection of artwork and posters, that he cares for, and identifies as his own;
2) he spends time with peers (he considers staff members as well as other residents his peers) and is developing relationships on his own, without our constant parental presence (which we have been happy to provide for the last 30+ years, but are just as happy for him to live independently of);
3) he has different food options every day (those he chooses and those offered by VGL) and is learning to navigate beneficial nutritional choices that are new to him;
4) VGL is centrally located in a mixed residential/commercial section of Virginia Beach, which gives him easy access to barbershops, sports facilities, shopping, movie houses, the beach and the bay, his house of worship (which is only a mile or so away), restaurants, museums, art galleries, the aquarium, etc.. He has already taken advantage of most of these and has a routine with our congregation, a barber, recreational facilities (golf), WalMart/Target shopping trips, movie showings, and possibly a job at a museum; and
5) the layout of the homes and streets at VGL provides him with a space to ride his bike when he chooses, go on walks when he chooses, and otherwise operate much more independently than he has been previously able to living in our suburban home or in a more urban environment.
This has all been possible because the folks at VGL understand his need for independence, individual autonomy, relationships, and integration within the larger community. They accommodate these needs in any and every way possible. We feel ourselves very fortunate to have gotten in on the ground floor of what promises to be such an ideal place for our son to live his own life, to direct his own daily affairs, and to grow into (and to live up to) his full potential.
Our son is very excited at the prospect of seeing more individuals moving into his home and the homes around him at VGL.
