Gregory Shaw
Integrated Living Opportunities
Gregory Shaw’s Success Story: Progress Through ILO’s Community Based Network of Support
Gregory is a happy and enthusiastic young man with Type 1 diabetes, intellectual disabilities, and a severe speech and language disability. He had been working on improving some life skills that would help him live independently before his family discovered ILO, but his shyness, anxiety, and dependence on others were barriers to making further progress.
Gregory’s family began participating with ILO, which really opened the possibilities for independent living. His family was understandably nervous about Gregory moving out on his own, but as Gregory and his family began to spend time with ILO families, they saw examples of other people with intellectual disabilities living on their own in the community. Then Gregory succeeded in securing a housing voucher from Montgomery County, and ILO helped him move into an apartment he chose in Bethesda.
One year later, Gregory has a part-time job at a dog daycare and boarding facility in Rockville, volunteers at the DC Jewish Community Center, and takes some non-credit classes at Montgomery College.
ILO community builder events are helping him become more comfortable in his Bethesda neighborhood. He especially likes showing other ILO self-advocates how to get around Bethesda. He does chores around the apartment without prompting, checks his blood sugar, does his laundry, makes his lunch, and goes to the grocery store across the street.
Gregory and his family are grateful for ILO helping each of them become ready for his move into the community, as well as the Bethesda POD for all of their support.