Week Seven

            Kaylee's parents decide that Kaylee's best option is to move in with her best friends, Ashley and Emily. Ashley and Emily are very aware of Kaylee's disorder and understand that Kaylee might need some help taking care of herself on her own. They are also very patient and supportive of Kaylee. Brody and Trish believe that Kaylee is best off living with her best friends who can help her out on occasion and make sure that she is living a healthy lifestyle. This will also give Kaylee more freedom and independence to live on her own without feeling like her parents are always watching over her.

            Kaylee is very excited to live on her own with her best friends! She feels much more independent and grown up. Kaylee, Ashley, and Emily move into a three-bedroom one-story house in a quiet neighborhood near Fred and Sally's house so Kaylee can easily walk or ride the local city bus to work. There is also a supermarket and a few volunteer locations nearby for Kaylee to easily have access to. Once Kaylee starts living with her friends, she begins to experience life in a more independent fashion. Her biggest struggle is cleaning up after herself in the kitchen and doing laundry. Luckily, Ashley and Emily are very supportive and hold Kaylee accountable for keeping the house tidy and her chores done.

            Kaylee continued to work every day with Fred and Sally. Saving money came like second nature to Kaylee and hardly ever spent money on anything other than groceries and necessities. Kaylee found a sense of self and purpose when working at Fred and Sally's home and connected with the couple in a very intimate fashion. Fred and Sally also became very close with Kaylee's parents. They would give Brody and Trish monthly updates on Kaylee's performance at work and brought up any problems that arose. All in all, Kaylee felt very at home with Fred and Sally and loved working in a garden planting flowers and cultivating new plant life.

            As Brody and Trish began to settle into their new life in Pennsylvania, they found that inviting Fred, Sally, Kaylee, Ashley, Emily, and Tim over every Friday night for dinner helped form a sense of family and community for Kaylee. This also gave Brody and Trish a chance to get to know Kaylee's friends and boyfriend a little better. Trish also became pregnant with her second daughter, Megan, one year after moving to Pennsylvania. Brody and Trish are thrilled to have another daughter and give Kaylee a new baby sister. Kaylee was so excited to be a big sister to Megan and loved babysitting and taking care of her whenever she can.

            Kaylee thrived in her new life in Pennsylvania and enjoyed her relationship with Tim very much. Tim also was very aware of Kaylee's abilities and disabilities and loved her for exactly who she was. This also gave Kaylee confidence in herself and her first experiences with romance, intimacy, and commitment. Tim and Kaylee became engaged after dating for five years. Kaylee continued to be very hesitant on getting married any time soon but felt very comfortable in her relationship and excited to spend her life with Tim. Trish and Brody also feel much more comfortable with Kaylee's romance with Tim after spending time with him weekly and seeing how much he cares for Kaylee. They believe that he is capable of taking care of Kaylee and is very prepared for the daily struggles that Kaylee has to deal with due to her disorder.

            Because Kaylee continued to be so successful at work, she decided to start her own garden at her home with Ashley and Emily. Ashley and Emily are very supportive of Kaylee's new venture with her garden and help her pick out fruits and vegetables that she can grow at home. Kaylee began to grow all types of fruits and vegetables at home and even give some away to her friends and family nearby. Her interest in horticulture continues to grow and spread to all aspects of her life.

            Physically, Kaylee grew to be below average height and weight but practiced a healthy lifestyle. Growing fruits and vegetables organically taught Kaylee how to eat a healthy and balanced diet. Also, tending to her garden and working at Fred and Sally's every day incorporated physical activity into Kaylee's routine. Although she is small, she grew strong and healthy. Kaylee also learned more and more about personal hygiene practices and how to take care of her body in a healthy manner by living with supportive friends, going to work every day, and growing closer to her boyfriend, Tim. Developmentally, Kaylee grew to be independent. Physically, she has grown strong despite her weak bones and small stature.

            Cognitively, Kaylee has learned how to use critical thinking and logical reasoning by relating it back to what she has learned from her experience with horticulture. Horticulture has helped her learn how to use her brain efficiently and stay focused on her tasks at hand. Watering plants daily and working routines into her daily life have taught her about the importance of responsibility and perseverance. Learning about plant life and horticulture has also taught her about critical thinking and how to solve problems even when things aren't black and white. Making daily decisions at work about plant life and how to ensure growth has taught her more about cause and effect and how responses occur from stimuli. Developmentally, Kaylee is not exactly in the same cognitive realm as some of her peers but horticulture helps her learn more about responsibility and challenges her brain to think outside the box.

            Socially, Kaylee is still thriving. Living with her best friends gives her confidence and a sense of well-being. She enjoys talking with her friends after work and telling them about her day. She also enjoys watching movies and TV shows with her friends at night. Being with Tim has also given Kaylee more confidence and self-esteem. Because of the tight-knit community that Kaylee has found in Pennsylvania with her family, friends, and employers, she has continued to grow in a very positive way socially and emotionally.

            By the time Kaylee is 30, she has made good money working for Sally and Fred. When Sally and Fred decide to retire and move south, Kaylee is heart-broken and feels very lost. Tim begins to inquire about when she will be ready to marry him and start their life together. Katie feels that now is a good time to marry Tim but is unsure of what career options are available for her after the wedding. Trish helps Kaylee look for more horticulture jobs available but nothing local seems to be hiring. Tim's job as a chemical engineer makes a lot of money as well but Kaylee is hesitant to drop her job in horticulture altogether.

Decision Point: Does Kaylee decide to look outside her local town in Pennsylvania for horticulture jobs and possibly move away from her friends and family or does she decide to stay at home while Tim works every day?

Questions:

1. What other options besides horticulture jobs are available for Kaylee?

2. How much is the average salary income for individuals in the horticulture industry?

3. As Kaylee gets older and begins to consider a marriage and life with Tim, she might want to consider have children. Do individuals with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome typically have trouble with fertility and getting pregnant?