Scenic View Academy, here we come!

In three more days Tanner and I will fly to Utah so that Tanner can start attending Scenic View Academy on Monday, September 29. What an amazing birthday present for me, a bittersweet one at that.  I have started to help Tanner pack today.  I can hardly believe that this person who has been a part of my life in such a major way for the past 20 years is going off on his own. This kid who has made me give of myself like no other person in my life, who has made me into a survivor, who has taught me as much as I have taught him, if not more.  

Today I will tell you about Scenic View, and later I will post about our adventures getting set up there.  I am convinced that Scenic View is the answer to many, many prayers. It is a program for men with learning disabilities located behind a grouping of office buildings off of University Avenue in Provo.  There is an excellent view of Provo Canyon from the front of the academy, which I'm sure was the inspiration for their name. The men (they want to add women to their program in the future) live at the academy and the program exists to help men with learning disabilities learn the skills they need to live independently in society. Scenic View was started with the help of the LDS church and Tye and Ray Noorda (co-founder of Novell Inc). The academy recently became a 5o1(c)(3) non-profit and is not officially affiliated with the LDS church now, although I would say there are "loose ties". For example, President Monson came and dedicated their new main building a couple of years ago when its construction was completed.  Church membership is not a requirement of the school, however. 

It was Tye's dream that started Scenic View. Of course, something as wonderful as this was started by a mother!  Scenic View currently serves about 54 men, 40% to half of which have Asperger's Disorder.  It has been operating for 7 years, so with this much experience serving people with Asperger's I feel confident that they will understand Tanner and his needs. They have a huge wonderful staff, many of whom are graduates of Brigham Young University and the University of Utah.  

Tanner will be attending the academy for the next 4 years, in conjunction with either learning a vocation or attending college.  He will be coming home for Christmas on December 20 for a couple of weeks.  He is very excited to go.  He knows he will get help there that he would not normally receive at college. I am very excited for him!