Kevin Hansen

Whether through words or music, Kevin Hansen has a way of making his presence known. He possesses a large vocabulary of words that are of his own creation, which he uses freely and often. Kevin's misuse of words can cause some misunderstandings and can also get him into trouble on occasions when he substitutes a rude phrase when he means something else entirely.

Kevin likes to be the center of attention In a conversation, he puts in his "two cents" whether it applies or not. A vocal diehard, Kevin will have whole conversations with roommates in the 101 Ave group home without ever leaving his room. He simply yells through the walls to get his point across.

Mariann Watson, residential worker at the group home, says that roommates and staff alike have become accustomed to this quirky habit. Mariann also enjoys Kevin's great sense of humour and says he is more than willing to do something if he thinks it’s his idea. He spends his leisure time working on a variety of projects. Kevin takes a great interest in the colours and shapes in newspaper photos but also does well with colouring and especially loves to work on puzzles.

Krystyna Pietrzykowski, vocational worker with Kevin, tries to arrange a schedule so that opportunities for socializing are available for him. He has a regular routine that puts him in touch with the same people every week and he will often exchange the same conversations with people over and over again, week after week. Krystyna says that Kevin can be excitable and has a short attention span. He needs steady prompting for behaviour and communication. When he is out in the community, he sometimes scares children with his boisterous shouting or spontaneous bursts of song. Kevin belts out his favourite tunes, including O Canada, Jingle Bells and Happy Birthday anytime, anywhere. Mariann laughs at the fact that "Kevin loves his music, but only when he is singing it."

Kevin maintains a very scheduled workweek. He divides his time between paper shredding, recycling, the Reading Network, and mail pickup duties. Krystyna says he is very aware of his schedule and will often remind her of upcoming activities. She says the busy schedule is a benefit to Kevin because, with scheduled activities, his anxiety levels are lower.

Kevin came to live at the 101 Ave group home when he was approximately thirteen years old. He has lived away from them for a long time and remains very family oriented despite the distance. Although he cannot read a calendar, he used to be able to sense when it was time to go home for his regular family visit.