When Prakhar arrives at Eden’s Bendas Day Center, he’s smiling ear to ear as staff members welcome him into the building. For his mom, Richa, seeing him happy at Eden means the world.
“It’s the biggest satisfaction and peace of mind I can have as a parent,” said Richa.
Prakhar has been part of Eden since 2013, graduating from the Eden School and joining the Adult Services Day Program three years later.
During his time at Eden, his speech and language skills bloomed. Moments that were once improbable, like asking for a fork at dinner, are now common occurrences.
“Prakhar is a very outgoing person. He’ll talk to everyone,” said Bendas Center Supervisor Kelly Blidi.
Prakhar loves attention, and staff are happy to provide it. He loves chatting with staff about what he does at home and his favorite foods. When he’s not engaging with staff at Bendas Center, he can be found enjoying arts and crafts activities or joining his peers on weekly trips to Princeton Tumbles. He also volunteers at the Princeton Garden Theatre and visits the Schalks Crossing Day Center to work on his vocational skills.
For the Bendas Center staff, seeing Prakhar happy at Eden is their ultimate goal. “That’s what we want. That’s why we work here, to make all the guys as happy as possible,” said Kelly. “It shows we’re doing our jobs and giving them the services they need.”
For his parents, knowing Prakhar is happy, safe, and continuing to learn new skills is what matters most. “The DSPs, and their strength and warmth, and just knowing everyone is so happy to see him — that gives me peace of mind,” said Richa.