“I love her!”

There’s absolutely no hesitation, and he nearly answers the question before it’s asked. “William, why do you enjoy spending time with Regina?”

TECH Direct Support Professional Regina Heter visits William every weekday in his apartment, where he lives independently.

“William really enjoys it. We work on life skills together, like housekeeping, food preparation, those sort of things. He’s always been good about getting his laundry done, and we’re working on learning to clean out the microwave. We mostly just have fun though,” said Regina.

It’s easy to see why William loves spending time with Regina so much. Their shared laughter is contagious, and they enjoy many of the same things-especially one particular delicacy.

“Fried chicken day!” William’s exuberance is palpable, and he takes great delight in this weekly ritual with Regina. Every Friday, they enjoy crispy fried chicken from their nearby Dillons.

“We also enjoy going to China Star every year on each of our birthdays,” said Regina. “William really enjoys small group outings. We do a lot of independent socializing.”

William has never been a big fan of crowds, so the new “social distancing” guidelines weren’t too hard for him to adjust to.

“William may not like large crowds, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like people. Once he gets to know you, he really warms up. And he cares a great deal about the community. He watches the news faithfully, and wants to check out places where things have happened, such as a house fire. He’s very curious. And he can instantly identify emergency vehicle sirens even when they’re miles away! He can tell you if it’s an ambulance, police car, or fire engine.”

Regina takes delight in William’s abilities, and even her husband has struck up a friendship with William.

“William will call and want to speak with Mr. Jeff, my husband. Jeff just loves talking to him, and William knows all there is to know about sports.”

Not one to miss an opportunity to talk about his favorite team, William adds, “Go Chiefs!”

He wasn’t asked, however, if he loves Regina or the Chiefs more. We’re guessing he wouldn’t say.