When I asked Shane* if it was okay to interview him, the 24-year-old said that would be fine – as long as I did not mind he was making pudding. In between mixing and microwaving his vanilla dessert, Shane gave me a glimpse into his life with Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children, which began 19 years ago at The Vine (formerly Baptist Children’s Home, OKC). A few years into his placement, Shane transitioned to living at Boys Ranch Town (BRT), where he has been ever since.

Shane has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and admits to not being the biggest fan of change or being around a lot of people. Because of this, I was curious to hear what it was like leaving his mom to live with a bunch of boys at BRT. When asked if this was a hard experience, Shane simply replied, “You would think so. But it wasn’t.”

Shane attributes this smooth transition to two things at BRT: the animals and his houseparents. Something that helps him with his ASD is the sensory experience of soft touch. Shane remembers petting the animals at BRT, and that “would always help me calm down. Being able to go to the horses, barn and other places was really helpful.”

Though Shane fondly remembers the houseparents he had throughout the years, none left a lasting impact on him quite like the Coxes. This couple was notorious for taking the boys on adventures to water parks with eight-foot-tall waves and amusement parks with tummy-twisting roller coasters. Every night, Mr. Cox would put on the show “Finding Bigfoot,” and all the boys would gather around to watch it with him. “He was just fun to be around,” Shane said. Though Mr. Cox never failed to fix a scrumptious meal, nothing can compare to his wife’s Texas Fair Cake. Mrs. Cox was a “blast,” and though Shane admits she could be a bit of a “clean freak” at times, it seemed he was able to let this slide, thanks to her unforgettable desserts.

Since moving to BRT, Shane has developed a relationship with Jesus Christ. When Shane prays, he usually asks for two things: “That the next day would be good, and that if I meet somebody, I could help them to the best of my ability.”

One of the biggest developments Shane has had at BRT is his ability to process his emotions in healthy ways. Shane said, “I had a lot of anger issues which was probably due to my lack of control.” Volunteers like Ms. Whitney taught Shane coping skills to facilitate his anger.

“Instead of just going up and punching someone, I can either workout or make something like pudding.”

We could not help but chuckle as he held up the dessert he was making and admitted, “Yeah… So… I’m angry with my video game at the moment.”

When Shane is not playing video games or making desserts, you can find him enjoying work at Casey’s, where he hopes to become manager someday. Currently, he lives in BRT’s transitional housing, where he is learning how to live on his own and pay rent. These payments are set aside for when Shane leaves the program so he can put a down payment on his own apartment. Though Shane looks forward to that day, he embraces the present, as he is content with the way BRT has shaped him into the capable, compassionate, pudding-loving individual he is today.

*Name changed to protect their privacy.

Clara Roark is a contract writer for OBHC.