By Cindy Adams

Hunter is a kind-hearted young man, full of questions, compliments, and jokes. He is brimming with laughter, which makes his eyes sparkle. It's no wonder he stole Alison Armstrong’s heart.  

Alison first met Hunter when she went to work at Roanoke’s Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center and was paired with him as his Behavior Therapist. They immediately bonded, so when Hunter later left the center because of medical issues, Alison went with him. She began providing private care for him and another client. When the other client moved, and Hunter began receiving services from Roanoke’s Autism and Behavior Consulting, Alison went to work there. When Hunter aged out of that program, Alison followed him again. She now serves as his Direct Support Professional through enCircle. 

"He is such an amazing person. I fell in love with him immediately," Alison said. "We have a similar sense of humor, so we spend a lot of time laughing. It just works." 

Alison and Hunter have become like family. They spend their days together, starting at his Nana’s house where they hold school each morning. From there, they head into the community to practice life skills. One of Alison’s greatest joys is seeing Hunter make progress toward his goals.  

"He's so smart and works so hard," Alison said. "Things can be difficult for him, and he just keeps trying, pushing through, doing his personal best. He is an inspiration." 

Hunter’s current goals are to be healthy, helpful and happy, and he diligently works on them every day. Some days it’s easy, and other days, not so much. But he and Alison practice together, and that always makes it better. At Dollar General, they may work on directional or spatial skills. At the public library, they may work on organizational skills. His favorite thing to do—no matter where he is—is to hand out compliments. And his favorite place to go is Target. 

Here, Hunter likes eavesdropping on a conversation and then offering feedback or an opinion, which Alison describes as hilarious. He works hard to put smiles on the faces of others. He tends to make fans wherever he goes.  

"We entertain a lot of people on our shopping trips," Alison said. "He has a wicked sense of humor and loves a good prank. But he is wonderful to everyone." 

Hunter’s routine can be disrupted by seizures and, when that happens, he may opt for what they call a "lazy bones" day. Alison follows his lead each morning and recognizes that Hunter can be strikingly different from one day to the next. On Monday, Hunter may pepper you with questions and remember every detail. His mind is like a steel trap. On Tuesday, he may operate slower, and have to sift through what they call "brain fog." 

"The information is in there, he just can't access it," Alison said. "That's frustrating for him because he's so inquisitive and loves to know everything about everything." 

No matter what, Alison is by his side. She is consistent. She knows him and she understands him. The years have connected them, and that makes the challenges easier, the victories sweeter, and the routine simply natural. 

"It's one of those things," Alison said. "It's kind of like love. No one knows where it comes from or where it goes. It just is."