ORLANDO, Fla. — One woman followed her heart to a new place and found something for which she wasn’t even searching.

What You Need To Know

  •  Nearly four years ago, Vivian Potter took a job as a caregiver for a young man with autism

  •  She helped the now 28-year-old gain confidence through cooking

  •  Soon, parents of other special needs adults asked if she would offer their children similar cooking lessons

  • In the process, Potter grows her students' skillsets and self-confidence

“I wish everyone would spend just five minutes, five minutes with everyone… someone who has special needs. They are ignored, made to feel invisible,” said Vivian Potter. “They are so sweet, super intelligent, so much to offer. I love spending time with them.”

Potter, working out of the Orlando Kitchen Incubator, now offers a daily cooking class, empowering special needs adults with transferable skills.

The woman, who said that she “prays about everything,” said that several years ago, she felt “called” to Orlando — but she did not have a job.

So, as she scoured Craigslist, she came across a job posting to care for a young man with autism. She applied and soon her life plan was rapidly shifting.

“Honestly, I didn’t know much about autism at the time,” she said. “Before I got back home from the interview, [the young man’s mother] called me to offer me the position. Three-and-a-half years later, Seth has become like the son I never had.”

And as Potter endeavored to bolster Seth Morrison’s confidence, she realized he gravitated toward cooking.

In the kitchen, Potter helped the 28-year-old learn about healthy eating, preparing nourishing and flavorful dishes.

After a time, Morrison ditched the plethora of carbs and overprocessed foods. He also shed 30 pounds and gained self-assurance. When asked about Potter’s influence, Morrison explained she helps him cook and the process makes him “feel good.”

“I slowly weaned him off, like one meal. Instead of mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower. Little substitutions, until he was weaned off onto healthier choices,” Potter said. “Now when he’s out and about with his family, he knows to make a healthier choice. That’s my goal with everybody else, too.”

And when parents of other special needs adults learned of Potter’s skills, a cooking class was born — as organic as some of the ingredients Potter was using.

Gladys Gochenour said that the class was a godsend for her daughter, Jessica, who has blossomed and improved her fine motor skills.

“You can see the love, and she really cares about making them independent,” she said. “Jessica has learned a lot. The spiritual part is an incredible bonus. She teaches them they have a purpose in life.”

As the “I Can Cook That Healthy Cooking” founder expands her offerings, now teaching special needs children to cook as well, she’s grateful for the bond she’s formed with Morrison and even more resolute that she can move the needle when it comes to perceptions of those with unique disabilities.

“I feel that everyone with a special need has a superpower,” she said. “What has really been laid on my heart is that they are not invisible and they are so precious to their creator. If they can take pride in ownership in knowing they created this and it actually tastes good? Imagine the possibilities.”