Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/919874
19 TheSouthShoreMagazine.com OUR AMAZING INDIVIDUALS: Ben* was the middle son of three boys. From early childhood and into his teen years, Ben and his family knew he was different. When Ben was a teenager, he was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. Ben attended public school and had access to community services through his town and local service providers to address his needs. When Ben turned 22, he aged out of his public school and had to transition into adult services. Unfortunately, his transition did not go as smoothly as everyone had hoped. Going from a program designed to meet the needs of someone under 22 years of age to a program for ages 22 and older is a very difficult time for everyone. Eventually, Ben moved into one of the homes owned and operated by RTR. It took some time, but Ben settled in and started to meet other individuals with similar sets of needs. RTR staff and Ben's therapist worked with him to establish a routine and structure, and helped him continue with his service plan and engage with the community again. Ben has been with RTR for almost 5 years. His family has seen tremendous progress and growth in their son thanks to his therapists, RTR staff and his housemates. He has gained an incredible sense of self, as well as compassion and empathy for others. Structure, consistency and predictability have been key factors in Ben's success. Ben also discovered his love for classical music and art. Through music and art, he is able to express himself in ways he was not able to do before. Ben's favorite composer is Tchaikovsky, which seems fitting this time of year. When Ben isn't working, through RTR's supportive employment program, you can find him at the Express Yourself Community center painting, an activity that has proven to be a therapeutic and creative outlet for him. OUR AMAZING EMPLOYEES: RTR has some of the best employees in the South Shore…we are a little biased though. All of our employees have a great work ethic and are kind, compassionate and dedicated. One employee in particular was able to use her experience and go all the way to Rio de Janeiro to participate in the Para-Olympics in the summer of 2016. Meet Femita! She provides daily support services to 12 individuals at one of our homes in Abington. She started working part-time at RTR about 5 years ago while she was still in college. Femita would go to school during the week and, unlike her peers, would come home on the weekends to work. She worked 10-12 hour shifts on Saturdays and Sundays in order to help cover the cost of her education. When Femita graduated from college, she was offered a full time position at RTR.