Rylie's Story - ACHIEVING HER GREATEST POTENTIAL

Rylie DeWitt, a shy young lady, joined Benedictine when she was 12 years old. Before coming to Benedictine, she was in the public school system. Once she became an adolescent it became incredibly challenging for her and her family. Rylie was born with a rare condition called Potocki Schaffer Syndrome. She does not have the full effects of the condition, but struggles with epilepsy, autism, ADHD and a language disorder. Before Rylie came to Benedictine, her behaviors were very dangerous to herself and her family. She was digging teeth out of her mouth and drawing knives on others. She even jumped from a window and broke her foot. Her parents knew they had to find another option. Initially, they were not sure what to expect at Benedictine.

Rylie began in the Benedictine School's Academic and Behavioral Learning Environment (ABLEs), which is the area that serves students with the most extreme behavioral challenges. Along with her behavioral issues, Rylie also struggled with severe social anxiety and was unable to interact with her peers and staff. However, in the four years that Rylie has been at Benedictine she has progressed by leaps and bounds and is now in a Functional Academics (FA) classroom. Her teacher, Katie, shared that Rylie has learned to talk through what is bothering her and has developed tools to self-soothe. She responds to staff and has even started a girl's lunch table to socialize with her peers! Karen, who is Rylie's counselor, added that she has become a wonderful young lady who is kind, has a great sense of humor and is always working to improve herself.

Thanks to her progress, Rylie is able to enjoy many activities at Benedictine. She loves playing basketball, enjoys swimming, and participates in tournaments at Benedictine. She also loves working in the Garden Center where she is able to identify plants and hang out with the local cats. Her first love is animals - including dogs, cats and hamsters. She has goals like being able to run errands independently on campus, answer the phone and give tours of the greenhouse. She also is very creative and enjoys drawing and painting. Participating in kayaking for Special Olympics has also helped Rylie gain confidence.

The progress she has made is exciting and rewarding for Rylie and her family and staff are proud of how far she has come since she came to Benedictine! Rylie's family hopes that when she graduates from Benedictine she will find work that is meaningful, and that she is happy and feels accepted. They are forever grateful for Benedictine and the staff that have worked tirelessly with Rylie to help her achieve her greatest potential