Building Blocks June 2012

A SPECIAL NEEDS MAGAZINE

Dealing with TRANSITIONSPage 40

Technology &Special NeedsPage 52

OneSoul ata Time

Dealing with TRANSITIONS

Technology &Special Needs

OneOneOneOneSoul atSoul atSoul atSoul atSoul atSoul atSoul ata Timea Timea Timea Timea Timea Time

Ch

anging the World

Page 14Page 14

“Our Children are Just Like Yours”Page 31

June 2012June 2012

The Co$t ofRaising aSPECIALNEEDS CHILD

The Co$t ofRaising aSPECIALNEEDS CHILDPage 22

A Supplement of the

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June 2012 3

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June 2012 5

Best “Kept Secret”Services

Marc R. Katz

Family ForumRuchi Eisenbach

Q A& ISSUES & ANSWERS

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Mother Knows BestRabbi Yaakov Klass

Special Needsin a Changing World

Building Blocks DigestCompiled by Karen Greenberg

Changing the World -One Neshama at a TimeYaakov Kornreich

The Obesity Crisis andJewish Children who haveSpecial NeedsRabbi Mayer Waxman

Lessons for theExtended FamilyMelanie Shimoff Kwestel

The Cost of Raising aSpecial Needs ChildBarry Katz

Towards Acceptanceof a Challenged Self Faith Fogelman, ACSW

Environmental Modifications forSomeone with DisabilitiesRachel Wizenfeld

Employment IssuesDr. Daniel Hollander, PsyD

Sleep Disturbances inChildren withSpecial NeedsRatzy Simanowitz, RN

The New DSM-5Definition of Autism

and Its ImpactDr. Joshua Weinstein

Hearing Loss in ChildrenDr. Shirley Pollak

The Future ofFamilial Dysautonomia

Melanie Shimoff Kwestel

Treacher Collins SyndromePaul Stadler

Title ProgramsRabbi Dr. Mordechai Salfer

College andOther Options

Laura F. Palley

Qualifying forSpecial Education Services

Michael S. Kutzin and Allison Landwehr

Physical Development inClassroom Environments

Shoni Eidlisz

A Broader Perspectiveon TransitionsYaakov Kornreich

i INTRODUCTION

FAMILY

EDUCATION

DIAGNOSIS

CONTENTS JUNE 2012FAMILY

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Refl exologyEsther Hornstein, L.Ac. Dipl.

Allergic BehaviorChanie Monoker MS,CCC-A,TSHH,TDHH, TEH

Pivotal Response TreatmentAvigael (Stephanie) Saucier Wodinsky,PhD, MBA, GAC-ABA

Th e iRevolutionDana Ledereich, MA, OT/L

Hearing and TechnologyElaine Devora

RECRUITMENT

BULLETIN BOARD

TREATMENT

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48Product Reviews

Book Reviews

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98-103

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Directory Listings

Bulletin Board

RecruitmentAdvertising

Advertiser Index

MAGAzINE PuBLISHER:Moshe [email protected]

SENIOR EDITOR:Yaakov [email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITOR:Elisheva [email protected]

EDITORIAL CONSuLTANT:Chaya Ilene [email protected]

ADvISORY BOARD:Shoni Eidlisz, Rabbi Yaakov Klass,Abe Kopolovich, Melanie Kwestel,Malky Haimoff , Brocha Holczer,Dana Ledereich, Tzivy Ross Reiter,Breindy Rosenblatt, Juby Shapiro,Devorah Th au, Jared Wasserman,Rifk ie Weinberger

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ASK THE ExPERT COORDINATOR:Chaya Ilene [email protected]

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Disclaimer: Th e views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the opinion of Building Blocks Magazine or the Jewish Press.

PRODUCT REVIEWS

CONTENTS JUNE 2012CONTINUED

6 June 2012

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June 2012 7

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8 June 2012

INTRODUCTION

A common assumption is that with typically developing

children, a parent may find that their child needs minimal aca-demic attention beyond a nightly review of studies with at most a bit of extra work in one or two subjects and for special projects, and that those with learning dis-abilities require more attention in all aspects of education. However, some children, along with their parents and teachers, experience an interesting phe-nomenon. While these children may excel in certain subjects and require no assistance, they also exhibit real difficulty at grasping other subjects, to the extent that a child who at times seems to be near genius when operating in an

area of strength may seem totally helpless and frustrated when op-erating in an area of weakness. Just imagine the hapless child who knows that s/he has a “good head” because s/he grasps mathe-matical concepts easily, but is also aware that s/he hasn’t been able to pick up the necessary skills to write even a rudimentary short composition despite being aware of much effort from teachers and parents to teach the skills. The child’s brain sends two messages: “I’m pretty smart,” and, “What is wrong with me?” Educating children is at best an inexact art. At the same time, society recognizes that there are those who by their own educa-tional training, experience and

responsiveness have the best chance at addressing these chal-lenges and ameliorating just such situations. Let us review scriptural sources and how our sages and commen-taries expound and understand them so we might find some guidance in proper child rearing and education of the young.

King Solomon in his wisdom (Proverbs 22:6) states: “Chanoch lana’ar al pi darko gam ki yazkin lo yasur mimena – Train the youth according to his way, even when he grows old, he will not swerve from it.” From this verse and the verse (Deuteronomy 11:19) “Ve’limadetem otam et bne-ichem… – You shall teach them [Hashem’s words - the mitzvot] to your children…” our sages (Kidu-shin 30a) extrapolate the halacha that one is duty bound to educate one’s young children. The Mishna (supra 29a) and the gemara, while discussing other matters that are a parent’s responsibility, i.e. cir-cumcision, restricts the obliga-tion of all such responsibilities to the father, while totally relieving the mother of any obligation in regard to these matters. As regards the obligation to cir-

cumcise one’s infant son, the verse (Genesis 21:4) states: “Vayomol Avraham et Yitzchak b’no ben shemonat yomim… – Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old…” The gemara also cites the conclusion of this verse “…ka’asher tziva oto Elokim. – …as G-d had commanded him,” and makes note that the verse

states clearly “‘oto’ v’lo ‘ota’” – him but not her. Rashi (s.v. “ka’asher tziva oto” refers us back to the original command to Abraham, when he explains ‘and not Sarah.’ Thus women are relieved of this obligation, and by extension from all those other matters enumerat-ed (Kidushin ad loc) as being the father’s responsibility. Significantly, we find two scrip-tural incidents that would seem to belie the above interpretation of the halacha. The first is in Parshat Vayera (Genesis 21:9-10) where in seeking to provide the proper environment for her son Isaac, Sarah forces the hand of Abraham to send Ishmael away. If the hala-cha is as we stated, what business does Sarah have in interfering with Abraham’s child rearing duty to Isaac as well as Ishmael? Second, in the haftarah to

By Rabbi Yaakov Klass

Mother Knows Best (and Fathers Too)

INTRODUCTION

June 2012 9

iParshat Naso (Judges 13:2-25) is the rather intriguing encounter of the wife of Manoah ( the mi-drash identifies her as Tzliponet) and an angel of Hashem, where this presently barren woman is informed of Hashem’s impend-ing blessing in the way of a son. She is told that this son (Sam-son) is to be a nazirite from his mother’s womb until the day of his death. As a nazir he was not to drink any wine, aged or not, nor was he to consume any un-clean [ritually impure] food, and a razor was not to come upon his head (i.e., no haircuts). The angel explained to Tzliponet the reason for this unusual instruction and the requirement for such a high level of personal sanctity, was that Samson was to become Moshian shel Yisrael – the saviour of Israel, who will free his people from the terrible yoke of the Philistines.

Yet when she returns to the angel with her husband, neither she nor the angel divulge the pur-pose of the nazirut to him. This is quite difficult to understand, especially when one views the meforshim, as without Samson’s future mission, there is no basis for the nazirut at all. Manoah is thus presented with a situation where he is greatly disadvantaged in raising his son by not knowing to prepare Samson for his great mission. As my friend Rabbi Bin-yamin Epstein points out, Tzli-ponet wished her son to have as normal a childhood as possible, and the fact the angel as well did not reveal the same information to her husband, seemed to con-firm that decision. Returning to Sarah’s case, we see that no less than Hashem Himself affirms her parenting wisdom. Both cases present us with a

prototype of parental roles in the upbringing of children. While the father is duty bound when it comes to educating his young, we might infer as well that the Torah found no need to specifically ob-ligate the mother, as certainly she will naturally go head first into that task as well as attending to any other needs of her children. So strong is the force of maternal love that it is assumed to engen-der a unique intuitive response to any and all matters relating to her child. Perhaps this is the extra wisdom our sages (Niddah 45b) recognize in women: “Bina yeteira nitna lanashim.” Despite this powerful force, mothers (as well as fathers) are not always independently up to the task of tackling complex educational problems their child encounters, especially when the child’s development or academic

performance is atypical. In many a situation, professional involve-ment is clearly indicated, such as a student who excels and floun-ders alternatively. Today, thank-fully, intervention is widely and readily available, and the reader will encounter many resources and able professionals in these pages. Even in these cases, one certainly finds value in the moth-er’s intuition and knowledge of her child’s strengths, weak-nesses, likes and dislikes. Evalu-ators, teachers, therapists, tutors and other providers of various services often agree, “Mother knows best”. (And fathers are not chopped liver, either!)

Rabbi Yaakov Klass, rav of Congre-gation K’hal Bnei Matisyahu in Flat-bush, Brooklyn, is Torah Editor of The Jewish Press. He can be contacted at [email protected].

i

10 June 2012

INTRODUCTION

The diversity of topics in this issue of Building Blocks is a

reflection of how quickly the Spe-cial Needs world is changing. In our diagnosis and treatment sec-tions, we share with our readers and the Special Needs commu-nity new insights and treatments developed by researchers and practitioners on the frontiers of medical science.

Some of the changes which the children and parents of Special Needs families must deal with are embedded in the structure of the service delivery system itself. These changes are the result of an accelerated effort by federal, state and local governments to control costs while maintaining the level and quality of services required under law to be provid-

ed to the Special Needs commu-nity. After a com-prehensive review of the current structure and re-quirements of the Medicare Waiver system, and other programs under which the gov-ernment pays for these services, that system is being radically restruc-tured, requiring service providers to make major ad-justments to the way they operate. The conse-quences of these

changes has already filtered down to impact families seeking Early Intervention services for their young children, and they will also soon be felt by older children and families already receiving ser-vices as the changes continue to work their way through the cur-rent system. As we discuss in one of the ar-ticles in this issue, transitions can be challenging for all of us, and even more so for those in the Spe-cial Needs community. But those difficulties can be reduced and eventually overcome with suit-able advance warning and expla-nation. Let Building Blocks serve as your expert guide through this transition, explaining the new procedures and requirements, and easing the transition from those

Special Needs in a Changing World

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June 2012 11

older service programs which are being phased out to a new system which will provide those essen-tial services to the Special Needs community in a different and, hopefully, more efficient way. To assist in that transition, this issue also highlights lesser known ser-vices and programs that are still available to help fill the gap. We also explore the higher ed-ucation options available to chil-dren with Special Needs. Today, post-high school students with Special Needs have expanded opportunities to continue their studies and earn degrees either while living at home, on a college campus, or in Israel. Also in this issue, we explore the new dimensions being opened up by apps designed with Special Needs in mind which are now available on the iPad, other tab-

let computers and smartphones. Their intuitive, easy-to-use touch screen interfaces and portabil-ity make them far more practi-cal than computers or laptops for individuals with Special Needs. Not only that, they actually make education and therapy fun! Finally, in the product re-view section, we feature a com-prehensive introduction to the world of Special Needs mobil-ity. Learn about the broad range of available minivans and vans which have been customized with ramps, wheelchair lifts, and other practical modifications to meet the unique transport needs of Special Needs individuals and their families.

Editors and Publishers of Building Blocks Magazine

INTRODUCTION i

To access over m�250 Articlesm�10 Big Issues

m�Information on Hundreds of Schools,Organizations and Agencies

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i

12 June 2012

NEWS BRIEFS

Whole Fetal GenomeSequenced for the First Time

Freezer Failure atBrain Bank Hampers

Autism Research

Antioxidant Shows Promise as Treatment for Autism

In Reversal, NYC to Cover 2012 Summer Camp Tuition Costs for Special Needs Children

Researchers have sequenced the entire genome of an

18 and a half-week-old fetus using DNA samples from the blood of its mother and saliva samples from its father. These findings provide proof that a fetus can be examined for ge-netic conditions. The team of researchers at the University of Washington exploited the fact that 13 percent of DNA in a pregnant woman's blood plas-ma - known as cell-free DNA - originates from the fetus. They compared the sequence of the

cell-free DNA to the mother's DNA, which was sequenced from a blood sample. Any variants found in the cell-free DNA but not in the DNA from the mother's blood were as-sumed to have come from the fetus. After birth, the baby's genome was sequenced from cord blood, showing their pre-dictions were 98 percent accu-rate. As well as heritable vari-ants, the researchers looked for spontaneous mutations, iden-tifying 39 of the 44 that were discovered after birth.

A freezer malfunction at Harvard-affiliated

McLean Hospital has severe-ly damaged one-third of the world’s largest collection of autism brain samples, poten-tially setting back research on the disorder by years. An of-ficial at the renowned brain bank in Belmont discovered that the freezer had shut down in late May, without trigger-ing two alarms. Inside, they found 150 thawed brains that had turned dark from decay;

about a third of them were part of a collection of autism brains. The freezer contained about 150 brain samples from people who had died with a neurologi-cal condition such as autism, Parkinson’s disease, or Al-zheimer’s disease, or a psychi-atric one like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The Harvard brain bank has been accepting donated brains of people with autism for about two decades, so it probably will take years to rebuild the collection.

In March, Mrs. Leah Stein-berg, Director of Project

LEARN, Special Education Affairs of Agudath Israel of America, started getting calls from parents of special needs children who had been advised by the New York City Depart-ment of Education that, com-mencing this year, summer placements would no longer be approved for parents seeking tuition reimbursement for state approved camps such as Camp

HASC and Mishkan. The frus-tration among parents, schools and community leaders was palpable. Mrs. Steinberg em-barked on a campaign to get the Department of Education to rescind its decision. It was unacceptable, she argued, that families would be disqualified from receiving the support they had come to rely on for years, enabling them to send their children to nonpublic programs. So began a series of

meetings with the Department of Education as well as out-reach to government officials, all designed to yield the deci-sion that the placements would be approved. Earlier this week, the NYC Department of Edu-cation reversed its decision and approved the placements for 2012. This reversal, while only for this year and only for those who have been approved be-fore, will affect an estimated 160 families for whom tuition costs

would otherwise be beyond their means. Project LEARN (Limud Educational Advocacy and Referral Network) ad-vocates on behalf of children with special educational needs with government officials, as-sists parents and schools who require guidance in accessing services, and helps establish special education programs in a number of yeshivos.

A small trial using an antioxi-dant treatment improved

irritability symptoms for some children with autism. N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), given to chil-dren in a new study, lowered symptoms of irritability, like ag-gression and tantrums. Antonio

Harden, MD, of Stanford Univer-sity, enrolled 33 children, aged 3 to 10 years old, in a study to look at the way NAC affected autism symptoms. For twelve weeks, half the children received NAC, the other half received placebo. Researchers measured symp-

toms like stereotypy, repetitive behaviors and social responsive-ness. Children receiving NAC showed improvement by week four on the irritability measure and these improvements lasted through week 12. The research-ers report that most of the side

effects were gastrointestinal, and that, overall, NAC was well tolerated. NAC is used to treat acetaminophen overdose. It acts on glutamate, a neurotransmit-ter important for many func-tions in the brain.

Building Blocks DigestCompiled by Karen Greenberg

June 2012 13

Q A&

14 June 2012

ISSUES & ANSWERS

One of the greatest accom-plishments of American

Orthodoxy today has been the development of a stunningly broad and comprehensive array of institutions and programs cre-ated for the express purpose of providing services to the mem-bers of the community with Spe-cial Needs. In many instances, these programs were launched by individuals who sought to meet the unfilled needs of their own children or other family mem-bers. Once these institutions were established, with the help of both private and government funding, they naturally diversified, as the need for community-based pro-viders for additional services and programs became apparent. The development of this com-

prehensive and largely govern-ment-funded system was greatly aided by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) under Section 504, which guaranteed the right of ev-ery child with a disability in the United States to a Free Appropri-ate Public Education (FAPE). As subsequently established by court rulings, enforced and defined un-der regulations issued by the US Department of Education, every local school district in the coun-try is required to provide each qualifying child with an educa-tion at public expense which is appropriate to that child’s family and cultural background. In the case of children from Orthodox Jewish backgrounds, that means an educational environment

which is compatible with the reli-gious principles under which that child is being raised. This rule enables parents from the religious community to peti-tion local school boards to pro-vide tuition for their children with special needs in communal-ly-sponsored private programs.

By the same token, even though these programs are sponsored by communally-based institutions, they do not limit themselves to exclusively serving children from religious families. In fact, the ex-cellence of the services they pro-vide has attracted, over the years, significant numbers of children from non-Orthodox or even non-Jewish backgrounds. To be clear, none of the gov-ernment funding provided for these programs is used for re-ligious education. However, in most cases, the teachers, thera-pists and counselors providing the services in these programs come from the religious commu-nity. While they are well-trained and qualified professionally, they are frequently motivated by their personal religion to devote at least part of their lives, and in many cases their professional careers, to doing acts of chesed (loving kindness) for those who need it the most. The sincerity and personal de-votion of these service provid-ers (to what many of them see as G-d’s work) inevitably has a tremendous impact on both the individuals with special needs whom they are serving and their family members who witness that devotion first hand. What is even

more impressive is that many of the counselors are young people not long out of high school and still completing their educations. Whereas most other American boys and girls of the same age are totally self-absorbed, with their career ambitions and the many social and media attractions of

the contemporary secular cul-ture, these youth are very differ-ent. Their single-minded focus on the welfare of the individuals in their care cannot help but con-tradict the common, and often negative, stereotypes of religious Jews held today by many non-religious Jews. This effect is most pronounced in those programs where these in-dividuals with special needs are im-mersed in the religious environment on a 24/7 basis, and in continuous contact with their religious service providers. While non-religious pro-gram participants are never required to participate in overtly religious ac-tivities, such as daily prayer services or the communal singing of zemiros and benching at Shabbos meals, the authentic religious fervor of many of the counselors and other staff mem-bers can leave a lasting impact. This phenomenon is not lim-ited to programs serving Spe-cial Needs individuals. It is also common among other types of community-sponsored chesed programs which serve a broader audience. These include Hat-zoloh volunteers, members of Bikur Cholim committees, in-dividuals who give generously of their free time and effort to provide various services to indi-viduals and families confronting

By Yaakov Kornreich

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ISSUES & ANSWERS

June 2012 15

Q A&all kinds of disabilities or serious medical conditions. Here again, the religious influ-ence imparted by these extraordi-nary acts of kindness is incidental. None of these are kiruv programs, in the conventional sense of the word. Yet their impact on the opinions and attitudes of the chil-dren and parents alike who come from non-religious backgrounds and who are on the receiving end of their efforts is undeniable. Again, it’s mostly on a one-to-one basis. For example, after several weeks in a religiously sponsored summer camping program, the parents are usu-ally not surprised that their child has made a whole new group of friends and has become attached to the bunk counselor to whom they were assigned. But the in-tensity of the devotion of this young stranger to the welfare and needs of their child, with no

discernible ulterior motives, of-ten comes as an eye-opener. According to Melanie Kwestel, the communications director of Chai Lifeline, “the secular par-ents of children attending Camp Simcha or Camp Simcha Special each summer cannot help but be impressed by the open hearts of the young counselors. They are amazed by their goodness and selflessness, and their desire to maintain contact with their child long after the summer program is over. These religious young peo-ple have proven themselves to the parents of these children, which is why they are generally pleased when their counselor calls months after camp has ended to invite their child to spend a Shabbos in the counselor’s own home, or to invite them to attend a midwinter camp reunion event.” Avi Sacks, one of the longtime members of the Camp HASC

administration, has seen many camp counselors become accept-ed as beloved and respected de-facto members of their camper’s family. They are routinely invited to family simchas, and often manage to keep in touch with the camper and their parents even while they are abroad for a year of study at a yeshiva or semi-nary in Israel. Any hesitation the non-religious parents might have originally had in entrusting their child to a religious program is quickly dissipated by the rec-ognition that the care providers truly have the best interests of their child at heart, and that the sincerity of their efforts is often a direct result of the Torah values which have inspired them. If their children come home from camp talking about how much they enjoyed their Shabbos meals or going to davening, these non-religious parents generally

don’t mind. That is because they also appreciate the wholesome-ness, safety and genuine caring that was offered to their child in the religious camp environment, with no strings attached. Sacks notes that the parents of children who have spent a sum-mer at Camp HASC, and who live outside the New York City area, often ask for information about enrolling their child in the Or-thodox Union’s Yachad program, also known as the National Jew-ish Council for Disabilities. It sponsors Shabbatons, recreation-al trips and other local events sponsored by chapters located throughout the United States and Canada for individuals with dis-abilities. One of Yachad’s priori-ties is to bring these individuals into contact with members of lo-cal communities, while the prior-ity for the parents is to find more

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Kornreich Continues on Next Page

Q A&

16 June 2012

ISSUES & ANSWERS

religiously motivated individuals like their child’s camp counselor who care deeply about the wel-fare of their child. The religious impact of such an environment even on non-religious families is most evident when the family decides to take advantage of the opportunity to stage a Bar Mitzvah for their son who has Special Needs during the camp session. In many cases, these families have no idea how to go about the planning for such a Bar Mitzvah, which bears little resemblance to the secular party atmosphere which commonly prevails at most non-Orthodox Bar Mitzvah celebrations. In the camp environment, such an event has a real spiritual impact on ev-eryone present, religious and non-religious alike. Avi Sacks recalls the secular

father of one Camp HASC Bar Mitzvah boy who told him that for the occasion of his son’s Bar Mitzvah, he decided to put on tefilin for the first time in more than 30 years. These families are unlikely to change their lifestyles to become Shomer Shabbos be-cause of the impact the camp had on their child, or the inspiration they may have absorbed during a visit. But it cannot help but to alter their view for the better of the religious staff members serv-ing their child and the beliefs that motivate them. At the very least, it is a true Kiddush Hashem, and perhaps much more. Another, unintentional result of such programs, according to Avi Sacks, is the fostering of greater mutual respect among segments of the religious community which rarely have much direct interac-

tion with one another these days. Specifically, many of the counsel-ors working in such camping pro-grams are college students from centrist Orthodox families who would otherwise almost never

come into close contact with chil-dren from chassidic or yeshivishe communities and their parents. Ari Dembitzer, one of the head counselors at Camp Simcha, says that over the years, he has seen the attitudes of many non-religious families to Yiddishkeit change very much for the better after having been exposed for several years to the heroic efforts of the camp’s religious counsel-ors and staff members on their child’s behalf. “They cannot get over the willingness of 19 and 20-year-old boys and girls to devote their summers, and stay up all night, if necessary, and do other things outside of their comfort zones, to care for the child of perfect strangers.” Dembitzer saw that the positive impact was enough to change even the secularly-hardened attitude of one Israeli family which told him that in the past, they would never have wanted their child exposed to religious influences, but now they wouldn’t mind. This should not be surprising. In many ways, these programs show-case some of the most attractive aspects of Torah values and the re-ligious community at its very best. In addition, they give individual

members of the community, and its idealistic young people, in par-ticular, a chance to experience the joys of doing pure chesed, while giving other Jews who have be-come alienated from Yiddishkeit

a rare but authentic glimpse of the hidden beauty of Torah values. One might argue that these un-intentional contributions to Aha-vas Yisroel by the special needs community and other chesed pro-grams, while impressive, are too small in number to be significant. But that is not the Torah point of view. The Gemora in Sanhedrin (37a) teaches us that “whoever saves a single soul is as if he has preserved the entire world.” By the same token, one never knows what positive repercussions will result from the individual acts of chesed that are performed every day for our non-religious breth-ren by these programs. Certainly, from the point of view of the Torah, they are in-nately worthwhile, and very much their own reward, even without having a broader impact on the unity of the Jewish people. But to the extent that they do bring us together with our non-religious brethren in a common effort to serve their children with special needs and others deserving of our chesed, they are a significant contribution to mutual under-standing and achdus.

Yaakov Kornreich is the Senior Editor of Building Blocks Magazine.

Kornreich Continued from Previous Page

“The religious impact of such an environment even on non-religious families is most evident when the

family decides to take advantage of the opportunity to stage a Bar Mitz-

vah for their son who has Special Needs during the camp session.”

June 2012 17

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Q A&

18 June 2012

ISSUES & ANSWERS

Eating and drinking are closely tied to Jewish observance, in

both Jewish law – Halacha – and in Jewish culture. The Gemara (Pesachim 109a) suggests that [at least for men], there can be no simcha without meat – or in modern times, devoid of a Beit HaMikdash, (Temple) – no, simcha without wine. Food and drink thereby fulfill the man-date [Psalms 100:2] to serve G-d “b’simcha,” in a joyous state. And the holidays are replete with spe-cific requirements of eating and drinking – bread and wine for Shabbos meals, Matzoh and Ma-ror at the Pesach Seder, eating in the Succah, etc. The predilection for eating on

Jewish holidays is reflected by the joke which claims that the message of most Jewish holidays is: “Our enemies tried to kill us. God saved us. Let’s eat.” But for Jewish children who have special needs, excess food con-sumption is no laughing matter. Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, the U.S. Surgeon General, reports that “Two-thirds of adults and nearly one in three children are overweight or obese….The prevalence of obesity in the U.S. more than doubled (from 15% to 34%) among adults and more than tripled (from 5% to 17%) among children and adolescents from 1980 to 2008.” The risk of an obese teenager becoming an

obese adult is 70% greater than the risk to a teenager with a healthy weight. According to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), among US adults who have disabilities obesity rates are 58% higher than for adults without disabilities, 38% higher for children with dis-abilities than for children without disabilities. The CDC calculates ideal weight using the Body Mass Index that takes a person's weight and divides it by the square of his or her height. For children, the CDC defines Overweight as a BMI at or above the 85th per-centile and lower than the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex, and Obesity as a BMI at or above the 95th per-centile. However, the CDC ac-knowledged that BMI may not be the best measurement for some people with disabilities. While there is some dispute regarding the exact numbers, by all accounts the obesity rate in America is at “epidemic” pro-portions, and the problem is more severe among people who have disabilities. Far from being just an issue of aesthetics or shiduchim, being obese or overweight is a severe health risk. Obese or overweight people are at significantly higher risk for type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, hyperten-sion, liver disease, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, several forms of cancer, complications of pregnancy, and menstrual irregularities. Obesity is also strongly linked with de-pression. And obesity has eco-nomic effects. A recent Cornell University study found that on average an obese person incurs medical costs that are $2,741 higher (in 2005 dollars) a year than a non-obese person.

A unique 2006 survey of health data for Jewish individuals in Chicago, found that over half of the Jewish adults surveyed were overweight, including 25% who were obese. But smashing the na-tional average were the children, of whom 54% were overweight, including 26% who qualified as obese. If the trend that over-weight rates among people with disabilities are almost twice as high as they are in the general population hold true among Jews, then the Jewish child with disabilities who is not overweight would become the exception rather than the rule. What can be done to reduce childhood obesity among Jewish children who have special needs? Jewish children with special needs are no different than other children when it comes to the is-sue of healthy eating and living. Every child needs to be taught how to stay active, eat a balanced diet and to maintain a healthy weight. These statistics indicate that these lessons are not being conveyed adequately to children in America today. But regarding children who have special needs, there is an ad-ditional component to this prob-lem. There is a mistaken sense that unhealthy food provides “comfort” to children with spe-cial needs in a way that nothing else in their life can. When we see a child with special needs over-filling a plate at a Kiddush, we tend to justify that by imagining that overeating will help make the child happy and feel like a real part of the community, while ig-noring the health implications to the child. It is in no one’s best interest to coddle children who have special needs regarding their weight. We can sugar coat our broaching the

By Rabbi Mayer Waxman

The Obesity Crisis andJewish Children who have Special Needs

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June 2012 19

Q A&ISSUES & ANSWERStopic with them so as not to be critical, harsh or offensive – but we must no longer coat the sub-ject in schmaltz. The CDC provides possible rea-sons that “people with disabilities can find it more difficult to eat

healthy, control their weight, and be physically active,” including some with particular implications within the Jewish community. A LACK OF HEALTHY

FOOD CHOICES This is particularly true at most Kiddush’s and Shabbat/Yom Tov meals. We serve too many starch-es, too many fatty meats and oily kugels, and not enough pure veg-etables. We must include more fruit and vegetable options – ide-ally unprocessed and with limited dressing. Sugary drinks must be limited, and children should be encouraged to drink more water. Portion control for fatty/starchy/salty/greasy foods should be en-forced, perhaps by using a similar approach to the one adopted by many shuls which appoint volun-teer monitors to police the con-sumption of alcohol at Kiddushes. PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS

THAT CAN REDuCE A PER-SON’S ABILITY TO ExERCISE In general, our kids aren’t get-ting enough exercise and chil-dren with special needs tend to have even less opportunities for exercise, and if they have accom-

panying physical disabilities, that compounds the problem. Programs must provide signifi-cant opportunities for strenuous exercise to children who have special needs in order to meet the recommendation that children

and adolescents aged 6-17 years should have at least one hour of physical activity each day. That activity should include moder-ate or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity at least 3 days a week, as well as muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening physical ac-tivity at least 3 days of the week.Other specific eating-related con-cerns for children who have dis-abilities include difficulty with chewing or swallowing food; sensitivities to food tastes or tex-tures; and the impact of medica-tions they may be taking. Now that we as a Jewish com-munity are aware of the severity of the problem and have some ideas for solutions, it is impera-tive that we make sure to allocate the resources necessary to imple-ment those solutions.

Rabbi Mayer Waxman is a licensed social worker, holds a Masters in fo-rensic psychology, and has served numerous roles in Jewish communal services and serving people who have disabilities. He is currently the Man-ager, Met Council Connect to Care. Rabbi Waxman is a member of the Advisory Board of Building Blocks.

20 June 2012

FAMILYBy Melanie Shimoff Kwestel

The old saying, “Grandchildren are the reward for having

children,” is one of those truths perhaps best expressed in jest. We anticipate the arrival of grandchil-dren, and to a lesser extent of niec-es and nephews, with a very spe-cial joy. Perhaps for that reason, a special needs or illness diagnosis is just as devastating and painful for grandparents and other family members as it is for parents. For grandparents especially, the birth of a grandchild with special health or social needs may also signal the death of the dream of the perfect grandchild. Before you recoil in horror at these words, think of the parents who eagerly count their newborn’s fingers and toes and recount their Apgar scores to family and friends. Think of the “my son the doctor” or “my granddaughter the ballerina” ste-reotypes. We pray for healthy ba-bies. Before parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other family members can grasp the joys and difficulties of raising a child with special needs, they have to let go of subconscious (or conscious) plans for the child’s life. It is normal to feel sad or angry even as we are filled with love for that tiny baby in its mother’s arms. Acknowledging one’s feelings and grieving for the loss of that dream may make it easier to cope with the reality of being the extended family of a child who needs and will benefit from his family’s sup-port. When a child is in diag-nosed with a serious illness, Chai Lifeline’s social workers and case managers work with the entire family to get through the crisis and provide ongoing support. They encourage members of the extended family to turn their concern into action. LEARN. One of the most im-portant things that family mem-

bers can do is to learn about the child’s illness, disability, or spe-cial needs. The Internet is a great source of information as well as misinformation. Begin with pages from reputable sources like hospitals and advocacy organi-zations. Follow links to bloggers who specialize in the baby’s di-agnosis, and pages that offer in-formation and suggestions. You and the parents are now learning a very specialized language. The more you know, the easier it will be to converse. Learning is important for emo-tional health, too. Studies show that grandparents who feel they lack the knowledge to care for their grandchildren often feel helpless and despairing. The more you know, the more confi-dent you will feel in your ability to help. LISTEN. Even the most dis-creet family members sometimes find it difficult to keep from of-fering unsolicited opinions, but therapists and social workers agree that listening to your chil-dren is more important than of-fering advice. “Grandparents [and others] need to take their cues from the baby’s parents,” says social worker Marilyn Bensinger. “You may not always agree with their decisions, but they are theirs to make.” SuPPORT. The vast majority of children with developmental, physical, and emotional disabili-ties, illnesses, or special needs live at home. Support from grandpar-ents and other members of the extended family is crucial in help-ing the parents cope. The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” aptly describes the influ-ence supportive family members can have on a child’s life. Research indicates that the quality of the prior relationship between par-

ent and adult child will establish how much the grandparents can do for their grandchildren. Rabbi Mordechai Gobioff, also a social worker, explained, “Some chil-dren are very reliant on their par-

ents. The role of the grandparent in these families will be more ac-tive. By listening and ascertaining the needs of the child for parental involvement, grandparents can learn where to place themselves in the care/decision-making/dis-cussion continuum.” Unfortunately, sometimes rela-tionships between family members are distant or tense. It is possible to repair these breaches, but a history of mistrust is unlikely to be patched in a day. Regardless, family members who want to be involved in the child’s care and life can and should make the ef-fort by offering non-judgmental assistance. While there is no

“how-to” list for being a great grandparent or relative to a child with challenges, several tried-and-true approaches have the po-tential to add immeasurably to all three generations:

Spend time with the child. If your baby needs special care, ask to be instructed. As much as pos-sible, and as the parents feel com-fortable, try to care for this child the same way that you would care for your other grandchildren, nieces, or nephews. Offer respite. Parents need time for themselves. Once you are comfortable (and your chil-dren are comfortable) with your care for your grandchildren, offer to babysit. Think of the child’s abilities, not his/her disabilities. This won-derful baby may not be an Olym-pic runner, but is she a Special Olympics runner?

Learn. Listen. Support: Lessons for the Extended Family of Special Needs Children

FAMILY

June 2012 21

Look for things you can do together with the child. Every child benefits from “special time” with grandparents and other who love him. Maybe this will be the young person who loves to bake with you or shares your passion for books.

Spend time with the other children in the family, too. So much time and care is required when a child has special needs or is ill that healthy siblings can feel forgotten. You can be a very spe-cial person in everyone’s life.

Grandparents: even if your children have means, a little extra cash in a crisis can be greatly ap-preciated. Co-pays and other ex-penses add up quickly. It doesn’t have to be a lot. Offer to buy a takeout dinner for your children’s

family or pay for a car service or taxis when a grandchild needs to go to the doctor. Some children will need expensive care their entire lives. Consult with an attorney who understands the financial and legal implications of providing significant amounts of money for a grandchild’s care before putting money in the child’s name. Offer specific assistance. Daily routines are much more complex with a special needs or ill child. Maybe you can pick chil-dren up after school, cook dinner once a week, or take grandchil-dren to extra-curricular activities. Tell and show all the children that they are loved and valued. Take care of yourself. This is especially important for grand-

parents. Becoming overwhelmed and exhausted will not help you, your children, or your grandchil-dren. Maintain your exercise rou-tines. Keep up your own social relationships. If you are married, focus on the quality of your rela-tionship with your spouse. Finally, no matter how difficult the situation, try not to give in to despair. Therapist Chani Juravel suggests that we let go of things we can’t control and focus on what we can do. “We are happier when we give up our need to control to Hash-

em. (When we do that) we under-stand that it is not about us being able to assure a better outcome,” she said.

Melanie Shimoff Kwestel is the di-rector of communications for Chai Lifeline, the international children’s health support organization. Chai Lifeline provides the emotional, social, and fi nancial support that enables more than 4,300 children and families around the world to cope with the cri-ses and daily challenges of serious pe-diatric illness. For more information on Chai Lifeline’s many programs, or if you need assistance, email [email protected] or call 877.CHAI.LIFE.

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“Grandparents [and others] needto take their cues from the

baby’s parents…”

22 June 2012

FAMILYBy Barry Katz

While these three words can be a source of one’s great-

est happiness in life, it can also be bittersweet for those who give birth to children with special needs, when the parents think about the emotional challenges

they and their children will face throughout their lives. The spectrum of special-needs children ranges from mental to physical to psychological and sometimes all three. A 2008 study by the United States Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 14 percent of chil-dren in this country fit into this category, and about 20 percent of families have at least one special-needs child. The definition of a special-needs child can range from one who is diagnosed with a mild learning disability to one who has a life-threatening condi-tion, such as cystic fibrosis. This article will focus on the more se-vere categories. Aside from the emotional toll it takes on these families, the fi-nancial strain such a diagnosis puts on the family is often over-looked. Goldie S., a mother of a special-needs child, says that the list of added expenses seems end-less. Tuition, for instance, costs a great deal more at special-needs schools than at mainstream insti-tutions. Although the Individu-als with Disabilities Education Act requires that special-needs children be provided by the local school district with a “free and

appropriate education (FAPE),” the provisions that are offered to parents often fail to meet their child’s needs. This compels par-ents to enroll their child in a pri-vate school, or sometimes fight to move their child to a school

in another district. This is what happened to Goldie S., whose district was unwilling to transfer her child. While she fought suc-cessfully to have the child moved, she had to pay significant attor-ney fees in the process. Similarly, children are often entitled to various therapies, such as physical, occupational, and speech. Sometimes, though, the district evaluates a child and denies the child these services. Parents who feel that their child needs extra help are then forced to pay the therapists out of their own pockets. Sending special-needs children away for the summer is another great expense. A six-week stay in one upstate New York camp can cost about $12,000, which is three times more than the average sleep-away camp. This is due to the one-on-one care that is often required, as well as the additional medical staff. Additionally, often these chil-dren require expensive equip-ment and medications. While the family’s medical insurance may cover some costs, parents often find that much of what their child needs is not covered by their plan, and that they need to fight their

insurance company to pay what they feel they are due. Beyond this, some of the extra expenses that are often perceived to be insignificant are the ones that can make a family’s finan-cial situation unbearable. For ex-ample, special-needs children re-quire more frequent doctor visits than most children. This means that one or both parents will fre-quently end up missing work, with a possible impact on their pay, in order to take their child to the hospital and medical of-fices. Furthermore, if these visits are far from one’s home, out-of-pocket transportation costs can also quickly add up, between gas, tolls, and parking. In addition, they may require many specialists in many fields. If the child has an abundance of medical issues, it is hard to find the right fit with these special-ists and often parents have to go “out of network” with their in-surance companies in order to use these doctors. The costs of out of network co-pays can be-come significant. Parents of wheelchair-bound children will also incur signifi-cant added costs. The wheel-chairs cost several thousand dollars apiece, and there is often the need to install custom-built ramps in and around the home to make it wheelchair-accessible. A specialized van with a powered wheelchair ramp or lift installed can cost about twice as much as a standard one. Even mobile special-needs children can generate significant additional expenses. If, for in-stance, the doctor recommends specialized exercise equipment, the parents find that the cost can add up quickly. Goldie S. points out that food can be a major expense when a child is placed on a special diet. One who is lactose intolerant

will need to drink other types of milk, which is more expensive than cow’s milk. For children on gluten-free diets, the cost for many food staples, includ-ing bread, cake and pasta and products, run typically at about double the price of the common wheat-based varieties. Special-needs children typical-ly wear out their clothing faster, so their parents must update their wardrobes more often than for most children. In addition, some children with special needs con-tinue to wear diapers long past their toddler years. While dispos-able diapers, even for infants, are not cheap, the ones for older chil-dren are not as readily available, and are often much more expen-sive, with the difference adding up to hundreds if not thousands of dollars per year. Sometimes the expenses are intangible. For instance, a family whose eldest child is 15 years old can often rely on the teenager to baby sit the younger siblings at no charge if the parents need to leave the home on short notice. Not only is a special-needs child often incapable of babysitting for his younger siblings, the child often needs extra supervision himself, incurring yet another extra expense. While the world has become increasingly sensitive to the plight of special-needs children, offering services that allow these children to live their lives to the fullest and realize their poten-tial, the cost of raising them can be astronomical. While we may not be in a position to help such a family financially, our aware-ness of these extra costs will help to sensitize us to the full scope of the challenge they face.

Barry Katz is a college administra-tor and adjunct professor who lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and three children.

The Cost of Raising a Special Needs Child

FAMILY

June 2012 23

By Faith Fogelman, ACSW

Everything in life starts with the self, the one person who is al-

ways with us. The striving for self-acceptance is a lifelong process and the sooner we make friends with ourselves, provided that we have the faculty of awareness, the better. Unconditional self-accep-tance is the acknowledgement and recognition of a positive essence which serves us well both inter-nally and externally based on how we project it to others. Healthy personalities continually adjust to the challenges life brings without allowing the self ’s healthy equilib-rium to go too much awry. Regres-sion of self-acceptance may occur upon unforeseen circumstances, but the healthy individuals have coping mechanisms to swing back to equilibrium.. The key is not to live life comparatively, since we do not necessarily know what others are experiencing. Self-acceptance is an internal function, but for some people a positive sense of self may be dis-proportionately impacted by ac-ceptance or rejection by the out-side world. This point may be underscored among children with physical disabilities who face more external rejection by virtue of the disability. Children with congeni-tal physical differences socialize much better when they receive support and are validated as whole individuals in their primary en-vironments including home and school. Children with physical challenges who are conditioned to believe that disability need not define them can move towards self-acceptance more easily than those from families who cannot see the child beyond the disabil-ity. The self-image of children is often reflected through parental perceptions and is reinforced by what social psychologist Charles Cooley said about self-image, "I am not what I think I am and I am not what you think I am; I am

what I think that you think I am.” Adults who experience a new physical condition who have a healthy foundation and who are not usually fragile are less likely to lose self-acceptance as a new phys-ical self emerges. This does not mean that such individuals won’t frequently have to go through a lengthy process to adjust to a new physical self. The process of loss occurs with both sudden and chronic physical conditions, and restoring emotional equilibrium translates to separating personal essence from the physical condi-tion and accepting the wholeness of that essence. Those with a firm and positive sense of self have ad-vantages. Most of us will have to face physical losses with the aging process. A famous young musi-cian with a physical disability once said , being disabled means being a member of a group to which any-one could eventually belong. How people with physical dis-abilities view themselves and the degree to which they self-accept determines happiness, satisfac-tion, and achievement. At a cer-tain point in a person’s develop-ment, environments and nurture usually take a back seat to the determination to achieve a posi-tive self-image. Personality and the drive towards esteem deter-mine self-acceptance more than other variables. Adjusting to the sudden onset of a disability need not translate to a fractured sense of self. Much work is needed for each self with a disability to move beyond it. For some adults with physical disabilities, their self-im-age is not one with a body with a disability, but rather having a body that is differently abled. Physical differences do not have to equate with a sense of a disabled self. People with learning or other cognitive disabilities have a spe-cial challenge for self-acceptance. These conditions are usually con-

genital, although diagnosis may surface as an outcome of noticed behaviors or academic perfor-mance. Unlike physical condi-tions, for which there is a more linear progression (some people cannot walk, others can walk with the use of equipment, others limp, etc.), cognitive differences are frequently composites of various conditions and unique for each holder. Cognitive differences can bear heavily on academic learning, the social spheres of life, or addressing every-day affairs. Self-esteem is a lifelong test since people with cog-nitive and learning differ-ences come appear to be like everyone else, except for the diagnosis. The test is similar to that of people with less severe examples of visual, hearing, and other invisible differences. It is the feeling of almost being part of the norm, but not quite. There is self-awareness of differ-ence and a striving to fit in, even if that means employ-ing all kind of strategies to conceal, adjust, or compen-sate. The awareness of gaps produces a lot of stress be-cause such individuals have to continually explain what they cannot do, as opposed to people with more obvious and severe disabilities who have to explain what they can do. Providing constant explanations can be annoying, since dally living will provide all kinds of provoca-tive stimuli to challenge the equi-librium and sense of a whole self. Individuals may fall short of daily and long-term expectations, espe-cially since one of the hallmarks of learning differences is the gap be-tween potential and performance. As we look around, there will al-ways be people who seem to have more physical and learning abil-

ity. A good friend with any kind of difference is someone whom we see as a whole personality who just happens to have additional life challenges. If people with dis-abilities could view themselves as empathically, they would have a lifelong friend. This is not to deny the various grief processes asso-ciated with loss nor the discrete and unique struggles people have to overcome in order to feel good

about themselves. However, since the only permanent entity one has in life is self, getting to the point of accepting self and maintaining that acceptance is critical for men-tal health and daily survival.

For over a decade, Faith Fogelman has directed programs for disadvan-taged students, including students with disabilities, at CUNY colleges. She is a licensed social worker and an adjunct professor in human services at NYC College of Technology.

Towards Acceptance of a Challenged Self

24 June 2012

FAMILY

Unless you or someone you love is handicapped, it’s

hard to understand the chal-lenges of getting around in an average home. From the kitchen to the bathroom to the bedroom, there are barriers to dignified life at every turn for people with disabilities. Eden Ruiz-Lopez, coordinator of the Doorways to Independence program at United Cerebral Palsy of NYC, gives us a good primer on what home mod-ifications are generally needed to accommodate those with physi-cal disabilities. Her program primarily looks at modifying the bathroom and

enhancing entry and exit to the home, Ruiz-Lopez said, although they do recommend work in other areas. Modifying a bathroom can be costly, she said, but it’s key to en-able individuals to shower, bathe and use the restroom with dignity. “To make a bathroom completely accessible, you break down the tub, install a roll-in shower [a hollowed-out corner that accommodates a wheelchair], install a fold-down

bench and a special showerhead that’s moveable,” she said. A roll-in shower makes it easier for an attendant or parent to transfer the person from the wheelchair to the foldout bench and bathe them, in contrast to try-ing to get the person into a bath-tub that’s too low to the ground. Tubs also don’t allow people with disabilities to ambulate and move freely, she said. In addition, the bathroom floor should be slanted to allow for good drainage. Besides the roll-in shower, a higher, wall-hung toilet that is ADA-compliant (referring to the Americans with Disabilities

Act) is often needed, since regu-lar toilet seats are usually set too low. This allows an attendant to easily transfer the person evenly from a wheelchair to the toilet. Sometimes, families will choose to install a special toilet with a cleansing function for persons who cannot take a shower right away. Special faucets operated by sensors - eliminating the need to turn handles – are an-other helpful touch. Renovat-

ing an entire bathroom can run from $15,000-$20,000, Ruiz-Lopez said. Old houses – usually those built before 1920, often have doorways that are too narrow to accommo-date a wheelchair, and need to be widened, especially the front and back doors, she said. In addition, a ramp or a wheel-chair lift is usually needed to help the person get inside the house, but the dearth of real estate in the NYC-area can make it difficult to create ADA-compliant ramps. “In NYC, it’s kind of a tricky situ-ation,” she said. “You have to have adequate clearance in the front of

your home or property on the side to be ADA-compliant,” which re-quires at least a foot of ramp for every inch in height. In Brook-lyn and Q u e e n s , these re-quirements are usually prohibitive, Ruiz-Lopez said, but in some

residential areas where people have bigger front yards or side al-leys, families can often build ramps without going onto community space. When ramps are impossible, families will sometimes request costly wheelchair lifts, which can run upwards of $25,000. Inside multi-story homes, per-sons with disabilities often need stair lifts installed to get them to the second floor, she said. These are essentially chairs mounted

on a motorized track system in-stalled along a set of steps. A standard stair lift for a straight staircase can run about $5,000, while a custom chair lift designed for a curved staircase can run about $10,000. Pocket doors – doors that are built into the frame of a doorway and easily slide open when some-one puts their thumb or finger into a small notch, are another unique way to allow for easy movement throughout the house, and are often requested by fami-lies, she said. Sometimes kitchen modifica-tions are needed, such as making cabinets and counters lower, but often those aren’t necessary. Bed-rooms also don’t require much in the way of modifications, though Ruiz-Lopez recommended higher beds, like they have in hospitals, along with a ceiling track system, which can help to ease a person into a bed. The specific modifications that are necessary will vary depend-ing on the person and his or her disabilities, but Ruiz-Lopez said she generally recommends these types of modifications for people with cerebral palsy, muscle weak-ness, Rett syndrome, hypertonia, sensory integration dysfunction, spastic quadriplegia, Down syn-drome, muscular dystrophy and general ambulatory problems. And though she said New York State has cut funding for organizations that help people with disabilities, there are still several programs that may help with paying for these modifica-tions, and families should con-sult with their caseworkers to seek financial assistance.

Rachel Wizenfeld is a frequent con-tributor to publications like The Jewish Press, The Jewish Journal and the New York Blueprint. She lives in Los Angeles.

By Rachel Wizenfeld

Environmental Modifications –Readying Your Home for Someone with Disabilities

FAMILY

June 2012 25

Why can’t my child reach his potential? Many parents

see their children with develop-mental disabilities as being ca-pable of learning job skills, trav-eling independently to a job and maintaining a job on a daily basis. Yet they become frustrated when they either can’t “convince” their child to be productive, or when a day program doesn’t appear to be trying hard enough to help them transition successfully. This dilemma comes across my office many times a week. I see men and women who have ad-equate intelligence to understand what is expected at a job, and the motor and verbal skills to perform well. (Remember, mental retarda-tion does not mean a person can-not learn new skills; rather, they learn at a slower rate.) Yet when the individual tries the job that matches his or her level of func-tioning, at times they aren’t suc-cessful at working independently. I evaluated a 21-year-old male, Yaakov, whose IQ fell within the mild range of mental retarda-tion. He seemed to have adequate verbal skills, motor skills and intelligence. He was a basketball player and was very good at play-ing Nintendo. I recommended to his parents a job opportunity that was simple in nature, structured, and within walking distance from his home. Yaakov was introduced to the owner and shown what was ex-pected. The owner watched him for a day and reported that he was “ready” to work independently. Yaakov was also taught how to walk to and from the store. For the first three days, things went well, and Yaakov came home ex-cited and happy each night. But on the fourth day, his parents re-ceived a phone call that Yaakov had not shown up at work. He was found in a store buying four bagels for breakfast…

After this episode, a limit was set. Yaakov would be paid based on showing up on time. Follow-ing this, Yaakov began coming on time -- yet his work ethic de-creased significantly, to the point where the boss had to let him go. What happened? I reevaluated Yaakov, and de-cided that something else must be in play that was not clear during the first evaluation. After further observation, I noticed that his focusing ability, when left alone to complete an activity, was very limited. In the initial assessment, I tested his focus and concen-tration using constant positive praise and verbal encouragement. Under those circumstances, he demonstrated adequate concen-tration. I also made several phone calls to his previous schools and programs, and learned that Yaa-kov did not understand money management or time limits. In addition, when Yaakov travels in-dependently, he tends to wonder into various stores. I began asking Yaakov some proving questions, including how he knows if he can spend money in a store. He said, “If I have a dollar I can buy a soda, pizza and cookie.” I also asked about show-ing up on time to work, to which he responded that he leaves the house when told to. However, he was unaware of what it takes to get to his destination on time. I brought the parents back in to discuss my findings. They said, “Oh, yes, Yaakov has a history of spending money and not follow-ing limits independently.” I then explained to them that while their child may have the “raw” skills to work at a job, other factors could impede his success. One is his inability to remain fo-cused on a task without a staff member constantly refocusing him and providing positive feed-back. I suggested that the best ap-

proach might be to have Yaakov at a group job site where staff would supervise his traveling, money skills and productivity. Yaakov joined a day program, where he was placed under super-vision along with other individuals on his level. In a few days, he be-came successful in his own right. He now had new friends and a job at which he could succeed. Group job settings, which are arranged through day programs, do not define an individual as unsuccessful or incapable. Rath-er, they are designed to help in-dividuals like Yaakov who have skills but need guidance. With assistance in being able to fo-cus and problem-solve, they are able to persevere at a job site and

feel good about themselves. We must keep in mind that although our child may need supervision within a group job site, it doesn't mean they can't grow. Rather the only limitation is when we STOP trying to help our children. Dr. Daniel Hollander, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and the in-house psychologist at Harmony Service’s Kinor Dovid & Kinor Malka day habs. Harmony Service’s pro-grams include; day hab / vocational programs for men and women, state of the art therapy clinic, service coordi-nation, and summer camps (for men and women). For more information, contact 718.435.8080 or [email protected] Dr. Hollander main-tains a private practice in Brooklyn, specializing in developmental disabili-ties in children and adults. He can be reached at 718.986.7692 or [email protected].

CAHALTHE PROGRAM THAT TURNSDISABILITIES INTO ABILITIES

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Can Special Needs Children Hold Down a Job?

26 June 2012

FAMILYBy Ratzy Simanowitz, RN

THE LITTLENIGHT PROWLER

Faigy Gluck was two when she began regressing in all areas of de-velopment. Having easily passed her early milestones, it came as a shock when she suddenly turned inward, gradually adopting the characteristic attributes of au-tism, with the attendant lack of eye contact and loss of verbal skills. According to Tzirel, Faigy’s eldest sibling, from when she was 2 ½ until she was admitted to the Higachi program at age ten, Faigy never slept for more than five hours a night, and more often

than not, for no more than three. She’d go to sleep at 8pm only to awaken anywhere between 11pm and 1am. At first, Mrs. Gluck blamed it on the anticonvulsant Depakote which had been prescribed for treatment of Faigy’s daytime hy-peractivity. But it soon became apparent that her nighttime in-somnia was not caused by her medications and that Faigy, like many children with Autism, sim-ply may not need as much sleep as her typically developing cohorts. Before long, the entire fam-

ily, from eight year old Miriam to Tzirel, who was about fifteen, was recruited to do “Faigy time”. Tzirel vividly recalls those nights in which Faigy would get up and try to leave her bedroom. It was her responsibility to engage her insomniac sister because once Faigy left the room, she was sure to awaken everyone in the house, including the out-of-town boys who slept in the family’s base-ment. Tzirel still chuckles when she recounts how once, when Faigy who was about five or six, she somehow slithered through the heavy door into the basement.

It may have inadvertently been left ajar or little Faigy-turned-Houdini had somehow managed to pry it open. No one knows be-cause she had sneaked off while the sibling left in charge of her that night had dozed off. When she tried to climb into one of the beds, the startled boy sleeping in the bed who happened to have a black belt in karate, thinking she was an intruder, almost hit her with a karate chop. Luckily, be-fore striking, he took a second look and discovered that it was his landlord’s little girl who had

somehow strayed into his sleep-ing quarters. Years later, one of those boys recounted how, as a teenager, he had come to New York to spend time with the Lubavitcher Rebbe because he was extremely de-pressed, even contemplating sui-cide. However, observing his host family’s devotion to their child with special needs changed all that. It taught him about human sacrifice and filial love. Gradually, his heart, once cold and despon-dent, grew warm and engaged. Now, over twenty years later, he is married with children, living in a warm and Torah observant home of his own. Tzirel recalls those earlier years in which night and day often seg-ued into one big blur of fatigue. She readily admits that “it was not all that easy.” Staying up with Faigy for hours on end, night af-ter night, took its toll on every member of the family. Try as she might, Tzirel would often nod off toward the end of her nighttime vigils, and that was usually when Faigy got into serious mischief. She would smear anything she could get her hands on, spar-ing nothing, not even the costly Persian rug in the living room. She had a particular affinity for the family’s fridge. When all was quiet and her caretakers stooped in deep slumber, she’d stealthily make her way into the kitchen and methodically empty its en-tire contents. She’d smear the cottage cheese and sour cream all over the kitchen. She’d crack ev-ery last egg and gleefully spread it over just about any surface she could reach. During those trying years, everyone in the family was per-petually exhausted. Still, when Faigy was finally admitted to Higachi, and the nights at home once again returned to normal, Faigy’s mother felt no relief and

was, in fact, inconsolable. As Tzirel tells it, after each lengthy school break, when Faigy would return to Higachi for a new se-mester, her mother “would cry for two days straight”, riddled with guilt that she was once again relinquishing her little girl’s care to strangers and missing her little girl intensely. Tzirel is awed by her mother’s selflessness; she doubts she would have persevered for as long as her mother had. But looking back, Tzirel is convinced that those ear-ly years had imbued her with the strength of character to persevere through her own personal chal-lenges, and she is a better person for it. In a wonderful twist of fate, Faigy is now residing in a group home that faces her parents’ house, where her mother is free to visit her daily, allowing them to bask in their mutual love and affection.HELPFuL HINTS FOR CHIL-

DREN WITH INSOMNIA: Note: Many children with ASD may need less sleep than their typically developing peers. It is therefore important to establish individual sleep needs and sched-ule bedtime accordingly, as put-ting a child to sleep too early can be counterproductive and create less, rather than more sleep. Rule out medical causes such as infection, pain, and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) which often interfere with sleep. Sleep apnea manifested by snor-ing, gasping for breath, and/or bedwetting may warrant a visit to a sleep specialist Follow careful “sleep hy-giene” practices: Dim lighting Quiet setting-a mild white noise machine may help keep out unwanted sounds Minimize stimulation at bedtime Comfortable temperature;

Sleep Disturbances in Children with Special Needs

June 2012 27

avoid excessive heat and cold Comfortable sleepwear Allow the child to sleep with a favorite blanket or stuffed animal Child’s bed should not be used for anything other than sleep. This means not using the bed for play time, timeout, or any other non-sleep activities. Encourage exercise and out-door play during daytime hours; avoid these within three hours of bedtime. Maintain consistent bedtime and wakeup time; avoid daytime naps. Eliminate or greatly reduce caffeine intake. Teach your child to fall asleep with minimal input on your part. The best is to leave the room, or at least avoid all forms of touch after the child has been put to bed. If the child is used to having you in the room, sit next

to the bed and each night, move the chair closer to the door until it is no longer in the room. Encourage your child to stay in bed, and if your child does get out of bed, stay calm and prompt-ly put him back to bed; minimize conversation. Provide small rewards when your child sleeps through the night. Above all, be patient and don’t despair! Rather than imple-menting all changes at once, try one small change at a time. MELATONIN: A MIRACLE

DRuG FOR CHILDREN WITH INSOMNIA?

According to the Journal of Child Neurology, insomnia is a common sleep concern in children with ASD (autism spectrum disorders) and it is thought that melatonin, a naturally occurring substance that helps regulate sleep, may be

lower than in typically develop-ing children. A study involving 107 children ages 2—18 years of age with a confirmed diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders showed significant improvement in sleep when taking melatonin. Only 3 children had mild side-ef-fects such as morning sleepiness and increased enuresis (bedwet-ting). Most importantly, there were no negative interactions be-tween melatonin and the various psychotropic drugs many of the tested children were taking, nor was there an increase in seizures in those with seizure disorders. Daytime behaviors were reported to have improved as well with use of nighttime melatonin, leading to positive effects for the entire family. Based on these findings, Melatonin has been deemed a safe and well-tolerated treatment for insomnia in children with

autism spectrum disorders, al-though more studies are needed to establish safety and efficacy. As with all drugs and nutritional supplements, parents are urged to consult with their child’s pe-diatrician regarding the use of melatonin.

Ratzy Simanowitz, RN is a nurse at Ohel Bais Ezra. With over four decades of experience in caring for those across the spectrum of developmental dis-abilities, OHEL Bais Ezra has elevated and enriched the lives of thousands of individuals and families. OHEL Bais Ezra offers parents much sought guid-ance and clear direction and we are able to tailor programs that meet the specific needs of each individual and optimize their potential. OHEL Bais Ezra continues to break down barri-ers and stigma associate with develop-mental disabilities and nurture a more informed community where such indi-viduals can thrive and realize their potential. For more information, Call 1.800.603.OHEL web: ohelfamily.org Facebook: facebook.com/ohelfamily

FAMILY

28 June 2012

FAMILYBy Marc R. Katz

“What Services is my child or sibling eli-

gible for now?” still remains the number one question from par-ents and siblings of children with special needs. Approximately 1500 individu-als are enrolled each year in The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), which is responsible for coordinating services for more than 126,000 New Yorkers with developmental disabilities. The system is currently in flux. There are ongoing discussions by the Medicaid Redesign team to improve the system, coupled with the proposed changes of the New People First Waiver. While

providers and other stakeholders have been strongly preoccupied about future systemic reforms to improve the quality and out-comes of government-funded services, families of individuals with special needs can greatly benefit from services that ex-ist today. Parents and siblings of children with special needs con-tinue to struggle to navigate the maze of available services. While families may be familiar with traditional services such as re-spite and supervised residential settings, there are other exist-ing innovative, yet lesser-known services available today that can make a difference in their lives such as:

FAMILYREIMBuRSEMENT

Family Reimbursement Pro-gram offers families who have a member with a disability the op-portunity to receive limited reim-bursement for various goods and services related to his or her care. In these difficult economic times, many parents are under extraor-dinary financial stress to provide for the special needs of their child, and welcome the relief that it affords them. As one parent stated "Throughout the day I take care of my son, play with him and take him to appointments. But when my other four children walk through the door at four o'clock, the juggling act becomes impossible. In this crucial time of need, this program was able to re-imburse my family for the respite services that were immediately needed while we were caring for his siblings.” INTENSIvE BEHAvIORAL

SERvICES (IBS) Intensive Behavioral Services are designed to provide support to individuals living at home who present challenging behav-iors. This program sends highly trained clinicians into the home environment to observe the indi-vidual in his/her natural settings and provide meaningful assess-ment of their behaviors. It allows the clinician to work with the individual, family members, and support people to gain their per-spective, and teach them the nec-essary skills to promote the indi-vidual and family's well being. SIBSHOPS These sibling support sessions, non-OPWDD funded, are activi-ty based groups that give siblings an opportunity to be educated, validate their feelings and share peer support in a non-judgmental and recreation based context. Re-gardless of the disability, siblings

share many common experienc-es and feelings relating to friends, to the past, and to the uncertain future. Recent studies show that the stress and the burden of long-term family caregiving should not be underestimated. One mother c o m -mented that her daugh-ter with no dis-abi l i t y had in-ternal-ized all her pain a n d c o n -flicting emotions: “The sibshop enabled her to unlock her inner feelings because she finally felt comfortable in a room where she could be honest with others, as they shared their struggles with her.” Sibling support programs are the hallmark of a truly fam-ily-centered approach. AuTISM AWARENESS

INITIATIvE: IN-HOMEBEHAvIOR TRAINING

This initiative, funded by the NYC Council, provides a multi-tude of services to children with Autism, specifically the At-Home Behavior Training program. Families are selected based on their need for at-home training, and their willingness to actively participate in the program. The behavior trainers provide sessions at home, instructing children, parents, community hab staff and siblings in the implementation of structured schedules, as well as well-planned and executed recre-ational activities. The goal of the program is to provide parents, sibling, and caregivers with tools to interact more effectively within their family unit.

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SuPPORTEDEMPLOYMENT SERvICES

During a time of increased scrutiny of Medicaid-funded programs, Day Habilitation pro-gram is no longer the first and only option upon graduating from school. OPWDD’s Employ-ment First initiative enables more individuals with developmental disabilities to be employed. There are now varied enhanced employ-ment opportunities in accordance to one’s functioning level. For ex-ample, individuals who required more support than Access-VR (formerly VESID) provided, are now able to receive greater sup-ports to maintain their employ-ment via The Supported Employ-ment program. As one individual with a developmental disability commented “Now my life begins,” because the Employment First Initiative made his lifelong dream of successfully maintaining a reg-ular paying job come true. NON-MEDICAID SERvICE

COORDINATION As a family first learns about OPWDD services, the process of exploring their available op-tions can become overwhelming. This short-term service provides information and linkages to pro-vide easier access to OPWDD services. The service coordinator will primarily focus on Medicaid enrollment to create greater op-portunities for Medicaid Waiver services to help the individual live as productively as possible. CONSOLIDATED

SuPPORTS AND SERvICES (CSS)

CSS is a Medicaid waiver self-directed service option that em-powers people with disabilities and their families to design and manage services based on their individual needs and goals. CSS supports community inclusion because the CSS Plan is created by the participant and those he chooses to help with his plan. Furthermore, CSS participants control their own portable CSS budgets, and may choose to hire

and manage their own staff sup-ports. CSS Plans and Budgets allow participants to access the supports needed to live at home, pursue meaningful employment, and engage in satisfying relation-ships with others. INDIvIDuALIzED

SuPPORTS AND SERvICES Individual Supports and Ser-vices (ISS), an alternative housing option, assist adults with devel-opmental disabilities who wish to live independently by providing funds to pay for housing costs, and on a limited basis, for such things as food, transportation and clothing. Individuals can also receive Community Habilitation, which offers 1:1 direct support professionals to further facilitate greater independence in such set-tings. Through the new People First Waiver, opportunities for new enrollments and supports in these types of housing programs will increase. OPWDD continues to examine ways of streamlining programs that offer greater person-centered services to those entering its sys-tem or those seeking something different. Their goal is to develop greater flexibility and a more ro-bust network of services by mak-ing it easier for families to iden-tify those services that are most able to meet their child’s needs. Although opportunities through the People First Waiver for new innovative supports and indi-vidualized services will increase in the future, the aforementioned list of these existing services serve as a point of entry to meet the ev-eryday demands of today’s indi-viduals with special needs.

Marc R. Katz, a NYS Certifi ed School Psychologist, is an Assistant Director at Ohel Bais Ezra. For more information about evaluations, in-take, or referral of services, please call 1.800.603.OHEL, visit www.ohelfam-ily.org, or e-mail [email protected]. OHEL delivers a breadth of commu-nity services through OHEL Bais Ezra, OHEL Lifetime Care, OHEL Foster Care, OHEL Mental Health Services, OHEL Institute for Training, and Camp Kaylie.

FAMILY

30 June 2012

FAMILY FORUMBy Ruchi Eisenbach

When families are given the task to care for a child

with special needs, it often takes extra strength and fortitude to get through the daily challenges. In the recently released book, Rav Avigdor Miller on Emunah and Bitachon (Judaica Press, 2012), the author Rabbi Yaakov Astor presents Rav Miller’s thoughts on this topic. According to Rav Mill-er zt”l, everyone in life has a spe-cific role and function. The ques-tion was asked, “Is it fair that this child and these parents should be

chosen for that function?” Rav Miller zt”l, answers that, “No-body works for free in this world. Everybody is remunerated for his service and a child who is born to serve such a role goes to Olam Haba eventually and is richly re-paid. He is paid off more than many people who have lived hap-py, normal lives….all wrongs are righted in the World to Come.” He adds that “those parents who have compassion on that child, feeding him, taking care of all his needs and having mercy on

him are gaining a great wealth of the World to Come.” He encour-ages us to think about others who have even greater burdens than ours and to try to accept what we have received – because “Hashem is an employer Who is not stingy when it comes to paying reward.” When I help my child with special needs, I don’t necessarily think that I am doing it for a re-ward, but it does bring me com-fort knowing that my child has a specific purpose in this world. Know that when our children

struggle with challenges that oth-ers can do with great ease, they are earning a magnificent reward that will illuminate their souls… forever and ever. And that is something that I would like to be a part of.

Ruchi Eisenbach, M.Ed., is a spe-cial education service coordinator. She is a parent of child with special needs and the author of “Hidden Gems: Our Special Children” (Artscroll 2010), an inspiring book about children with special needs. She can be reached at [email protected].

Welcome back to the Family Forum!

By Laurie Minchenberg

“Come on, Devora- it’s time to wake up!”

“But Ima, I’m tired,” she says as she buries her head back un-der the pillows. It’s 6:40 on a weekday morn-ing and I need to get my seven year old daughter with special needs ready for school. With a lot of cajoling, and sometimes getting her dressed while she is half sleeping, she is usually downstairs by 7 am, ready to join her brother Tuvia who is watch-ing some show on the computer, having been up since 6 AM. Tuvia is watching a program which is developmentally inap-propriate for him- (a boy his age should no longer be interested in watching The Berenstein Bears). Although it’s sad for me to see him watching something not appropriate for his age, it does simplify things somewhat, in that there is less fighting and arguments over what to watch. If I have been really organized, then I have already packed her lunch, as well as the lunch of

her siblings. Devora is one of our six children, four of whom have significant developmental disabilities. I try to have “cereal in a bag” ready for her to eat in the car for her ride to school. Devora and her twelve year old brother, Tuvia, need to be ready by around 7:25 am for the ride which will take them to the Si-nai Program for children with special needs housed at Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy in Livingston, New Jersey. As Devora gets into the car, she says to me “Good bye, Ima. I will see you at seventy”. I have no idea what she is talking about. I smile and say, “Okay!” Off they go. If I am lucky, then my ten year old moderately to severely autistic son, Shmuel is still sleeping, in which case I don’t need to address his requests to watch “Sessee Street” (his ver-sion of Sesame Street). Shmuel can be very persistent, and just because he hears ‘no’, doesn’t mean that he won’t keep asking

again, and again, and again, and again. If I am not so lucky, then I sometimes put it on for him and hope that Devora does not hear this happening, since she needs to be downstairs ready for her ride. Tuvia, Devora, and Asher, my fourteen year old typical son, all leave the house by around 7:30, with all their needs taken care of. Breathe- three down, three to go. Sometimes my seven year old son Zev is up by 7:30- sometimes he is not. He has high function-ing autism and it is sometimes difficult for him to fall asleep at night, despite taking melatonin. It is much easier to oversee his getting dressed since the house is much quieter. Some of my children will not get dressed on their own, because they are too distracted by both internal and external stimuli. Getting dressed in the morning is just not high on their priority list!!! Zev needs to be ready to go to the Sinai Pro-gram at the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey, by 7:50am.

Shmuel anxiously awaits Zev’s departure just as much as I do. How do I know? Because he sometimes brings me his broth-er’s coat and says “Zev’s coat, Zev’s coat!” Once he leaves, the house is much calmer, and I can then tackle my next customer: Shmuel. He goes to an ABA pro-gram, and receives ABA therapy at home as well. As part of his ABA program, we have put up a magnet on the refrigerator which says, “I want _______, please.” We use this magnet in order to prompt him to ask ap-propriately. At around 7:55 am, Shmuel wanted to watch Sesame Street, and we told him no, be-cause it was time to get ready for school. Upon hearing no, he went to the refrigerator, got the magnet, showed it to us and then asked again. Shmuel’s bus arrives at 8:30 and then all that’s left is my almost three year old Mordechai who needs to go to playgroup at 9:15. And then… I can really breathe!!!......

A Typical Morning

June 2012 31

FAMILY FORUM

By Ruchi Cohen

If anyone were to ask me what the defining moment of my

life has been so far, I would have to say the birth of my oldest son. Not growing up in Vienna, Aus-tria or spending my formative teenage years living thousands of miles away from home during high school. It was not the de-cision to marry my husband or even our wedding day, as special as it was. No, hands down, it was the day Yedidya was born and I was told that, at the tender age of 21, I was the proud mother of a child with Trisomy 21, other-wise known as Down Syndrome. I could wax poetically about the process of mourning the per-fect child, our acceptance and our overwhelming love for this special neshama. And all of this would be true. But it does not come close to explaining what it is like to be the parent of a child with special needs, day in and out.

I have learned so much in the past six years. I have been inun-dated with information about Down Syndrome, developmen-tal milestones, interventions and methods of schooling. Along the way, I have also learned a lot about myself - about my level of patience, my expectations of myself and my children, and the value I put on academic achieve-ment and accomplishment. I had to confront the reality that as much as I want my child to thrive, I am just not cut out for the hours and hours of interven-tion and follow-through that are expected of me, beyond all the therapies Yedidya is receiving at school. I am not going to sit on the floor with flashcards of sight words when he comes home at the end of a long school day. Instead we play cars and soccer and watch a video to unwind. Because more than a diagnosis, Yedidya is a child who just wants

to play and he does not really care that he is not following the typical developmental curve. He is quite happy the way he is, thank you very much. Recently, there has been a lot of talk in our communities of in-clusion for all our children: “Our children are just like yours, don’t judge us based on a diagnosis and let us into your institutions, whether they be shuls or schools.” I wholeheartedly support main-streaming and inclusion. I think it is important for both typical and “special” children to be ex-posed to one another, to interact and learn from one another. Ye-didya comes to shul almost every Shabbos and is very much part of our community. What I do object to, however, is the claim that children with spe-cial needs should be included be-cause really, if pushed and not ste-reotyped, they can do everything a typical child can do. I object

because it is not true. And even if it is true for some exceptional children, the majority of children with special needs will not reach that developmental level and yet they STILL deserve a chance to be included in whatever way they can. People often ask me if Yedidya is high-functioning. I don’t really know the answer to that question although I like to think that he is. The real question is though why it matters. Don’t get me wrong. I am very grateful that Yedidya is walking, running and jumping, that his speech is slowly emerg-ing and that he is working on Early Literacy Skills with the goal being for him to be able to learn to read and write. And while I do ask myself the question, if he could do more if I pushed him more, sometimes I ask myself, how I would feel if he was not doing all these things.

The True Meaning of Inclusion

By Stephen E. Schwartz, Esq.

Busy parents of special edu-cation children can use par-

ent’s homework to measure goals and objectives. A good example is a sensory diet created by a child’s occupational therapist at school to treat various sensory integration disorders. It should be noted that many parents and lawyers encounter resistance at child study team meetings against treating sensory integra-tion disorder. Parents that succeed in obtain-ing a sensory diet as part of the

IEP should request a copy of the diet and they should work with the child at home on the various exercises. In this way, the parent can see first-hand whether the treatment is working or whether it needs modification. Another good example is a communication log between the head teacher and the parent. This log should provide daily feedback to the parent about the child’s goals and objectives. For example, for behavior challeng-es, the teacher should log appro-

priate and inappropriate behav-iors on a period-by-period basis. This will enable the parent to see when the behavior is occurring and possible antecedents. In this way, if the inappropriate behav-ior mostly occurs at the end of the day, then it probable that child is tired. Now, the focus can be placed on boosting the child’s energy at the end of the day. In addition, the log should have space for the parents to log daily relevant information like bedtime and other factors that

may contribute to the child’s education. One pitfall is the lack of communication between be-haviorists and parents. If the behaviorist is not available for communication or worse has not even drafted the behavior plan required by the IEP, then the parent or lawyer should im-mediately bring the issue to the attention of the case manager. There is nothing wrong with insisting that the behaviorist follows the plan and works with the parents.

Homework for Parents

Schwartz Continues on Next Page

32 June 2012

FAMILY FORUM

By Mother In the Shoe

I have just been doing a “spring cleaning” of sorts. You see, my

son who is severely handicapped is 21 years old. He is about to graduate from his special school where he has been since he was five. I participated in his very last IEP meeting a few weeks ago. It was totally uneventful, just a closing-out of the DOE’s records on him. Goodbye CSE, fights about therapies, services, district personnel – some very kind and some truly obnoxious. Now I have a file drawer filled with old IEPs to go through. I see goals – some met and some not yet attained. I see a huge file folder from the time I took the district to a five-day-long im-partial hearing and prevailed. I have the transcript and the hear-ing officer’s decision. It really takes me back.

I glance at a picture of my son at five holding a toy Torah during circle time, a huge smile on his face. The years have really flown by. I choke back tears thinking

about his graduation day later this week. This is a bittersweet time. I can’t help but think what my son would be doing if he did not have his disability. He most likely would have been in Yeshi-va or completing college, enter-ing the shidduch parsha. Instead of all that, I sit here purging old files and calling adult day programs to try to make his official transition to adulthood as smooth as possible. I have spent weeks searching for the right day hab program. To-day, thankfully, there are many more to choose than years ago. I have gone from program to program, trying to find the right fit for my son. This one doesn’t serve hot lunch; I shudder at the thought of my son having to eat a sandwich from a bag each day. He really enjoys eating hot lunch

in his school. Another program offers lunch, but no transporta-tion. Another offers the “indi-viduals coffee each morning and then takes them on ‘exciting’ trips such as to visit a nursing home.” I laugh at the thought of my son, who has the cognitive abilities of a child less than two years old, socializing and drink-ing coffee. I want more for him. I daven and with tears streaming down my cheeks, I ask Hashem to send me to the right place for my child. Then it happens – a new pro-gram with a higher staff ratio offers hot lunch, transportation and lots more. They sit with me over a cup of coffee. They ask me what my son enjoys doing, what is meaningful to him. Since it is a small program, they can struc-ture a lot of the time around his individual needs. I ask about music, which he enjoys so much, and they tell me they have lots of it. They will take him to therapy and swimming several times a week. They will take him for out-ings in the community. My heart feels lighter. Now I am looking

forward to this next step in my son’s life instead of dreading it. With a plan in place, my mind returns to focus on the im-pending graduation day. Now, I am not thinking about all the things my son will not do and will not be. Instead, I am look-ing back and reflecting on his school years. Tears well up in my eyes as I recall the special teachers and therapists who have worked with my son all these years. I think about how much they have cared for him and how they have joined me in cheering him on to reach his potential. My heart swells full of Hakaras HaTov, true gratitude to them and to Hashem for help-ing my son reach this point. I think about my son, his smile, his laugh, his pure, sweet dis-position, his contentment with life, and I realize that all of our efforts have resulted in a very happy young man who knows we love him. He does have hap-piness and meaning in his life, and that is an accomplishment we should all be proud of.

Graduation…

The above examples work for children that are in-district. Some out-of-district placements go even further in providing homework for the parents and the family. Some private schools provide sibling and parent train-ing and support groups. These sessions will provide the parents

and family the tools they need to support a special needs child and can also help alleviate stress and tension at home. If you think that such support is appropriate for your child, then you or your lawyer must address this at the child study team meeting. Parents or lawyers do not need

to wait until an annual review to address whether a child’s current private school is an appropriate placement. Parents should take an active approach in evaluating the program for their children. The parent knows the child bet-ter than anyone and is best suit-ed to use the tools provided by

the school as a window into what is working and what is not.

Stephen E. Schwartz, Esq. is a former director of a New Jersey Ap-proved School for Students with Dis-abilities and is a licensed New York and New Jersey attorney. He helps parents obtain a free and appropriate education for their children.

Schwartz Continued from Previous Page

June 2012 33

FAMILY FORUM

By A Concerned Mother

Thinking about a shidduch for an individual with

learning disabilities starts even before they’re teenagers. Parents wonder “when and how will my child get married”? As your child grows up to be an adult, you try to make every connection you can make and attend every shidduch meeting in the area. Most of the time you sense that there really isn’t a lot of interest from many of the shadchanim. Sometimes when individuals are trying to set up a potential shidduch and the other side finds out that your child never attended college due to learn-ing disabilities, the shidduch stops right there. It doesn’t make

a difference that the individual with learning disabilities may be kind, caring and have great mid-dos because it’s the stereotype of what an individual should be. In addition, many of these indi-viduals have jobs, drive cars and have their own apartments, but they always carry the stigma of being learning disabled. On oc-casion you’ll hear about a shad-chan that deals with individuals with certain disabilities and they may try to set up your child with an individual that has more se-vere disabilities than your child. Then you wonder, “Is this what is meant for my child?” or “Will my child ever find a shidduch”? Your child may ask, “Why can’t

I be like everybody else?”, but in many cases they haven’t been like other people since they were infants. The whole shidduch process is very difficult and draining for a typical individual, but when you’re dealing with an indi-vidual with learning disabilities it’s a whole new world that most people dread dealing with. Just like the Jewish world was miss-ing yeshivas for children with learning disabilities in the early 1990’s and the problem was worked on by various organiza-tions, we need help now. Parents are currently dealing with their children who have learning dis-abilities and really want to get

married and have families like everybody else. It’s time for the various Jew-ish organizations to step up and provide a mechanism and process for these individuals to meet and assist them in finding shidduchim. This may mean as-sistance in the preparation of shidduch resumes, the availabil-ity of dating coaches, and social workers to help deal with the various issues that may come up during the dating process. We need this assistance now, so our children can find their bashert and have a happy life together. You can send any comments or suggestions to [email protected].

The Trials and Tribulations of Finding a Shidduch

By Juby Shapiro

Q: Our daughter has outgrown typical swim diapers as

well as the vinyl pants worn over diapers, but has not outgrown her need for those items. She loves the water. With summer quickly approaching, do you have any suggestions? Thanks so much!

A: This is a situation many parents face as our children

grow. Here are some resources that may be helpful:

MYPOOLPAL.COM fea-tures swim diapers, swim wear and other products for children

and adults with special needs. My Pool Pal Flotation Swimsuits, Coast-Guard Approved Aqua Force personal flotation devices, and Swim-sters undergarments make participating in water ac-tivities possible and enjoyable for children and adults with spe-cial needs, allowing families to spend quality time together and create memories that last a life-time. Swim-sters special needs swim diapers are perfect for any-one who requires a diaper while swimming. Plus, since they are designed to be worn discreetly under a swimsuit while helping prevent harmful bacteria from entering the water, they are per-fect for individuals with bowel incontinence. The special needs flotation swimsuits and special

needs swim diapers are available in a wide variety of sizes, and can also be custom made for larger sizes and other specific needs.See www.mypoolpal.com/products/special-needs or call 888.766.5725.

POOLTOY.COM special-izes in adult disposable swim diapers by My Pool Pal as well as youth and adult reusable swim diapers. They will custom make swim diaper for special sizes. See www.pooltoy.com/swimdia-pers1.html or call 252.232.1052.

ESPECIALNEEDS.COM carries reusable swim diapers in pull on and Velcro styles that will keep the pool sanitary. Their machine washable swim diapers

are designed with a comfortable cotton inner lining and nylon outer shell.See www.eSpecialNeeds.com or call 877.664.4565.

DIAPERFETCH.COM carries Swim-sters special needs swim diapers, featuring elasti-cized leg and waist bands and advanced fabrics that help turn a simple diaper into a powerful bacteria blocker. They carry re-usable swim diapers for youth and adults from 40 lbs to 140 lbs in pink, white and blue.See www.diaperfetch.com/s h o p / r e u s a b l e - s w i m - d i a -pers or call 800.971.1034 or 408.971.1034.Wishing everyone a fun and safe summer!

Parent Tips: Swim Diapers & Diaper Covers

34 June 2012

EDUCATIONBy Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Salfer

Imagine having an uncle who is concerned about your future

and sets up a trust fund for you and your extended family. To en-sure that you don’t raid the fund and spend the money frivolously, he appoints an outside executor of the fund, who receives a small fee as compensation for his over-sight. As part of his plan, Uncle Sam adds many precautionary measures and rules. One of them is that you can choose to use the money only on certain things, which he has predetermined. An-other is that you cannot receive any of the funding directly. All funding must be spent through a third party. For example, if you need a book, an outside party would buy the book for you and

bill the executor for their expense. If you needed tutoring or speech therapy, the third party would provide the help and then bill the executor. The executor also chooses the third party to do the providing and then billing for the services. Uncle Sam also decides that family members who are less capable and need more ser-vices take precedence in how the funding is spent. For example, if one of the siblings requires more services and help, they would re-ceive a higher percentage of the funding towards their needs than the others. The analogy above reflects what has happened to govern-ment funding for Title 1, Part A (Title 1) of the Elementary

and Secondary Education Act, (ESEA) which provides financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high percentag-es of children from low-income families. The goal of the modifi-cations to the original 1965 ESEA statute is to help ensure that all

children meet challenging state academic standards. The LEA is usually the local school district and is the ‘executor’ in our anal-ogy. The LEA decides who will be the ‘third party providers’ and how much funding is reimburs-able and can be charged for each hour of service provided. Federal funds are currently al-located through four statutory formulas that are based primarily on census poverty estimates and the cost of education in each state. The ‘Free and Reduced Lunch Form’, is the biggest determinant as to how much funding each school is eligible for. The ‘Free & Reduced’ form also determines how much funding a school is eli-gible to receive for E-rate, as well as many other funding programs. The information from that form has a major influence on the total amount of funding that the school district receives from Uncle Sam

for each school, and from which the ‘providers’ are paid for their services. Each school has their own account. Schools need to actively en-courage every parent to com-plete a ‘Free & Reduced’ form for their child. Each form rep-resents thousands of dollars in

funding, and it would be best for parents to cooperate by com-pleting these forms. The LEA, or school district, receives a sum of funding that is generated based on how many students are in the district, as well as the income eligibility of those students, and then the LEA de-termines how much each school will be eligible to have in their account held by the district. The LEA is also entitled to receive a percentage of the funding that is used by the schools. Schools with at least 40 per-cent of their students from low-income families may use Title I funds, along with other Federal, State, and local funds, to operate a "school-wide program." Title I schools which do not meet the 40 percent threshold or that choose not to operate a school-wide program offer a "targeted assistance program" for students

Making the Most of Title Programs

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June 2012 35

who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the State's aca-demic achievement standards, which is designed in consulta-tion with parents, staff, and dis-trict staff. Both school-wide and targeted assistance programs must use instructional strategies based on scientifically-based re-search and implement parental involvement activities. When federal program funds are combined to support a school-wide program to upgrade the entire educational program in the school, the school must be able to demonstrate that it contains sufficient activities to reasonably address the needs of the intended beneficiaries of each program. This is often demon-strated through improved scores on standardized tests. The names used for the vari-ous federal Title funding pro-grams varies from state to state,

although the formulas determin-ing how the funding is calculated is the same. It is important for each school to understand how much they are eligible to receive, how it can be used, and how much is deducted from their account for each hour of service provided. Many stu-dents in the school can benefit greatly from additional services and the school needs to take an active role in requesting those services from the provider. The school should make sure that they are receiving the biggest re-turn for each hour of service pro-vided. The schools can also re-quest other methods and services to be paid for by the funding in their LEA account. Often, parents know that their child is being pulled out for Title services, however they have no idea for what, by whom, how of-ten, and for how long. Too often,

the schools themselves are not involved in the process working with the teacher and the provider

as a team. In such cases, the ser-vices are not nearly as effective. Parents also need to be involved and understand that this is spe-cial tutoring that is available for their child and should become involved with the Title teacher. Lastly, there is some funding that the LEA holds, as executor, to be maintained at the LEA level to support district-level activi-ties. This can be allocated at the discretion of the LEA and used for individual cases, or particular

schools, as well as for district-level Professional Development, Parent Involvement and other

activities. Requests at the dis-trict level can also be made for the benefit of students from their discretionary LEA funds.

Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Salfer, PhD, is the Rosh Yeshivas Doresh in Miami, for high school and post HS yeshiva boys with learning challenges. He is the ex-ecutive director of Tree of Knowledge Learning Centers, a third party pro-vider and Title/IDEIA consultant. He can be reached at [email protected] or 216.233.0065.

“Parents also need to be involved and understand that this is special tutoring that is available for their

child and should become involved”

36 June 2012

EDUCATIONBy Laura F. Palley

During their senior year, high school students and their

parents face difficult choices weighing the pros and cons of

various colleges, gap year pro-grams, and Israeli study and travel programs. Did my child get into his first choice school? Does he want to dorm or live off cam-pus or commute from home? Was he offered enough financial aid? Would he benefit from taking a (gap) year learning in Israel first? Parents of special needs gradu-ates must ask themselves dif-

ferent questions. Is my child in-dependent enough to live away from home? Does he have the necessary social and academic

skills to succeed in a college envi-ronment? What choices are avail-able for him? On this last question, the an-swer is encouraging. The op-tions for special-needs gradu-ates are better today than ever before. Many colleges and uni-versities have expanded their supportive resources. Some have created specialized programs on

campus for students with learn-ing differences. Special needs students may benefit from pre-college skill-building programs.

And others may find guided voca-tional programs or even ‘gap year’ programs abroad. Here are some things you need to know to find the right place for your child with special needs af-ter high school graduation. What are ‘ac-commo dations, disclosure, and documentation?’ During their school years, your child’s school dis-trict was required

by law to provide appropriate academic and therapeutic reme-diation. The rules are different in higher education. Colleges have more leeway in determining what kind of assistance they can or will offer to their students with special needs. These supports are called accommodations. Students with special needs ap-ply for admission the same way

that regular students do. After a student is accepted he discloses his disability and negotiates for accommodations. The student must provide doc-umentation or proof of disability, such as recent tests, evaluations, and medical affidavits in order to establish the student’s specific needs. Complete and up-to-date documentation, clearly stated requests and persuasive self-ad-vocacy will help the student ob-tain the services he needs to suc-ceed at college. FOR THOSE CONSIDERING

COLLEGE Community College: Living at home while studying at commu-nity college is the least expensive and most flexible option for col-lege-bound special needs students. Typically, community colleges of-fer a wide range of majors and technical degree programs for full or part-time students, and many have solid reputations for innova-tive programs to support their lo-cal special-needs students. Many are accessible through public transportation. Continuity of sup-port can be maintained. Because they are still living at home, they can benefit from continued sup-port from friends, family mem-bers, and mentors, and parents

Better Options for Special-Needs High School Graduates

Does this school meet my child’s general requirements such as size, distance from home, majors available, affordability etc.? Are they known for support for special needs, what is their reputa-tion? Do they have a special program within the college and a sufficient-ly experienced staff to meet my child’s needs? Is there anyone I can speak to who has had personal experience at this institution? Can I speak to the special needs counselor or department, even anonymously, to get a feeling for what kinds of accommodations are available, what kinds of needs they dealt with in the past, advice on approaching admissions?

Support systems on and off campus – are there local community organizations or groups which might support or enhance the stu-dent’s success? How will they monitor the student’s progress/ spotting challenges and rough spots? – plan for regular contact/visits/reports from li-aison people like special needs counselors or other team support people Identify individuals’, social, religious or sports clubs or teams of interest which can help establish sense of belonging and commu-nity. Do I understand the pricing structure – is it tiered? It may be the base price tuition and then additional costs for a special support program.

QuESTIONS TO ASK WHEN LOOKING FOR A SCHOOL – TIPS FOR FINDING THE RIGHT SCHOOL

EDUCATION

June 2012 37

can continue to closely monitor their child’s progress. Once a stu-dent has successfully adjusted to college level studies, transfer to a four-year college is relatively easy.

FOuR-YEAR COLLEGES AND uNIvERSITIES

In addition to the factors that all students typically consider in choosing among different col-leges, such as location, academic suitability, living accommoda-tions, and financial affordabil-ity, students with special needs should pay particular attention to schools with programs designed specifically to help them.

SuPPORTIvE PROGRAMS WITHIN COLLEGES

Certain colleges offer support in the form of tutoring, organiza-tional help, mentoring, and moni-toring while students with special needs are taking regular college courses. Assistance is phased out over time as the student gains more independence. This option allows for full inclusion in all as-pects of typical college life while receiving appropriate academic, social, or psychological support. Fairleigh Dickenson’s COMPASS program, offered at its Metro-politan Campus, is an excellent example of this approach. The University of Connecticut offers an impressive number of programs which address specific types of special needs populations within their campus. Hofstra University’s PALS program is another example of an internally supported initiative.TRANSITIONAL PROGRAMS Young adults who have aca-demic potential, but are not ready for full-time independent college life, may benefit from transitional programs. Students are supported in their social, academic, and in-dependent living skills while they study at a local community col-lege. Students may complete their degree requirements, or may study just for a summer, a semes-ter, or a year in order to improve their skills before moving on to a more typical college setting.

Vocational training, intern-ships, and guided work experi-ences may also be available under this rubric.

ISRAEL For those students who would like to take a ‘gap year’ in Israel, Yeshivat and Midreshet Dark-aynu runs a highly successful program modeled on a typical yeshiva or seminary curricu-lum. Torah study is combined with trips, vocational training, chesed opportunities, and home hospitality. Darkaynu classes are self-contained, but all outings, holiday observances and special events are coordinated with Ohr Torah Stone (Brovender’s.) Yeshiva Bnei Simcha is another specialized yeshiva for men ages 17 to 28. It combines individual-ized learning with social, life and communication skills develop-ment. It aims for a holistic ap-proach, balancing academics with overall health and well-being. If your child doesn’t fit into either these programs but still wants to study in Israel, arrange-ments can sometimes be worked out with other yeshivas, if you can find a sympathetic person on the yeshiva administration who is willing to be flexible and provide the right support. However, your child must be strongly motivated and already have a high level of independence to make this a suc-cessful experience.

STRATEGIES ANDRESOuRCES FOR FINDING

THE RIGHT OPTION Once you have determined that attending college is a realis-tic and desirable option for your child, one of the best resources for making the right choice is a knowledgeable guidance coun-selor, teacher or program ad-ministrator, preferably one who already knows your child. His years of experience and knowl-edge will save you a lot of time. Private counselors provide spe-cial-needs placement services for a fee. Linda Kay is a private coun-selor who publishes her own free

e-newsletter with tips and strate-gies for successfully locating the right school for your child. Even with outside help, you still need to be a creative investigator, searching both print media and websites to find suitable schools and programs with the services and accommodations your child needs already in place for them. Specialized publications, such as The Princeton Review’s K & W Guide, profile colleges’ support-ive programs and resources. One parent I know spoke anon-ymously to the special-needs co-ordinator at her son’s first choice school. The staffer offered tips for filling out the application and passing the student interview (and he got in!) On-line chat groups, forums, blogs and support groups may of-fer valuable information, advice

and opinions. Networking can bring valuable information to light. Ask around your community or religious or-ganizations, talk with parents at college night, and ask recent high school graduates about their ex-periences adjusting to college. Once you have narrowed down the choices, a visit to campus is truly invaluable. Talk to as many students on campus as you can about their classes and overall satisfaction. In the end, the right choice will be the college or program which you and your child decide, after having done all the research, will best fit their individualized needs, capabilities and ambitions.

Laura F. Paley lives in Paramus, NJ and is the mother of 4 children.

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38 June 2012

EDUCATIONBy Michael S. Kutzin and Allison Landwehr

The Individuals with Disabili-ties Education Act (IDEA) is

a Federal law requiring all chil-dren with disabilities from ages

three to twenty-one to be provid-ed with a public education free of cost. Once a child is suspected of needing special education services, an evaluation must be conducted. These evaluations are free of charge to the family, and are performed by experts affili-ated with the School district. Following the school district’s testing, a determination will be made as to the student’s eligibility under the IDEA.

If the child is deemed eligible, i.e., classified under one of the thirteen categories of disability, then a Committee on Preschool Education (CPSE) or Committee on Special Education (CSE) will

be convened to develop an Indi-vidualized Education Program (IEP) uniquely tailored to fit his or her needs.

Parents and guardians are enti-tled to bring an attorney, as well as other interested parties, such as a parent advocate, to participate in the CPSE/CSE meeting, in order help them to obtain the services that they believe that their child needs and is entitled to under the federal law. While parents and guardians cannot mandate that certain services be provided to their child, they can reject recom-mendations by the CPSE/CSE. The involvement of parents and guardians in the design of the IEP is critical because, once it is ap-proved; the school district must follow it and provide the required services to the child. Moreover, each IEP recommends a specific type of classroom placement for the child, as well as an annual review date, at which point its contents will be re-examined and assessed. Nevertheless, parents, guardians, and the school district may request a meeting at any point in time to discuss the child's IEP.

The IEP also lists social, physi-cal, academic, and management needs. The IDEA requires that each child receive a “Free Ap-propriate Public Education” or “FAPE” by education profession-als. Religious families can seek to have services provided in a reli-gious school if the services are necessary for an “appropriate” education. However, the govern-ment is not required provide the child with the “best possible edu-cation,” so parents and guardians have to be cautious when making requests from the school district for services. Frequently, school districts avoid making expensive recom-mendations for children with dis-abilities even though they are not allowed to use cost as a reason for denying services; instead, they fail to mention to parents and guardians these options because they are pricey.

Additionally, further aids, not included within the above list, may be added to the child’s IEP to help the student benefit from their special education.

By informing themselves fully about potential placement op-tions and classroom goals for their child, along with acceptable alternatives, parents and guard-ians place themselves in a far bet-ter position when they attend the CPSE/CSE meeting. If the school district cannot provide an ap-propriate education for your son or daughter, you may be eligible to move your child into a better environment, such as a special education program sponsored by a religious organization, and seek tuition reimbursement for all associated costs. Unlike many other areas of law, special educa-tion law allows attorneys to use a wide range of methods to help their clients, providing them, at certain points, with the ability to remain non-adversarial while achieving results. With the passage of the IDEA, children with disabilities are re-quired to receive an appropriate IEP suited to meet their unique needs; however, school districts sometimes fail to do so. As a re-sult, parents, guardians, and at-torneys need to be aggressive and persistent in advocating for these children and to hold school dis-tricts accountable.

Michael Kutzin is a partner with Goldfarb Abrandt Salzman & Kutzin LLP, a firm concentrating in elder law, trusts & estates, special education law, and the rights of people with disabili-ties since 2001. Michael graduated magna cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylva-nia in 1984 and from NYU School of Law in 1987. Allison Landwehr is an associate (not yet admitted in NY) with Gold-farb Abrandt Salzman & Kutzin LLP. She graduated cum laude from the Syracuse University College of Law, and received a certificate in Disability Law & Policy. She also obtained her M.S. from Syracuse University in Edu-cation, receiving an additional certifi-cation in Advanced Disability Studies.

Qualifying Your Child for Special Education Services

CLASSIFICATIONS OFDISABILITY

There are thirteen recognized clas-sifications of disability under the IDEA through which children may qualify for services, as follows: Autism Deafness Deaf-Blindness Emotional Disturbance ("ED") Hearing Impairment Learning Disability ("LD") Mental Retardation ("MR") Multiple Disabilities Orthopedic Impairment Speech or Language Impairment Visual Impairment Traumatic Brain Injury Other Health Impairment

IEP COMPONENTSAn IEP contains the following components: A classification of the child’s disability His or her present levels of academic and functional achievement Measurable annual goals

IDEA MANDATEThe IDEA provides for a school district to supply the following supports: Developmental Corrective Transportation Speech-language pathology and audiology Psychological Physical and occupational Orientation and mobility

Details regarding the instruction of the student The types of related services they will receive Their classroom makeup, including the ratio of student to teachers and aides Subjects of study

IEP PARTICIPANTSMembers of the CPSE/CSE include, but are not limited to the following: One or more regular education teachers An additional parent member One or more special education teachers A school district representative A school psychologist The parent(s) of the child

EDUCATION

June 2012 39

By Shoni Eidlisz

By the time children graduate from high school, they have

spent thousands of hours in a classroom, mostly sitting. That’s a lot of sitting. By contrast, inte-grating movement and physical activity into the classroom gives children’s minds and bodies the exercises they need to fuel the brain with oxygen while promot-ing physical health and academic success. Group games and struc-tured movement activities pro-mote both fun and learning for the student and also promote a positive classroom environment.

MOvEMENT ANDPHYSICAL ACTIvITY

Our bodies are designed to move. Some people think best when they are in motion. Aero-bic exercise and movement pre-pare your brain to learn, improve mood and attention, lower stress and anxiety, help stave off addic-tion, control the tumultuous ef-fects of hormonal changes and can even reverse some of the ef-fects of aging on the brain. Recent studies have linked movement to both cognitive skills and emotional health and well-being. The latest research shows that for your brain to function at its full potential, your body needs to move. According to Jensen, standing appears to provide a five to fifteen percent greater flow of blood and oxy-gen to the brain, thereby creat-ing more arousal of attention. Specific movements stimulate the release of the body’s natural motivators, such as noradrena-line and dopamine, which wake up learners and help them feel good, maximize their energy levels and improve their stor-age of information and retrieval. Furthermore, according to Han-naford, neuronal connections made through movement of the body help children develop the neuronal systems they will need when ready to read.

CHILDREN ANDPHYSICAL ACTIvITY

For children, physical activity and movement enhance fitness, promote growth and develop-ment, and help them learn about their world and environment. Children learn though exploring of their environment and through walking, running, jumping and climbing. Although children are innately active, in today’s world they tend to be more often inactive and deskbound. Children spend too much of their time riding in a car or bus to school, sitting at their desks during the day, watching television or playing computer games. As children have less free-dom to play outdoors, many are spending their free time involved in social media and modern tech-nology. How many of your chil-dren are busy at night with their iPads or computer games? Consequently, the evidence is mounting that as our young chil-dren become less physically active they are becoming more prone to weight issues and/or obesity. The Federal Centers for Disease Con-trol says the number of children who are overweight has more than doubled since 1980, and among adolescents, the rates have more than tripled. MOvEMENT IN LEARNING

Movement in learning is a teaching method based on the concept that students learn bet-ter through movement in the classroom. Students are given opportunities throughout a class period to move around and take “brain breaks” to refocus their attention so they can learn new material. Brain research sug-gests that physical activity prior to and during class increases a student’s ability to learn and to retain new information.

MOvEMENT IN THECLASSROOM

The purpose of movement and

games in the classroom is to inte-grate physical activity with learn-ing while adding fun, laughter, and movement into the child’s day. Being physically active not only provides important health benefits, but also gives children opportunities to learn through movement. Integrating move-ment into the classroom, with proper management, can stimu-late creativity, communication and ease of learning. Movement in the classroom is a tool that can benefit all children. Specifically, it can be a teaching strategy for the child who “can-not stay in his or her seat” or is always “spacing out.” Integrating movement into the child’s routine is a technique that will enable the child to utilize his or her energy in a positive way and thus be able to focus and learn more effectively. CLASSROOM INTEGRAT-

ED LESSON IDEAS: Below are a few examples of how teachers can integrate movement when teaching specific subjects. MATH To teach about time and reinforce number identification, the teacher can provide stopwatches and have the children time each other doing different physical activities. SPELLING Children can practice weekly spelling words while also practic-ing dribbling, passing and catch-ing a ball. Spelling Cheerlead-ing is a group activity in which students position their hands and arms straight above their heads for letters touching the headline, place hands on their hips for letters touching the midline, and touch their hands to the floor for letters that start below the baseline. SCIENCE The solar system can be mapped out though the creations of dance involving spinning: The child who is Ve-nus will be the only one rotating clockwise; Mercury will revolve around the Sun four times faster

than Earth and so forth. SOCIAL STuDIES When teaching the names of border-ing states, a teacher can use floor marking tape to draw an outline of the United States. The students are divided into small groups, and each group goes to a particu-lar state to start an activity.

TIPS FOR TEACHERS:MOTIvATING MOvEMENT

Provide “brain break” op-portunities. For example: al-low children to walk around the room while practicing spelling or vocabulary. Play “Simon Says” or cha-rades based on a topic the class is studying. Integrate movement with-in core academic lessons tying physical activity to learning ob-jectives. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (1998) has issued physical activi-ty guidelines suggesting that chil-dren should have more than 60 minutes, and up to several hours, of physical activity each day to promote health and well-being. Integrating movement into the traditional academic classroom environment gives children the opportunity to move during the day. It also makes learning more accessible and memorable for children, fosters creative and dy-namic energy in the classroom, and provides for an exciting and stimulating learning environ-ment for our children. For more ideas on integrating move-ment into the lesson plans: http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/classroom/classroom.asp

Omni Childhood Center provides evaluations and individual compre-hensive therapy services for children at no cost to the parent or school. OMNI also accepts Medicaid and most major insurance plans. OMNI Childhood Center is located at 1651 Coney Island Avenue and at 18 Heyward Street, in Williamsburg. For further information, or to make a referral, please call 718.998.1415.

Importance of Physical Development in Classroom Environments

40 June 2012

EDUCATION

When we use the term “tran-sition” in reference to indi-

viduals with special needs, we are usually talking about what hap-pens when individuals age out of one stage of the service system and into the next. Each stage of the sys-tem is designed for different ages, beginning with Early Intervention, and continuing into School Age and then Adult programs. At each stage, the individual and their families are confronted with different sets of legal rights,

administrative procedures, avail-able services and qualification criteria to obtain funding. But that complex topic, which Build-ing Blocks has dealt with in some detail in past issues, is not the subject of this article. Instead, we are focusing on the more mundane, everyday meaning of transition, which is the process of successfully going from one activity or environment to another during the course of our of lives. The ability to do this is considered to be one of a person’s basic life skills. When children are evaluated for special needs services, the ability to han-dle transitions is a standard ele-

ment in their functional analysis, and it is a standard component in constructing each child’s IEP, (In-dividualized Education Program) as mandated by the federal IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Ed-ucation Act) law. That ability will vary greatly with the child’s diagnosis. For ex-ample, children with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum are often hypersensitive to even minute changes in their environment and the sensory stimulations to

which they are exposed. Other children with special needs may be firmly locked in to their spe-cific daily routines, and will react very negatively to almost any de-viation from their expectations. These kinds of transition chal-lenges are not unique to children with special needs. Many typically developing children also become very attached to particular items or routines in their daily lives. Some will not be able to fall asleep at night without the comfort of a favorite stuffed animal or blanket in bed with them. In some cases, parents will be able to gradually wean their child off their bedtime “crutch.” In other cases, the par-

ent will have to simply allow their child to cry himself or herself to sleep, in order to forcibly break their dependency. Similarly, some children will steadfastly resist the addition of any kind of new food to their diet. They may also react badly to any change in their usual daily routine or environment, such as adapting to a new school, or go-ing away to a sleep-away camp for the first time. All of these are transitions to which the child will ultimately adapt, but some more easily than others. Adults, too, may have serious issues with transitions. Losing a job, even if it is clearly not their fault, can be a traumatic experi-ence for many workers. So can the transition from the daily rou-tine of the workplace to the very different pace and priorities of retirement. Married couples must also deal with a series of transi-tions over their lifetime, from engagement to newlywed status, thru the various stages of parent-hood, and finally to the “empty nest” syndrome, when the last of their children has grown up and moved out of the house. Today that pattern, too, has changed. It is increasingly common for cou-ples to find themselves members of the so-called “sandwich gen-eration,” being required to care simultaneously for the needs of their adult children, who have given up their independence and returned home, and their aging parents during their years of de-clining health. Looked at from that perspec-tive, transition is a process which all of us, both as children and adults, must deal with in our lives. We must constantly be willing to adjust our expectations and adapt to changing situations, both due to the physical aging and matur-

ing process to expected or unex-pected changes in our economic, marital, professional, social or health status. Now we should consider how the challenge of dealing with such transitions in our daily lives is further complicated for indi-viduals, both children and adults, who have special needs. Let us take the case of a pre-school age child (3-5) with special needs in a classroom setting. Ac-cording to Chashi Brand, of the Early Childhood Center of Otsar Family Services in Brooklyn, stu-dent aids to ease transition dur-ing the school day are a standard part of the classroom environ-ment, and they are equally useful in classrooms for children with mild disabilities and those for children with severe autism. In most Otsar classrooms, there is a prominent chart detailing the day’s scheduled activities, featur-ing pictures to give each child a visual clue as to what activity will be coming next during the day. In addition to the visual cues on the chart, each transition in many Otsar classrooms is accompanied by a song, with a consistent mel-ody, to give the children another kind of cue about the change that is coming. The chart and the song an-nouncing the transitions become part of the child’s daily routine. They eliminate the uncertainty and can help children who have self-regulation issues to cope successfully with each change during the classroom day. Some of the song cues announcing transitions can be phased out in classrooms with higher func-tioning children, but according to Chashi Brand, “careful man-agement of each transition dur-ing the day is an important key to the efficient operation of any

By Yaakov Kornreich

A Broader Perspective on Transitions -Not Just for Individuals with Special Needs

EDUCATION

June 2012 41

successful classroom.” In each case, the teachers give their students advance warning of the coming transition, and clear, concise instructions as to how the transition will work. For example, “in 5 minutes, we will all be going to the dining room,” or “whoever is wearing a blue shirt, please move to the table in the back of the classroom.” Transition training is also in-cluded in the first and last task of the Otsar school day, getting the child from home to school and back. For example, on the first day of school, parents are told to bring their child to school themselves, and then tell them that they will go home with all the other children on the school bus. That way, on the second day of school, the child instinctively understands that the bus which picks them up from their home will bring them back at the end of the day, and they are therefore less hesitant to board it. The goal is to enable transi-tions to take place quickly and ef-ficiently, with a minimum of dis-ruption, uncertainty and delay. Smooth management of every transition is an important edu-cational skill. It results in more available classroom time that can be devoted to actual instruction, rather than trying to settle the kids down after each transition. There are other kinds of tran-sitions that children in a special needs school need to deal with. For example, there is the con-cept of being pulled out of the classroom for therapy. At first, the therapists operate within the classroom environment for part of the school day. Then, once that concept gains acceptance by the children, they become more willing to go outside the class-room with the therapist for one-on-one work. Teaching children with special needs to accept such transitions as part of their daily schedule will eventually help them to “transi-

tion” into a mainstream class-room environment. There they will be expected to accept varia-tions in their daily schedule as a routine part of their classroom day. They will be expected to follow their teacher’s directions without hesitation, and to wait their turn. Eventually, in higher grades, they will be expected to be able to move independently from classroom to classroom to take different courses throughout the school day. An even more difficult transi-tion for a special needs individual is their placement in residence fa-cility, requiring them to leave the familiar and protective environ-ment of their family home, where they have lived their whole lives. According to Esther Lustig, the CEO and Executive Director of Humancare Services, this kind of transition often takes place over a period of weeks or even months, and involves all of the members of the individual’s family, includ-ing both parents and siblings. Typically, the individual’s par-ents are asked to provide the residential facility’s staff with a booklet describing every aspect of their life at home. Then, the in-dividual is introduced to the new environment in the residential fa-cility gradually. They are invited first to come for dinner, to meet the other residents and counsel-ors. Then they are invited to par-ticipate in an organized Sunday activity, followed by an invitation for a sleepover. The adaptation is gradual, and very personalized. According to Lustig, once the individual actually moves into the residential facility, they are not allowed to return to their family home for the first 30 days. Parents can visit them at the facil-ity or on neutral ground, but the first order of business is to get the individual to internalize the fact that they now have a new home of their own. After they have had enough time to accept that, they will be allowed to visit their fam-

ily home just about any time they want to. In some ways, it is like adopting an older child. After the adoption, the child’s old home is no longer theirs, and they have to start over in a new home with a new fam-ily. It is a permanent transition in their life, part of their growth and maturing process. The same principle of gradual transition is employed when a child ages out of a school age pro-gram and graduates to a day hab program. They are invited to try it for a week, and if they decide they like it, it soon becomes part of their new routine. This broader and more compre-hensive perspective on the transi-tion process illuminates the fun-damental connections between the skills commonly practiced in the special education classroom and special needs facilities and

the adaptive skills which all of us must learn in order to handle the changes we must face in our ev-eryday lives. All of us must learn to live with such changes, some of which we have come to expect as a natural part of our lives, and others which are forced upon us with little or no warning. Change is an integral and un-avoidable part of everyone’s life, and our ability to accept and ad-just to it is a measure of our own maturity. This is why the teach-ing of transitions skills is crucial to both individuals with special needs as well as typically devel-oping children, The mastery of these skills is essential to helping them all to function more suc-cessfully and independently in their future lives.

Yaakov Kornreich is the SeniorEditor of Building Blocks Magazine.

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42 June 2012

DIAGNOSIS

The newest addition of the DSM-5 manual is scheduled

for publication in May 2013. The DSM is used by clinicians to de-termine whether a client or pa-tient meets or does not meet the criteria for a particular diagnosis. With a new edition comes a potential new definition of au-tism that can be critical for many people, especially regarding funding. Psychiatrists and par-ents have voiced concerns that the new definition of autism in the DSM-5 will exclude many people from both a diagnosis and state services. As with many of the disorders in the DSM-5, new diagnostic criteria and classifications are being proposed and reviewed. A new requirement for Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) diag-nosis is that a child must exhibit symptoms from every area of the DSM diagnostic criteria. One of the most discussed changes in the DSM-5‘s defini-tion of ASD is the removal of Asperger’s syndrome and PDD-

NOS as individual diagnoses. Under the new diagnostic cri-teria, Asperger’s and PDD-NOS will come under the umbrella of ASD. A child whose diagnosis is currently Asperger’s syndrome would receive a new diagnosis of

Autism Spectrum Disorder, with specifiers such as “autism spec-trum disorder with fluent speech” or “autism spectrum disorder with intellectual disability.”

WHO WILL THIS AFFECT? Tens of thousands of people re-ceive state-backed services to help offset the disorders’ disabling ef-fects, which include severe learn-ing and social problems. Parents are justifiably con-cerned that any tightening of the Autistic Spectrum diagnosis will threaten their children’s eligibility for vital services. The Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership has launched a cam-paign to lobby the DSM-5 task force to keep a broad-spectrum concept of autism. The campaign urges those affected to contact the DSM-5 Committee to protest the newest changes.

POTENTIALCONSEQuENCES

The overriding concern is what these changes mean for students receiving autism services through their Individualized Education

Program. For students who cur-rently have an IEP due to a diag-nosis of Asperger’s syndrome, it seems that a change in services would be unlikely, except for the possibility of services for previ-ously unmet needs being added. The proposed changes are significant, and will affect not only those to whom the diag-nostic labels are applied, but also the funding allocation sys-tems and service delivery sys-tems. In the middle of all this change are the parents who are trying to determine what this means for their children.

BACKLASH Debate has also been rife among medical professionals. Many divisions of the Ameri-can Psychological Association have banded together to issue an open letter and petition to the DSM-5 task force and American Psychiatric Association, urging that both associations should work together on any revisions of the DSM. They also publicly oppose various aspects of the

By Dr. Joshua Weinstein

The New DSM-5 Definition of Autism andIts Impact On Services

DIAGNOSIS

A GROWING LIST OF DISORDERS The current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) describes about three times the number of disorders as the first edition did in 1952.

Sour

ce: A

mer

ican

Psyc

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ric A

ssoc

iatio

n

EDITION YEAR NUMBER OF DISORDERS- I 1952- II 1968- III 1980- III-R 1987- IV 1994- IV-TR 2000 0 50 100 150 200 250

June 2012 43

proposed changes. Their letter states, “Psychologists are not only consumers and users of the manual, but we are also produc-ers of seminal research on DSM-defined disorder categories and their empirical correlates.” Both the medical profession and general public have generated a frenzy of petitions and campaigns against the proposed changes to the DSM autism criteria. The APA, meanwhile, has re-assured those affected that no previously covered group will be left out in the cold. The changes would involve merging several diagnoses currently listed sepa-rately in the DSM-5 into a single umbrella category of “Autism Spectrum Disorder.” “The proposed criteria will lead to more accurate diagnosis and will help physicians and ther-apists design better treatment in-terventions for children who suf-fer from ASD,” said James Scully, MD, medical director of the APA, in a release. Neurodevelopmental Work Group member Bryan H. King, MD, believes that with the chang-es “we are going to be able to bet-ter characterize individuals with autism, in part because of clearer criteria that have been written to better account for people across the age span. And one could ar-gue that this will actually make it easier for adolescents and adults, and even young children poten-tially, to meet criteria for diagno-sis than was previously the case.”

WHAT CAN I DO? Parents, caregivers and special education advocates must be-come knowledgeable about the proposed diagnostic revisions for Autism Spectrum Disorder and the possible effects on stu-dents receiving autism-related services. It is imperative that attention be given to the APA’s

development of ASD second-ary feature definitions, and the specific qualifiers that will be attached to an autism diagnosis. Becoming educated about these changes and additions is neces-sary so that you can be your stu-dent’s best, most effective educa-tional and medical advocate.

IN THE END Effective with the release of DSM-5 in May 2013, we will change the way we describe au-tism-related disabilities to the singular “Autism Spectrum Dis-order.” Clients will no longer be diagnosed as having “autism” versus “PDD-NOS” or “Asperger Syndrome,” as all of these differ-ent classifications will officially go away. Individuals with ASD will be referred to as having one of three severity levels. If the diagnostic codes numbers change, the obligation of govern-ment agency services approved to provide educational, social, medical and therapeutic services should remain unchanged. If the government chooses to require people to obtain a new diagnosis to suit the new DSM, it should be the government agen-cies’ responsibility to pay for the same, and allow them to continue services until it is obtained and they are eligible under the new diagnosis.

Joshua Weinstein has been an edu-cator and administrator for over four decades. He holds a Ph.D., two Mas-ters Degrees in Educational Adminis-tration and Supervision and an MBA in Executive Administration. He has been the CEO in healthcare, social ser-vices, and business corporations. He’s the president and founder of Shema Kolainu-Hear Our Voices, Tishma for children with autism in Jerusalem and ICare4Autism- International Center for Autism Research & Education- a global leader in autism research & ed-ucation. He can be reached via email at [email protected].

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DIAGNOSIS

44 June 2012

DIAGNOSIS

You’ve just come home from the hospital with your new-

born infant and were informed by the nurse that he failed his hearing screening. “Don’t be con-cerned,” she says. “Lots of babies fail. But best to check it out, just to make sure it’s nothing.”

Your two-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with a speech delay. The speech therapist men-tions that she seems to have de-layed responses to sounds and speech in her environment. She recommends that you check her hearing, just to rule it out as part of the problem. Your six-year-old son has been suffering from recurrent ear in-fections. Your pediatrician has been prescribing stronger and stronger antibiotics to try to get rid of them once and for all, to no avail. She recommends that you take your son to an ear doctor, after he has a hearing test to see whether the infections have af-fected his hearing. In each of these cases, you would be referred to a pediatric audiolo-gist whose job it is to determine whether or not a hearing loss is present, what part of the hearing system is affected, and to make specific recommendations about how to manage the problem. But what exactly is an audi-ologist and how do they make

these determinations? Accord-ing to the American Speech Hearing Association (ASHA), Audiologists are “professionals engaged in autonomous prac-tice to promote healthy hearing, communication competency, and quality of life for persons of

all ages through the prevention, identification, assessment, and rehabilitation of hearing, audi-tory function, balance, and other related systems.” The practice of audiology includes prevention, identification, assessment, and rehabilitation of hearing loss. Today, an aspiring audiologist must complete a Bachelor’s de-gree as well as a doctoral pro-gram in audiology. Audiologists are uniquely qualified to care for people with hearing loss. Audiologists have many tools at their disposal for diagnosing hearing loss in infants and chil-dren. Infants under six months of age are tested with computerized audiometric equipment. Otoa-coustic emissions testing is a test of the nerve endings that line the inner ear. A small probe is placed in the ear canal and a stimulat-ing sound is introduced into the ear. In a healthy ear with normal or close to normal hearing, the probe measures an “echo” emit-ted from the inner ear. When this “echo” is present, the likelihood

of a hearing loss is very small. An infant is very likely to fail this test if there is a problem in the middle ear, such as infection or fluid, or in the presence of a mild or great-er than mild hearing loss. This test is limited by its in-ability to determine the part of the ear affected and its inability to determine the degree of hearing loss. It is, however, a quick and ef-fective test to identify infants who require further diagnostic testing. Brainstem auditory evoked re-sponse (ABR) testing is conduct-ed to determine the degree and configuration of a hearing loss. It can also be used to determine which part of the hearing system is affected. Understanding which part of the ear is causing the hearing loss is crucial in deter-mining the course of treatment. ABR testing involves strategi-cally placed electrodes on the in-fant’s head. A stimulating sound is introduced into each ear. The electrodes measure the electrical activity in the listening pathways of the hearing nerve and auditory system of the brainstem in re-sponse to the sounds coming into the ear. The softest loudness level that is able to elicit a response is used in determining the degree of hearing loss. Tympanometry is a very quick and effective test in assessing the ear for middle ear fluid or in-fection, a common problem in young children. A probe placed in the ear introduces air pressure into the ear canal, forcing the eardrum to move. Depending on how well the eardrum is moving, the audiologist can determine if the middle ear is clear. Middle ear problems typically cause a fluctu-ating, temporary and treatable hearing loss of varying degrees. Older infants, toddlers and chil-dren are tested in a sound booth, and their response to a spectrum of sounds is observed through ei-

ther speakers or earphones. The method of testing changes with age, with the developmental abili-ties of each child determining the exact method of testing. Pediatric Audiologists rely on a full battery of tests to assess hear-ing in infants and children. Each test provides some information, but no single test can alone con-firm the presence or absence of hearing loss or ear disorders. The goal of a pediatric audiological evaluation, once hearing loss is confirmed and the type and de-gree of hearing loss is determined, is to ensure proper management of each child. Audiologists rely on other professionals to ensure proper care of each child, includ-ing the pediatricians, therapists, teachers and ear doctors as well as other physicians. Most childhood hearing loss is temporary and treatable. But sometimes hearing loss is per-manent, and requires hearing aids or other hearing technology. All children with any type of hearing loss must be monitored regularly for changes in hearing, which are common, so that the course of treatment can be ad-justed accordingly. Parents must be counseled and educated well about their child’s hearing loss so that they can serve as their child’s advocate throughout the child’s treatment.

Dr. Shirley Pollak has been a Pedi-atric Audiologist for almost 20 years. As Chief of Communication Disorders at Maimonides Medical Center she was instrumental in the institution and implementation of Brooklyn’s first newborn hearing screening program. In 2002, Dr. Pollak established a pri-vate practice in Brooklyn, and more recently opened a satellite office in Rockaway Park. She often lectures parents, therapists and service coor-dinators through various Early Inter-vention agencies. She can be reached at 718.421.2782 and will answer ques-tions about your child’s hearing.

By Dr. Shirley Pollak

Diagnosing Hearing Loss in Children

DIAGNOSIS

June 2012 45

Rebecca Newman is an ordinary high school student in many re-

spects. She is a self-described “huge Nick Jonas fan.” She stays in touch with her many friends through Facebook, iChat, and email. She is looking forward to college and a career in computers. She is smart, funny, articulate, and engaging. While Rebecca is extraordi-nary in many respects, there’s one area where she really stands out from the crowd. She is one of a few hundred children, teens, and young adults in the world living with Familial Dysautonomia. Familial Dysautonomia (FD), also known as Riley-Day Syndrome, is caused by a genetic mutation that has been traced to a single Ashke-nazic Jew who lived several hun-dred years ago. The disease is char-acterized by the inability of patients to regulate their autonomic body functions. It causes severe gastro-intestinal, cardiac, pulmonary, orthopedic, renal and ophthalmo-logic issues. In other words, FD children are missing many of the bodily functions we take for grant-ed. They can’t regulate their blood pressure or body temperature, have difficulty swallowing, and exhibit gastrointestinal dysfunction. They cannot adapt to changes in oxygen, and their eyes may not produce tears. Fatigue and balance problems make participating in sports impos-sible. They also cannot feel pain. Approximately one in 27 Ash-kenazic Jews carries this defective gene. Only a generation ago, the diagnosis of Familial Dysautono-mia was a death sentence similar to Tay-Sachs disease. But the per-sistence and commitment of scien-tists and parents have led to amaz-ing discoveries and therapies that are prolonging lives and changing the future for FD children and their families. “The future is definitely looking better for these kids,” said Felicia

B. Axelrod, MD, the director of the Dysautonomia Center at NYU Lan-gone Medical Center. Axelrod has been treating children with FD for more than 40 years. “When I first started taking care of these chil-dren, 50 percent were not expected to survive past their fifth birthday. Now we have an emerging group of young adults.” The dramatic turnaround in life expectancy is due to a combina-tion of research and patient sup-port. In 2000, researchers isolated the IKBKAP gene, the cause of FD. IKBKAP produces IKAP protein, which regulates the autonomic nervous system. Defective genes do not produce enough protein for adequate functioning. Because IKBKAP is a “leaky gene,” meaning that it does not simply turn the production of IKAP on and off but rather allows some production, genetic research has centered on getting the gene to produce significant amounts of the protein. At the Dysautonomia Center, Axelrod and a team of researchers at NYU Langone and around the world are seeking pharmaceutical ways to stimulate IKAP production while providing medical care and support for FD patients. Axelrod and her team are follow-ing the progress of 600 children and teens living with Familial Dysauto-nomia, either at NYU or at the Dys-autonomia Center satellite facility at the Hadassah Medical Center at Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem. The team has a collegial relationship with many of the leading FD researchers around the world who are attempting to modify the IKBKAP gene and stop the progression of FD. “We want to teach the (IKBKAP) gene to make the right protein. That is where our focus is on the present time. There are some agents that look promising. We are very excit-ed,” Axelrod said.

A little further north, at the Bronx campus of Fordham Univer-sity, Dr. Berish Rubin, a molecular biologist, is using dietary restric-tions and common supplements to stimulate production of IKAP and reverse the symptoms of FD. In 2003, Rubin and his research team published a study that reported

on the ability of tocotrienols, a form of Vitamin E, and epiglallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a component of green tea, to stimulate production of IKAP. Further studies showed that children with FD are deficient in an enzyme that results in hyper-sensitivity to certain foods that can cause serious medical crises. He developed a dietary protocol based on his research published in peer-reviewed scientific journals that combines a rigorous tyramine-free diet with two supplements available at health food stores. Rubin, who is not a physician, has published his research in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals. “What we are doing is correcting the deficit caused by the change in the DNA,” Dr. Rubin explained. He claims that children on this protocol cease to have most of the symptoms associated with Familial Dysauto-nomia. They have normal stamina and are able to eat normally. Their eyes make tears. Best of all, Rubin expects that they will have normal life expectancies. “These children are born with deficits. They will never be mara-thon runners. They will continue to have decreased sensitivity to pain, but won’t have active symptoms of FD,” he said. While the two doctors are not collaborating, they agree on two

things. The first is that the discov-ery of the FD gene, which led to ge-netic testing that identifies carriers, has resulted in fewer babies being born with the disorder. “We (at the Dysautonomia Center) used to see 14 -20 babies being born with FD every year. Now we see one a year, and some-

times we see none,” Axelrod said. She cautioned that premarital and prenatal testing is still crucially important for young couples, and added that like Tay-Sachs, the dis-ease has begun to show up in non-Jewish populations. They also concur that the identi-fication of the FD gene and subse-quent research and care has led to a much brighter future for children, teens, and young adults living with the illness. “We now have this young adult population where some of our pa-tients are in college or planning to attend college. Some have mar-ried and have children of their own. We never thought any of these things are possible when I started,” she added. Dr. Rubin would agree. “These children are living lives that they could never have before. They are thriving. It is absolutely remark-able,” he said.

Melanie Shimoff Kwestel is the director of communications for Chai Lifeline, the international children’s health support organization. Chai Lifeline provides the emotional, social, and financial support that enables more than 4,300 children and families around the world to cope with the crises and daily challenges of se-rious pediatric illness. For more informa-tion on Chai Lifeline’s many programs, or if you need assistance, email [email protected] or call 877.CHAI.LIFE.

By Melanie Shimoff Kwestel

The Future is Looking Better for Children withFamilial Dysautonomia

“…disease is characterized by the inability of patients to regulate

their autonomic body functions.”

46 June 2012

DIAGNOSIS

Jason is an 8 month old boy with Treacher Collins Syn-

drome who was recently pre-scribed early intervention ser-vices for speech therapy, special education, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. These ser-vices were assigned to Jason after having undergone many medical and surgical procedures soon af-ter birth. Upon my initial visit, Jason was unable to sit by himself, or to roll from his stomach or from his back. He was not able to reach out and grab toys held in front of him, and had difficulty visually fixating on any object for more than a second. He did not hold onto toys for more than a few seconds, and had little vocaliza-tions. Over the last 3 months, he has made significant gains in all of these areas. Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS) is also known as Man-dibulofacial dysostosis, Treacher Collins-Franceschetti Syndrome, Franceschetti-Zwahlen-Klein Syn-drome, or zygoauromandibular dysplasia. It is a rare genetic dis-order that occurs in 1 out of every 50,000 births, and is characterized by the following symptoms: Outer part of the ears are abnormal or almost completely missing Hearing loss Very small jaw Very large mouth Defect in the lower eyelid Scalp hair that reaches the cheeks Cleft palate This disorder can be con-firmed with a medical examina-tion which includes the following tests and indications: Abnormal eye shape Flat cheekbones Clefts in the face Small jaw Low set ears Abnormally formed ears

Abnormal ear canal Hearing Loss Defects in the eye Decreased eyelashes on the lower eyelid Genetic testing If one parent has the gene re-sponsible, there is a 50% chance it can be passed to their children. Individuals with TCS are said to have “normal” intelligence

TREATMENT FORTREACHER COLLINS

SYNDROME Philosophically, as in any case with a presenting developmental delay, the earlier the intervention the better. Many times, depend-ing on a doctor’s advice, surgery may be recommended to address many of the facial deformities, such as to repair a cleft palate, ear surgery, lower eyelid surgery, bone graft for missing cheek bones, nasal surgery (to improve both breathing and appearance), distraction osteogenesis (a pro-cedure to increase the length of the jaw bone), and possibly insertion of a feeding tube for feeding due to limitations found in the mouth area. Infants and Toddlers with TCS may also be recommended to receive a variety of services through early intervention, such as special education, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. If people with TCS have aver-age intelligence, why do they re-ceive special education services? Because of their many medical needs, these children are often environmentally deprived result-ing in an initial developmental delay in the area of cognition. As the child progresses in ther-apy, the delay will eventually become inconsequential. There are children with TCS who also have small bone development in their lower jaw as well as Robin sequence (a chain of specific de-

velopmental malformations) and who are prone to failure to thrive and developmental delay. Children with TCS receive speech therapy mainly due to the associated speech issues that arise from a hearing impairment relat-ing to microtia (underdeveloped outer ear) or atresia (absence or abnormal narrowing of an open-ing or passage in the body). Some individuals with TCS may have cleft palate which can manifest a cleft related articulation disor-der and/or a conductive hearing impairment. A conductive hear-ing impairment is when there is

difficulty with the ear drum or the tiny bones in the middle ear which is not able to process or respond to the vibrations pro-duced by the sound entering the ears. One of the more common interventions for this is the use of a BAHA – Bone Anchored Hearing Aid. There is a wealth of information on treatment and diagnosis on speech therapy and TCS which can be found at http://www.asha.org/. There is a need for more re-search on the appropriate ap-proach for occupational thera-pists and physical therapists to

What is Treacher Collins Syndrome?By Paul Stadler

DIAGNOSIS

June 2012 47

take in the treatment of people with TCS. As a practicing oc-cupational therapist who has worked with many types of dis-orders in young children, I am currently treating a child with TCS using a developmental based approach which is used in some motor based intervention pro-grams. The theory that underlie some of these programs , includ-ing the examination of develop-mental skill acquisition and skill performance, assists and guides in my treatment which has been very successful getting this child closer to his developmental age level in motor abilities. Dr. Jean A. Ayres, the pioneer of sensory integration theory, said that all learning is a result of sen-sory integration. Furthermore, the level of sensory integration is dependent on the maturity of

motor movement at each level of the brain. Thus, movement is the foundation of all learning and be-havior. Even though a child with TCS may be totally missing their outer ear, many times the balance mechanism inside the ear is in-tact. Children with TCS often un-dergo many medical procedures early on that will prevent them from moving around freely. They are also subject to conditions that are associated with failure to thrive and developmental delay which could impact skills of bal-ance responses, body awareness, fine motor development, and the development of both hand-eye coordination and eye-hand co-ordination. The presence of these visual motor deficits can depend on the degree of the abnormali-ties of the eyes and eye lids. The approach of the therapist

is to shape and facilitate the very movements and positions that an infant without such a devel-opmental delay typically navi-gates through on their own. It is imperative that caregivers carry over the exercises on a daily basis to ensure consistency, foster ma-ture movements, and optimize the child’s developmental skill ac-quisition. Physical therapists may take a similar approach. Their treatment may focus on balance and eventually getting the child to walk and to ensure that the child is able to acquire age-level skills on time. Working effectively with a child with TCS requires the health pro-fessional to have a wide knowl-edge of various therapy models and medicine. TCS is a rare di-agnosis. Only 400 cases been re-ported since 2004. Nevertheless,

a wealth of information on TCS is available on these websites:

Treacher Collins Syndrome Foundation –

www.treachercollinsfnd.orgWebsite by an individual with Treacher Collins –

www.treachercollins.org

Paul Stadler is an occupational therapist with over 13 years of experi-ence working with children from birth to 21 years of age with varied diagno-ses. He is a guest lecturer at Brooklyn College, a speaker at the 2012 Ameri-can Occupational Therapy Association national conference on Neuro Motor Immaturity, a licentiate of INPP, and licensed to teach the INPP school-based program for Assessing Neuro-motor Readiness for Learning: The INPP Developmental Screening Test and School Intervention Program. He can be reached at 347.247.6835, [email protected] or by visiting www.paulstadler.net.

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48 June 2012

TREATMENT

Reflexology is a popular alter-native therapy used for re-

laxation and to treat minor aches and pains, but can and should it be used for more?

WHAT IS REFLExOLOGY? Reflexology is the use of dry pressure from hands or special tools on certain areas of the body. There are 10 zones throughout the body, 5 on the right and 5 on the left. The most popular body parts used for applying reflexol-ogy are the feet and hands. The healing principle is based on the theory that these areas of the body represent a microcosm of the body and applying pressure on feet or hands on certain points can affect change to the corre-sponding body part or organ.HOW DOES REFLExOLOGY

WORK AND WHAT CANIT TREAT?

During reflexology sessions, clients will usually begin to per-spire. Reflexologists say that this is due to toxins being released from the body. The pressure that is applied is firm, but not pain-ful. Tender points on the hands or feet are said to be signs of “en-ergy blocks” at the correspond-ing body point. For example, if a client is presenting with shoulder pain, then the area on the foot just under the pinky toe may be tender. If the area on the foot corresponding to the ailing body part is tender, then releasing the tension from the area on the foot will also bring relief to the shoul-der pain. Reflexologists continue to work the tender spots until “energy blocks” are released.REFLExOLOGY IS KNOWN

TO HELP WITH: Stress & stress-related conditions Tension or migraine headaches Gastrointestinal disorders Arthritis Insomnia Hormonal imbalances Menstrual disorders, such as

PMS, heavy, painful or irregular periods Menopause discomfort Infertility Constipation

WHAT TO ExPECT? Many people find reflexology sessions, for the most part, to be very relaxing. It is not uncom-mon for clients to fall asleep. Af-ter one or two treatments, most people notice that they have more energy, more productive waste elimination, better sleep, and an enhanced sense of well being. It is suggested that clients drink ap-proximately 64 oz of clear water to flush toxins following a session. There are very few research studies comparing the effective-ness of reflexology sessions to standard medical treatment for specific conditions. However, many practitioners maintain that with regular sessions, the therapy yields a variety of benefits. Remember that Reflexol-ogy is recommended only as a complementary therapy and does NOT replace conventional medical treatment. Most insurance policies do not cover reflexology. The cost of a sixty-minute session ranges from $56 to $100.

IS REFLExOLOGY SAFE? Reflexology is considered to be safe for both children and adults, with some exceptions: While ex-periencing a fever, contagious or infectious disease, including any cold or a minor flu, one should avoid receiving reflexology treat-ments. This is because reflexol-ogy may deepen the disease as it works its way out. In other words, the symptoms may intensify af-ter the treatment, but the num-ber of days the disease stays will decrease. This phenomenon is called a healing crisis. Those who have heart disease, blood clots, who have recently undergone an operation or who

have a condition requiring sur-gery should not receive reflexol-ogy therapy. Pregnant women who have a history of miscarriage or who are at risk of miscarriage should not have reflexology. Reflexology should not be giv-en over areas affected by undiag-nosed lumps or bumps, bruises, cuts and abrasions. Children and the elderly should have shorter and less intense re-flexology sessions than those of a healthy adult. Clients with certain medi-cal conditions should be treated only under the supervision of their medical doctor. These con-ditions include edema, high and low blood pressure, osteoporosis, nervous or psychotic conditions, epilepsy, diabetes, or inflamma-tion including arthritis. Training to become a reflex-ologist is not regulated. Courses in reflexology can take from 110 hours in a classroom to 350 hours for learning-at-home programs. Make sure the practitioner you use has been properly educated.

REFLExOLOGY FORSPECIAL NEEDS

Reflexology brings a warm modality of treatment into the

increasingly cold ‘hands off ’ ap-proach cultivated by the Protec-tion of Vulnerable Adults legis-lation. The power of touch is a useful tool in treating healthy as well as physically and develop-mentally disabled individuals. Chinese studies found that re-flexology is useful for treating infantile cerebral palsy. In 1994 a child with congenital cerebral palsy was given 50 minutes of foot reflexology daily. Reflexology was used because several therapies (stimulation of brain meridians, acupressure, verbal encourage-ment and functional exercises) proved unsuccessful. After 100 sessions of reflexology, the child was able to stand and talk while playing. A 2002 Chinese study pitted reflexology against vita-min B12 shots for 2 groups of 25 children with infantile Cerebral Palsy. The results showed that reflexology was more effective and that these patients needed no recovery time post-treatment, as opposed to the vitamin shots. Jay Williams, a Reflexologist and member of The South Afri-can Reflexology Society has been giving reflexology to the children of De Heide Children’s Special Care Centre and at EROS School

By Esther Hornstein, L.Ac. Dipl.

Reflexology: Can Touching the Heel Heal?

TREATMENT

June 2012 49

for Cerebral Palsy since January of 2007. Children with Cerebral Palsy have a range of challenges in varying degrees of severity, from learning issues, speech and hear-ing challenges, physical chal-

lenges and severe intellectual challenges. Mr. Williams gives treatments for 20 minutes per child, in the classrooms, so the children stay close to their learn-ing activities. Some of the visible benefits for some children who are treated are; gradually lessened muscular stiffness or spasticity,

fewer emotional outbursts, much calmer reactions and enjoyment of stimuli, much improved thera-peutic interactions in general and improved performance of learned tasks. In addition to cerebral palsy,

foot reflexology was found to be effective for treatment of hy-pophrenosis, progressive myo-dystrophy, atelencephalia, and cerebellar hypoplasia and colic. As a treatment for persons with Down’s syndrome, reflexology ap-pears to calm clients. More than one treatment may be needed be-

fore they are comfortable enough to lie still through a complete treatment. There have been re-ports that it improves the ability to fall asleep and increases their quality of sleep, raises self-esteem and confidence, and boosts their capacity to learn by improving at-tention span and concentration. Finally reflexology is known to calm hyperactivity and reduce tension and anxiety. Chinese researchers also made an observational study between healthy children’s feet and the feet of special needs children. The color of their skin, length and cir-cumference of their big toe and length, circumference and width of their feet, and indentation and length of their nails were com-pared. It was noted that the chil-dren's feet and toes which were malformed and could have value for diagnosing congenital defects

of sense organs. Therefore, re-flexology points were found to be indicative of diagnosis of con-genital defects. Reflexology is an alternative therapy that presents very few di-rect risks of its own, and may have the potential to help many condi-tions. There is nothing to lose by trying reflexology if you need to find deep relaxation or have mi-nor aches and pains. However, if you have a persistent and possibly serious ailment consult with your medical doctor first.

Esther Hornstein is a New York State licensed acupuncturist and nationally board certified by the NCCAOM. She has participated in acupuncture research projects at Lu-theran Medical Center and NYU Hos-pital for Joint Diseases. She currently has a private practice in Brooklyn and has been treating adults and children since 2007.

“Reflexology is the use of drypressure from hands or special

tools on certain areas of the body. ”

50 June 2012

TREATMENT

Every child has different aller-gies and different nutritional

deficits which need feeding. What defines an allergy? Some-thing that causes a negative reac-tion. Commonly accepted exam-ples of an allergic reaction may include: hives, difficulty breath-ing, swelling, itching, or sneezing. A child need not have all these re-actions to be considered allergic, nor must they have it to the same degree as another child with the same allergic reaction. Regardless of the type or degree of the reac-tion we take care of the immedi-ate symptoms, but we also look to identify what triggered the re-sponse so as to avoid the negative reaction in the future. This model of identifying trig-gers to avoid them in the future need not be limited to dealing with allergies. The behavioral model Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has an element known as ABC which stands for Anteced-ent, Behavior, Consequence. The task is for the ABA therapist to make observations about a par-ticular undesirable behavior by noting what immediately pre-ceded the behavior and what the outcome or result of the behavior was. Although consequence has a somewhat negative connotation as it has replaced punishment in the vernacular, this child’s be-havior may have a desirable con-sequence such as not having to wear a particular shirt because he had a tantrum, or not having to eat a particular food because he threw the dish on the floor. The ABA therapist is making ABC observations to determine “why” the child is behaving this way. Is this child reacting negatively to something in particular? In the ABA context, we can think of an Antecedent as a kind of “allergy” that causes, not a break out of hives, but rather a break out of poor behavior. Let us

look at some common examples: As mentioned above, an article of clothing can cause a negative reaction due to the fabric content or detergent. Particular food textures (as op-posed to classic allergies where it is the food content) can also cause a negative response. Too much noise as defined by the child’s system is another common trigger. Danny was such a child. He would cover his ears whenever it got to be too much for him. Shain-dy’s reaction was a bit stronger; she would not speak in a group setting and would run screaming when emergency vehicles with blaring sirens would drive past. Similar to an allergist desen-sitizing a patient by exposure in small increments to the offend-ing allergen, a therapist will help a child desensitize to textures and sounds in manageable incre-ments. This was accomplished for Danny and Shaindy through play with texture and sound therapy. While an allergic reaction indi-cates a need to avoid the trigger, a deficit indicates a need to feed. This may be a nutritional, emo-tional or sensory lack. Some com-mon examples would include: Low blood sugar can cause a person to feel low on energy and unable to perform. A long-term solution to avoiding this response is to eat healthy high fiber meals and snacks frequently. Fatigue is another cause for undesirable responses such as crying, being unreasonable, etc. This can easily be resolved with a break or a nap. It can also be a sign that a physical illness such as a virus is brewing. What is less commonly known is that sensory deprivation can also cause an outbreak of poor be-havior in a child, such as seeking socially inappropriate stimulation. Avigdor is a cute little boy with

severe hearing loss. So severe that he required a cochlear implant. He tended to seek a lot of move-ment and was quite unsteady. A professional trained in sensory integration recognized the inter-connection. Avigdor was suffer-ing from extreme auditory de-privation. The lack of sufficient auditory stimulation caused a secondary vestibular depriva-tion. Since the vestibular system is housed in the inner ear, by de-fault it is stimulated when sound (vibration) passes by. The lack of stimulation causes Avigdor’s body to cry out for feeding in an-other form, movement. However, neither his mother nor the speech therapist had the training to rec-ognize what was going on. They were concerned by the behaviors he was exhibiting as well as those he was not, such as attending to and imitating the speech thera-pist. However, once the speech therapist understood the source of the problem, she was able to request occupational therapy to help this child feed the sensory system appropriately in prepara-tion for her sessions with him. The deprivation need not be ex-treme in order to cause the body to react with seeking behavior. Think about how low blood sugar may cause someone to overeat, especially after a fast day. Or what caffeine withdrawal can do to a person who drinks only one cup a day, but can not do so on a fast day. Osher is a cute little boy with Down’s syndrome. His hearing loss was moderate and mostly due to his chronic ear infections. His sensory issues were related more to his overall condition. As a result he engaged in typical “self-stimming” behaviors, seek-ing to stimulate himself primarily with rocking. His parents tried to stop this behavior, as it is socially inap-

propriate. One of the things they needed to understand was that Osher’s need for stimulation must be fed and cannot simply be eliminated. We found accept-able substitutes such as a rocking horse or even his father rough-housing with him. AD(H)D is a condition sur-rounded by much mystery and controversy with so many differ-ent camps claiming to have “the answer”. “Start their day with exercise” “Cut out the sugars and white flour and dairy” “Get them on medication” “Give them tightly structured routine filled days” All of these approaches can only make claims if they have demonstrated a sig-nificant level of success. So how do you determine which direction is best for your child? For the individual trying to make heads or tails out of what is going on with their child and how best to help, just keep in mind the following two ideas: Stay away from labels that have no value and serve no pur-pose. Garnering services is a valid purpose, but do not confine your child to the limit of the two-dimensional portrayal of his pa-perwork label. Experiment and observe to figure out what your child’s be-havior is trying to communicate. Using the ABC model may be helpful. The answer maybe nutri-tional, sensory, or emotional. Chanie Monoker MS, CCC-A,TSHH,TDHH, TEH, is an edu-cational analyst specializing in dif-ferential diagnosis. She is a licensed audiologist, certified special educator, teacher of the speech and hearing handicapped, teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing and certified sound therapist. She provides comprehen-sive evaluations, support services and school consultations. She can be con-tacted at [email protected] 732.272.8509. You can also find more information at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dascenter

By Chanie Monoker MS, CCC-A,TSHH,TDHH, TEH

Allergic Behavior

TREATMENT

June 2012 51

Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is a child-directed

intervention developed by Koe-gel and Koegel based on both

a developmental approach and applied behavior analysis. This model focuses on areas consid-ered pivotal; that is, motivation, responsiveness to multiple cues, self-management, self-initiations, and empathy. According to Koe-gel & Koegel, when these areas are changed, “large collateral im-provements” will be produced in other areas.

INTERvENTIONDESCRIPTION

PRT is a skill-based interven-tion that has empirical evidence supporting its efficacy. It focuses on parents, siblings, teachers, consultants, and even peers as intervention agents. The goal is to modify as many behaviors as possible in order to help in-dividuals with autism achieve a more typical developmental tra-jectory. Further, the intervention is intended to help children with autism “lead meaningful lives in natural, inclusive settings.” It is recommended that PRT

interventions take place in natu-ralistic, inclusive settings. Fur-ther, intervention should begin as early as possible, even as early

as preschool years. The number of therapeutic intervention hours is not considered as important as the quality of the intervention, the agents providing the inter-vention, the setting in which the intervention takes place, and the specific areas addressed. Ide-ally, the intervention is provided throughout the day as a natural part of all activities. A variety of interventionists should be trained in a variety of settings such that near-continuous treatment can be affected. Target behaviors are generally individualized and are chosen based on the child’s age, developmental level, family situ-ation, and functional level. Toys (rather than flash cards or other printed material) are often used and communication is a key area for intervention. Skills addressed by PRT in-clude specific academic skills, social skills, communication deficits, and self-management. In particular, teaching skills related

to social communication, such as imitation, play skills, and joint attention tend to reduce undesir-able and maladaptive behaviors.

AvAILABLE RESEARCH According to the National Pro-fessional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders, PRT meets the requirements for evidence-based practice. They list six studies related to preschool, four for elementary and two for middle school aged children ("Ev-idence-Based Practice: Pivotal Response Training (PRT)," 2010).

According to the Brookes Pub-lishing website (www.brookes-publishing.com), parents call this intervention a “Godsend” and professionals call it “important” and “inspirational”.

ADDITIONALINFORMATION

This treatment seems to be particularly valuable for young children with lesser verbal abili-ties. It is dependant upon paren-tal involvement and training. It is based upon applied behavior analysis, yet provided in naturalis-tic settings. Interventionist train-ing appears to be uncomplicated so that a variety of agents can be used in a variety of settings. PRT appears to be an accessible and lower-cost alternative and/or ad-juvant to other types of evidence-based treatments for autism.

Dr. Wodinsky is the founder and director of The Rayim Connection, a nonprofit organization that devel-ops programs and activities for Jew-ish children of all abilities in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to a PhD, she also earned an MBA and a Graduate Aca-demic Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Special Education and a Graduate Academic Certificate in Autism Intervention. She is married to Tzvi, and is the proud mother of twins; a son with autism and a daugh-ter who is typically developing.

By Avigael (Stephanie) Saucier Wodinsky, PhD, MBA, GAC-ABA

Pivotal Response Treatment: A Naturalistic, Inclusive Approach

Evidence-Based Practice: Piv-otal Response Training (PRT). (2010). Retrieved March 26, 2012, from http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/content/pivotal-response-training

Koegel, L. K., Koegel, R. L., Harrower, J. K., & Carter, C. M. (1999). Pivotal response in-tervention I: Overview of ap-proach. Journal of the Asso-ciation for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 24(3), 174-185.

Koegel, R. L., & Koegel, L. K. (2006). Pivotal response treat-ments for autism: Communi-cation, social, and academic development. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Simpson, R. L. (2005). Evi-dence-based practices and stu-dents with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabili-ties, 20(3), 140-149.

REFERENCES

52 June 2012

TECHNOLOGYBy Dana Ledereich, MA, OT/L

Th e iRevolution

In the last quarter of the twen-tieth century, we entered the

“Information Age,” otherwise known as the “Digital Revolu-tion.” Ever since the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century, computer technol-ogy has sought to make our lives easier and more efficient. What began with the introduction of personal computers in the home, progressed to portable laptops and now to the wildly popular Apple iPad tablet and a slew of competitors. Tablets have begun to change the way we communicate, orga-nize our day and spend our lei-sure time. With the availability of a huge variety of “apps”, one can be always up to date on the latest

news, communicate via email, so-cial networking or videoconfer-encing, create lists ranging from the day’s agenda, to groceries, to carpool schedule. Also available are a virtually unlimited supply of e-books, music and video files and games. All this and more in a 7-10” screen that weighs barely over a pound! It is easy to trans-port and, with 3G capability, it can be used virtually anywhere and at any time. While some adults find it hard to keep up with the pace of change in our technology, children seem to take to the new devices almost instinctively. It is not uncommon to see a toddler learn how to ac-cess apps and play on a smart phone or tablet!

Tablets can be a great way to en-tertain children while at the same time enhancing their education. Instead of detracting from their academic success, properly cho-sen tablet apps can better pre-pare a child for school. There are apps available at each age level that are designed to enhance dif-ferent academic and life skills. While the tablet itself can be ex-pensive, most apps designed for children are either free or can be bought for a few dollars. Tablets are quickly changing the way that schools educate their students. Some schools have begun to use tablets in the classroom to help teach math, science, reading and writing. Children are naturally motivated to use the technology, and teachers can easily customize worksheets and lessons as neces-sary for each student. Many text-books will soon be available for tablets as well. Tablets can be an excellent de-vice for the special needs popula-tion as well. Available apps span the gamut from improving hand-writing and finger isolation, to visual processing skills, to articu-lation and expressive language to assistive communication and to social skills training. A number of websites provide parents with advice on choos-ing the apps best suited for their child’s specific needs. If you are unsure, you can try out those apps which allow a limited free trial period before requiring purchase, and simply remove them from the tablet if you are not satisfied before the trial period is up. Most apps have been reviewed by par-ents and professionals, and they frequently include those reviews on the app’s page. Online forums are another way to get consumer feedback on particular apps. For a wheelchair-bound child, a tablet provides a much easier computing experience than does

a personal computer or laptop. Being small and lightweight, a tablet can be placed where it’s eas-iest for the child to see and use. It can be tucked into the side pocket of a wheelchair and lifted out by the child or caregiver whenever needed. A computer mouse and keyboard can be difficult to ma-nipulate, but the touch screens on tablets are easier and more intuitive to use. Children with minimal hand and upper body strength can easily operate apps on a touch screen without requir-ing a special switch or other as-sistive devices. Tablet screens can be zoomed in to make the target easier to touch. The zoom feature and high resolution display also allows for easier use by the visu-ally impaired population. Voice recognition software allows for greater independence with com-posing emails and documents for those with reduced hand use. For children with autism, there are a variety of apps that address social skills and communication needs. There are apps to develop picture schedules as well as visual cue cards. Other apps convert pictures to words while others al-low for choices between pictures, thereby making it even easier for the child to communicate. There are apps specific for ABA pro-grams. Other apps help design and track behavior programs. For children with speech de-lays, many apps exist to model correct speech and to enhance communication. A number have been designed by speech thera-pists. There are apps geared to-wards building vocabulary and then building sentences. For children with fine motor delays, there are many tracing and drawing apps that are both educational and entertaining. By tracing letters before writ-ing them, children have another medium at their disposal with

June 2012 53

TECHNOLOGY

which to learn proper letter for-mation. Styluses are available to “write” on the touch screen and thus reinforce better pencil grasp. When using a finger to operate the touch screen, watch that the child is isolating the index finger while the other fingers are tucked

against the palm – as one would if asked to hold up one finger. Some children are inclined to splay all five fingers and then point down with the one they need to operate the touch screen. By encouraging the more mature finger isolation, one is preparing the child for

more sophisticated hand grasps. There are several features spe-cific to tablets that make them a wonderful tool for the special needs population. Once turned on, tablets start almost instantly and battery life is up to 10 hours between charges. They are light-

weight and very portable. A tremendous variety of apps span the range from simple to more complex. The market for special education apps has grown so much that it has its own cat-egory in the iTunes store! Apps can easily be deleted and replaced as the child grows and becomes more experienced. This article has only begun to scratch the surface of the benefits of this tool for the special needs population. Consid-ering the feverish pace of progress and technological development, it is worthwhile to take advantage of this digital revolution!

Dana Ledereich, MA, OT/L is a pediatric occupational therapist who works in Yeshiva of Flatbush and also maintains a private practice. She eval-uates and treats children age birth-13 years with sensory processing issues, poor handwriting, developmental concerns and neurological issues. She has lectured to both parents and pro-fessionals on various topics in sensory processing and handwriting develop-ment. She is available for lectures as well as to mentor new therapists. She can be reached at 718.252.2939.

It seems that everyone has a smartphone. And with a smartphone comes a smart-therapist. There are so many

games and tools available to the tech-savvy clinician. No more totting around those heavy/large yellow bags over-flowing with enticing toys. Welcome to the world of apps: where so many therapeutic resources are accessible with the flick of your finger. Super Duper, the “Parker Brothers” of the speech ther-apy world has many of their games and Fun Decks ® avail-able for purchase at an app store. The Following Direc-tions Fun Deck ® is fun and so simple to use. By touching the screen the direction is read aloud. A simple tap allows the user to keep score. The child is told to perform silly acts which encourage listening and cognition skills. The How? Fun Deck ® works in the same way. It has multiple pictured cards which promote expressive language and thinking skills. A cute example asks the child, ‘How do you know that a skunk is nearby?’ Many more Fun Deck ® card games are available at the cost-effective price of $5.99. Super Duper often has sales, selling their resources for as low as $1.99. Available on a smartphone and ipad, they are always accessible and the therapist never has to

worry about stray cards falling to the bottom of his/her therapy bag. Another amazing tool from Super Duper is the Data Tracker ®. It is a useful resource to follow each child’s prog-ress. The clinician can enter each patient’s name and his/her goal(s). The program can be set in a variety of ways to indicate if the child correctly or incorrectly used the tar-geted skill. Additionally, it allows the clinician to write comments about each session. For example, I used this app to track how often Matt, a child who recently received a cochlear implant, responded to sounds in his environ-ment. This app really takes the chore out of data tracking and session note writing. Lastly, be sure to look under the free app section in your app store. There are so many fun and educational apps that can be used in replace of those heavy and unwieldy cardboard boxed games. Happy therapizing!

Rachel Soroka-Teller is a speech-language pathologist at Strivright/Auditory-Oral School of New York. She services children from birth to age 5 with a variety of speech-language delays and developmental disorders. She uses technology to engage children in fun and interactive therapy sessions. She can be reached at [email protected].

APP REvIEW

54 June 2012

TECHNOLOGYBy Elaine Devora

Hearing and Technology

Children and adults have very different needs when it

comes to hearing. Adults have a language system in place and are familiar with the sounds of speech and the environment. Children are learning speech for the first time, so it is essential for them to be able to hear and listen at an ap-propriate loudness level. Hearing affects ability to understand the meaning of words, the grammar of a language, and the emotional context behind speech. There are several different ways that the lis-tening process may be impaired. Children with hearing loss physi-cally do not have the ability to hear certain sounds. Children with a central auditory process-ing disorder (CAPD) may hear

sounds, but of-ten have trouble making sense of what sounds mean. Children with attention deficit hyper-activity disor-der (ADHD) may not be able to focus on the primary speaker, like a teacher in the classroom at a time when listening is crucial. Technology allows us to improve hearing and listening for children with hearing loss, CAPD and ADHD.

BAHA BAHA is a “bone-anchored hearing aid”. A BAHA is often used for children with microtia/atresia (the absence or deformity of the outer ear) that cannot use a hearing aid. It delivers sound to the organ of hearing (cochlea) by vibrations. The sound processor con-verts sound into vibrations that the inner ear can interpret as sound. For older children and adults, the device is partially implanted in the surface of the skull. For younger children, the sound processor is worn on a headband.

COCHLEAR IMPLANTS Cochlear implants are hearing devices for profoundly deaf indi-viduals. Cochlear implants involve two main parts: an electrode ar-ray which is implanted into the cochlea (in the inner ear), and the external sound processor which rests on the ear. The sound proces-sor sends sound to the implanted electrode array through a magnet. These devices turn speech sounds into electrical impulses that are sent to and interpreted by the cochlea. Cochlear implants provide the ability for a deaf child to hear.

HEARING AID Hearing aids are used for children with a measurable hearing loss. Hearing aids have microphones in them which make certain sounds louder, depending on the child’s hearing loss. Hearing aids give children access to sounds they are not naturally able to hear. Hearing aids come in different shapes and colors. The colors can be chosen to match skin color, or to be bright and expressive.

June 2012 55

TECHNOLOGY

Technological advances have greatly improved the success rate of children with special needs. In the past, children with hearing loss, CAPD, and ADHD were of-ten lost in the classroom setting. The ability to listen to the class-room teacher is essential during the early learning years, and with-out proper intervention, children have a hard time keeping up with reading, writing, arithmetic, and socialization. With the use of am-plification and FM systems, the education of many children has been improved and continues to improve with more widespread knowledge and intervention. Although there have been so many incredible advances in technology, it cannot substitute

the need for specialized therapeu-tic intervention. It is only when therapy with specialized inter-ventionists work in conjunction with these advances in technol-ogy, can we ensure the maximum potential of our children.

Elaine Devora is enrolled in the CUNY Graduate Center Doctorol Program in audiology. She is currently employed as a fourth-year audiology resident at the Auditory Oral School of New York. Elaine completed her Bach-elor of Arts in Spanish & Linguistics at New York University in 2008. She is currently working towards completing a Capstone research project on binau-ral interference in children with hear-ing loss at the CUNY Graduate Cen-ter. She can be reached at [email protected].

FM SYSTEMAn FM system is a system which improves the signal to noise ra-

tio for the hearing impaired child. In a classroom, the signal is the teacher’s voice while the noise is some combination of talking chil-dren, air conditioners, traffic, and more. The teacher speaks into a microphone, and the sound of his/her voice is transmitted to a receiver through FM waves. FM’s come in two forms: the first being a personal FM, where the receiver is attached to the child’s hearing aids; the second being a Soundfield FM, where the receiver is a free standing speaker. For children with hearing loss, central auditory processing disor-ders (CAPD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), FM systems are an important tool for classroom learning. These children often have difficulty separating a speaker’s voice from all the other noise they hear. An FM helps them tune directly into the teacher’s voice and reduces the distraction of the background noise. With this direct link, the child can focus on the information they need to hear in order to learn. A personal FM is often the system of choice.

?

56 June 2012

ASK THE EXPERT

Expert Answers to Real-Life Questions

Q: Help! I think my 3-year-old son has ADHD. He won’t

sit still to finish any toy he start-ed playing with. He can’t sit still at the table during meals. He is constantly running and jump-ing around all over the place. His Occupational Therapist claims it is just a sensory issue. My Pedia-trician tells me it is too early to diagnose ADHD in a three year old, and to give him a chance to mature before seeking an official diagnosis. I am so confused. How would I know if it is ADHD or just a sensory dysfunction?

Q: My four-year old daughter does not like to be dirty. If

a speck of dirt, food, paint, any-thing gooey, or messy touches her hands, or face, she immediately cries and runs to a sink to wash it off. And if a sink is not available, she throws a tantrum. I want her to be evaluated for an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but her Kindergarten teacher thinks it is just a sensory issue. How would I know the difference?

A: Both questions are being answered together because

they both ask to differentiate the difference between a psycho-logical/behavioral diagnosis that possibly requires medication to remedy a chemical imbalance in the brain, and a sensory pro-cessing disorder. The new buzz word – Sensory Issue. Teachers and Pediatricians today are more aware of the dynamics of the sensory processing system, and seem to have a better handle on identifying the root causes of be-haviors. While I am not qualified to diagnose a child with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactiv-ity Disorder) or OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), I could tell you that a young child exhib-

iting symptoms of a sensory pro-cessing disorder will often mimic components of ADHD and OCD behaviors. Additionally, there is a school of thought that children who were later diagnosed with one of these two disorders were actually children who may have been suffering with an undiag-nosed/untreated sensory pro-cessing disorder. The question really is do sensory processing disorders left undiagnosed cause ADHD or OCD later? Or are sen-sory symptoms an early warning sign of these two disorders? Re-search is still being conducted on these two questions. Either way, all agree that early diagnosis and treatment of a sen-sory processing disorder often completely eliminates any further

problems in the future, or in the worst case scenario mitigates the severity of ADHD and OCD. So I highly recommend in response to both questions above, take your child consistently to an Oc-cupational Therapist. The first child who cannot sit still, appears to present as hyper-responsive, a sensory seeker, a child whose brain is not receiving enough in-formation or feels that it is not re-ceiving enough information from the environment to the brain. This child is looking to get sensory in-put in order to feed the brain’s craving for sensory information. The second child appears to pres-ent as hyper-responsive, a child whose system feels that too much information is coming in and the brain does not feel it can respond to all the information. This child overreacts to any information she comes in contact with because the brain is over responding to all sensory input. In both cases, your children are exhibiting difficul-ties processing sensory stimuli from their environment. Follow through on the recommendations of a Sensory Diet from an Occu-pational Therapist at home. With time your children will be able to process sensory information bet-ter, even if at a future date they receive an official diagnosis.

Yitty Rimmer has a Masters in Oc-cupational Th erapy from New York Uni-versity. She currently has her own private pediatric practice in Brooklyn, NY.

By Yitty Rimmer, MA OTR/L

Here are the answers to serious questions raised by parents and caregivers of special needs individuals in a variety of real-life situations. These answers are valuable to all of us, not only for the practical guidance they offer for the specific circumstances described, but also for revealing the approach of professionals in the field based upon their knowledge, training and experience. Please note answers are for information purposes only, and are not a substitute for an actual evaluation. If you have any ques-tions for a future issue you can contact us at [email protected]. Compiled by Chaya Ilene Klass

ASK THE EXPERT ?

Q: My son is 7 years old. He is my only child. His Rebbi

called me and said that he is not happy with my son’s participa-tion in class. He says he is very fidgety and cannot focus on what is being taught. He does poorly on tests and is beginning to act up. I don’t understand how this can be. My son is so well behaved at home and when my husband learns with him, he says he’s a pleasure. I think he’s a smart kid, so why is he falling apart in class?

A: That’s a good ques-tion. It’s often dif-ficult for parents to

imagine how difficult their child acts in different environments. We have to think about what would make children act differ-ently in school than at home. If he is your only child, then I am assuming your home is quiet while he is learning with your husband. It could be possible that he has difficulty listening with background noise. Classrooms, even quiet classrooms, are noisy. Perhaps he is trying to focus and attend but the classroom noise is too distracting for him. Chairs scraping, pencils scratching, chil-dren coughing, doors closing and people walking in the hallway make it difficult for children with auditory processing difficulties to attend in class. They have a hard time blocking out the noise and focusing on only the important things i.e. the Rebbi teaching or

giving instructions. To explore if this is his issue, take him to have a central auditory processing evaluation by an audiologist who specializes in auditory processing disorders. An au-diologist who specializes in

auditory processing evaluations can help you determine what his issues are and how you can help him become a successful part of his classroom.

Q: My son was just diagnosed with a moderate hearing

loss. His audiologist is recom-mending that he get hearing aids in both ears. He is 2 years old and doesn’t speak yet. But he is absolutely gorgeous and so cute. Whenever I walk down the street with him, people smile and say that he is so sweet. I feel that if I put hearing aids on him, people will look at him and think that something is wrong with him. They will treat him differently and look at my family as if some-thing is wrong with all of us. I think that he is a very smart kid and I wonder if I don’t put hear-ing aids on him then maybe he will just figure it out, maybe a little slower than others, but still be just fine. Would that be better for him in the long run?

A: Wow! That’s tough news to receive and the fact that you

are able to talk about it and ask questions to see what’s best for your child, shows that he is lucky to have such a devoted mother. When a child has a moderate hearing loss, he is hearing at levels that exclude many of the speech sounds. He will miss 40-50% of conversational speech. This web-site actually allows you to listen to what each type of hearing loss sounds like. http://thehearing-curve.com/yourhearing_simula-tor.html He will have to work so much harder to learn speech and

language and the cognitive con-cepts you want him to learn in school. It would be as if he were walking around in a fog. I like to think of hearing aids as similar to glasses. Many people say, if I was born without hearing (or a lesser degree), than that is how it should be. But we don’t do that with our vision. Kids are wearing adorable designer glasses from very young ages and they grow into successful glasses-wearing adults. Hearing aids come in a va-riety of colors as well and can be customized to your liking. Paired with speech therapy done by a therapist that specializes in audi-tory training and listening, your child can grow to be anything he wants to be! It definitely will be an adjustment for you and your entire family but over time, the benefits of hearing aids will out-weigh the anxiety. In addition,

there are parent infant groups at StriVright, where parents come together and learn skills to help their children’s communication skills flourish and help each other work through the difficult deci-sions each of them are facing. It is certainly difficult to make a deci-sion like this one, but ultimately you will see that you have made the best choice. Good luck and may you have much nachas!

Briendy Rosenblatt, M.S. CCC-SLP TSHH, is the speech supervisor at the Auditory Oral School of New York (AOSNY)and StriVright to Succeed. AOSNY and StriVright provide a qual-ity team approach to homebased and center based services as well as evalua-tions for children with hearing impair-ments, CAPD and language delays. Specializing in auditory processing dis-orders and hearing impaired, she can be reached at 718.531.1800 x4881 and at [email protected].

By Briendy Rosenblatt, M.S. CCC-SLP TSHH

June 2012 57

By Stephen Glicksman, Ph.D.

58 June 2012

Q: My son was recently diagnosed with au-tism, and someone

told me that ABA is the only scientifically proven way to help him grow. Is that true?

A: Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a highly structured,

highly regimented, adult-direct-ed, one-to-one method of guid-ing the behavior of, and teaching skills to, individuals with autism. Traditional ABA consists primar-ily of breaking down complex behaviors into smaller steps, then teaching and rewarding each step as the adult teacher attempts to shape the child’s behavior (a technique often referred to as “discrete trial training”). This method has been shown to be ef-fective in teaching skills to people with autism in many, many cas-es; it is not, however, the “only”

proven way of helping children with autism, and it does have its critics. One criticism of traditional

ABA raised by Dr. Barry Prizant in the Spring 2009 issue of Au-tism Spectrum Quarterly is that while traditional ABA has been shown to be effective in teaching adaptive skills such as bathing or dressing, research indicates that it is less effective in addressing the social and relationship challenges faced by children with autism. In other words, because traditional ABA focuses more on compli-ance and instructional control as methods of teaching (“Engage in this skill because I will reward you for it”), practitioners and schools who exclusively use traditional ABA run the risk of losing what-ever social strengths and internal motivators the child does have to build relationships and engage with others in a meaningful way. For this reason, many people working with children with au-tism have attempted to put a more “human touch” onto ABA over the years, incorporating more incidental teaching (teach-ing in natural environments) and including activities that focus on social interaction, while still

calling themselves “ABA prac-titioners”. The approach known as “Pivotal Response Treatment” and the work of Dr. Vincent Car-bone of the Carbone Clinic are outgrowths of ABA that fall into this category. At the same time, there are people who have de-veloped completely different ap-proaches to helping people with autism that are grounded not in “compliance”, but in research of human development and re-lationship building. These ap-proaches include DIR/Floortime and Intensive Interaction. Indeed, the 2009 National Stan-dards Report published by the National Autism Center identi-fied 11 established treatments for autism spectrum disorders, which the report described as having, “…compelling scientific evidence to show that these treatments are effective”, as well as 22 emerging treatments for which, “…one or more studies suggest the interven-tion may produce favorable out-comes. However, additional high quality studies that show these treatments to be effective for indi-viduals with autism spectrum dis-orders are needed before we can be fully confident.” The report also identified five often used in-

terventions, including facilitated communication, that have been deemed to be unestablished treat-ments for which, “…there is little to no evidence in the scientific literature” and for which, “There is no reason to assume these treat-ments are effective”. Based on these findings and others like them in the scientific literature, one of the greatest cri-tiques of the “ABA is the only way” approach is that it fails to recognize the right and obliga-tion of parents to study all of the information and look into all of the different approaches avail-able in their efforts to help their children grow. So, I would counter the advice you received about ABA being the only way by saying this: Be wary of words like, “only” and “always” and “never” and “everyone”. All children are different, and what is best for one child may not be best for another. There is more than one way to face a challenge.

Stephen Glicksman, Ph.D. is the De-velopmental Psychologist at Women’s League Community Residences and Jumpstart Early Intervention. He can be reached by calling Women’s League at 718.853.0900, or at [email protected].

ASK THE EXPERT?

Q: I am a father of a four year old girl with severe developmen-

tal delays. Although my daughter has been receiving CPSE services from the Department of Educa-

tion (DOE), I heard about other available services from The Of-fice for People With Develop-mental Disabilities (OPWDD) that we both can greatly ben-efit from. However, when the

school psychologist assisted me with the application process, we were not granted OPWDD eligi-bility. I don’t understand the rea-son for denial because the school psychologist sent my daughter’s most recent educational evalua-tion that depicts her math, spell-ing, and reading scores along with her IEP, but OPWDD has requested more clinical informa-

tion. Please help me as I am very concerned about the possibility of not receiving OPWDD services.

A: This is a typical situation for many parents of young

children with special needs who inquire about the eligibility guidelines for OPWDD servic-es. It is also quite common that school psychologists don’t always fully understand the eligibility process within OPWDD, as their primary role is counseling and conducting psycho-educational assessments in school settings. In

addition, OPWDD and DOE are two separate and distinct systems with regard to a child with a dis-ability. That is, OPWDD offers services to those with a develop-mental disability as opposed to a learning disability. In turn, dif-ferent assessments are required in such situations. Although an educational evaluation was con-ducted, it only focuses on typi-cal educational domains, such as one’s math, spelling, or reading ability. Therefore, a standardized intel-ligence test (IQ) coupled with an

By Marc R. Katz

Katz Continues on Next Page

June 2012 59

?ASK THE EXPERT

Continued fromPrevious Page ÿ

Adaptive Behavior Scale (via a parental interview based on his/ her child’s everyday functioning) is required for OPWDD eligibil-ity. The results of both assess-ments must be in compliance with the NYS Mental Hygiene Law, which serves as a legal base for eligibility determination. Thus, a developmental disabil-ity is defined as the following:A a condition that results in im-pairment of one’s general intel-

lectual functioning or adaptive behavior B originates before the age of 22 C can be expected to continue indefinitely and D constitutes a substantial handi-cap in one’s everyday function-

ing. In other words, an IQ test and an Adaptive Behavior Scale will demonstrate evidence of a developmental disability whereas an educational evaluation would not be helpful. Although school psychologists are proficiently trained in assessments, they may not be given access to the neces-sary assessment tools that assists in the determination of a devel-opmental disability.

Recently, OPWDD re-launched their website www.opwdd.ny.gov to help people like yourself to better understand what services and supports are available. For

example, OPWDD has included a directory of assessment ser-vices to help families locate ap-propriate testing and assessment services available in their com-munity. Secondly, there is an Eli-gibility Coordinator at your local developmental disabilities ser-vice office (DDSO) to ensure that you have submitted a complete eligibility packet when request-ing an eligibility determination. In general, there is a three step review process for determining one’s eligibility. Thus, there is no need to be overly concerned, as it appears you are still in the early stages of determination. Alternatively, in the back pages of this issue, you will also find a resource directory that consists of various agencies that provide as-sistance with evaluations, intake,

and referral of services. Specifi-cally, an agency’s intake specialist, such as a Non-Medicaid Service Coordinator, will be able to as-sist you in successfully navigating the paperwork and bureaucratic maze of the enrollment and eligi-bility process. In short, the above noted suggestions should expe-dite the receipt of much needed services for your daughter.

Marc R. Katz, a NYS Certifi ed School Psychologist, is an Assistant Director at Ohel Bais Ezra. For more information about evaluations, in-take, or referral of services, please call 1.800.603.OHEL, visit www.ohelfam-ily.org, or e-mail [email protected]. OHEL delivers a breadth of commu-nity services through OHEL Bais Ezra, OHEL Lifetime Care, OHEL Foster Care, OHEL Mental Health Services, OHEL Institute for Training, and Camp Kaylie.

Shapiro Continues on Next Page

By Juby Shapiro

“Phase 1”and Other Placement Confusion

Q: My daughter just turned five and is aging into school

age from preschool. We had her IEP meeting and the CSE rec-ommended a special class with a 6:1:1 ratio of teachers to students. The district told us to go and look at all of our local schools because those schools will now have to accommodate all students in their zone. I went to five different public schools in my neighbor-hood. Several seemed confused as to why I was there. One would not allow me to come in without a placement letter, even though I explained that the district in-

structed us to go to each school without a placement letter. One

of the schools said they don’t have a 6:1:1 class per se but they could “accommodate” my child by placing her in a gener-

al education class with resource room/ SETSS (special education teacher support services). My child is autistic, so that would be completely inappropriate for her. Of the five schools, only one had an existing class for autistic students. However, the class was located on the 5th floor of the building with no elevator. My daughter has gross and fine mo-tor and sensory delays, and would have much difficulty climbing all those stairs each day. Also, they don’t really use a methodology – just somewhat of a mixture of ABA and TEACCH that is really not structured or individualized enough for my child. What are our options now?

Q: Our son’s IEP recommends a 12-month school

year. The past few years, we have sent him to a special state-

approved camp in the mountains each summer. This year, at our annual review, the CSE team in-formed us that they are no longer sending students to camp and instead the student will begin to attend the recommended public school when school begins in July. My wife and I visited the public school and found it was really not appropriate at all. The class was up four flights of stairs. The stairwells and hallways were not climate controlled and my child has seizures that can be brought on by becoming overheated. We also are concerned that the 6:1:1 staff to student ratio is not being sufficiently individualized to ad-dress our son’s learning and safe-ty needs. The teacher in the class we observed says she does ABA with students for a half hour per day. Right now, our son attends a private school that provides him with 1:1 support and ABA throughout the day. After seeing the public school, we contacted the district to let them know that the recommended school is not appropriate. Summer is about to begin in just a few weeks and our

son has no placement. We asked the district to allow our son to at-tend the same camp as last year but, despite our objections, they maintain that the school they rec-ommended is appropriate. What should we do?

A: There is and will be much confusion surrounding the

most recent changes in the De-partment of Education’s policy on students who are placed in self-contained special educa-tion classes. In the past, follow-ing the child’s IEP meeting, the district would then send the student’s IEP to the placement officer. He would search the computer to try to find compat-ible placements for students as close to their homes as possible. The new model New York City is using is called “Phase 1,” in which schools are encouraged to move students with disabilities to less restrictive settings. Un-fortunately, many students will be phased out of self-contained special education classrooms

virtually overnight and instead will be offered supports and ser-vices such as SETSS/resource room and related services. The concern is that some students require a highly supportive, more restrictive setting in or-der to learn and progress. The locally zoned schools are then supposed to accommodate these needs as well. However, schools with little to no experience with autistic, multiply disabled and emotionally disturbed students, for instance, are unable to build an infrastructure overnight to provide these students with a Free and Appropriate Public Education. That being said, de-spite what the City is proposing in order to save money, the DOE still must offer special education students an appropriate special education with the necessary supports and services. In light of these changes, par-ents must put even more effort into visiting potential school sites. If you receive a placement letter or Final Notice of Recom-mendation, it is important that you contact the school and make an appointment to visit the rec-ommended class. Bring a pen and paper and take notes. Make sure to write down the name of the personnel you meet and other details concerning the class size, location, methodology, the physi-cal layout of the building, and related services, whether in the classroom or in therapy rooms. If the school is not appropriate, you should attach a letter to the Final Notice of Recommendation rejecting the school and request-

ing another placement. When no placement letter is sent, parents

may have to visit many schools in their local zones. Often par-ents visit as many as four or five schools, only to find that

none are even remotely appro-priate. Again, be sure to observe the classes and take notes. Write a letter to the district detailing which schools you have visited and why each one does not meet your child’s needs academically, socially and emotionally. Make sure to include the date on the letter and to keep a copy for your files. It is recommended that you send the letter registered mail with a return receipt requested. You can also fax the letter, pro-vided you have a receipt. For the parents of the student who is aging out of CSPE (pre-school), you have until Septem-ber to sort this out and obtain an appropriate placement for your child. After you send your initial letter, the CSE may respond by offering yet another placement, or they might continue to main-tain that the initial placement they offered is appropriate. There are cases in which the CSE agrees that they have not located an ap-propriate public school place-ment for the student and defers the case to CBST (the Depart-ment of Education’s Center Based Support Team). CBST then tries to locate schools on the New York State Approved List that are appropriate and have a seat avail-able for the student. Some stu-dents will receive a form called a Nickerson Letter. This occurs in situations where the DOE ac-knowledges that they have failed to offer the student an appropri-ate placement by August 15. Par-ents may take the Nickerson Let-ter to enroll their child in a school on the New York State Approved List. In some cases, parents may seek to request an impartial hear-ing to ask a hearing officer to is-sue pendency, or a stay put order. Throughout the duration of the

hearing and sometimes be-yond, the student may re-main in his/her preschool placement and receive the services on the last agreed-upon preschool IEP. If September is approach-ing and you find that you are still at an impasse with the CSE with no appropriate placement for your child, you may wish to consider placing your child in an appropriate private special edu-cation school and requesting an impartial hearing to seek tuition reimbursement or prospective tu-ition. If you chose that route, you must write a letter to the district 10 days prior. Explain again why the recommended public school placement is not appropriate and that since school is starting soon and your child does not have an appropriate placement, you have chosen to enroll your child in the private school and will be re-questing an impartial hearing. For the parents of the student in the second question, if your child is mandated as a 12-month student and has already entered the CSE system, then your child’s school year begins in July. If the CSE offers your child an appro-priate placement in a 12-month class, your child would not be entitled to camp in the summer. However, if after visiting the rec-ommended placement you have come to the conclusion that the CSE has not offered your child an appropriate placement prior to school beginning in the sum-mer, then you have several op-tions. Did the CSE offer your child camp on his/her IEP last summer? If so, you may be able to request a hearing for pendency of the camp program as per last year’s IEP. You may notify the CSE of your disagreement with their proposed placement and that you will be enrolling your child in a special education camp and/or special education private school, and request an impartial hearing to seek tuition. It is possible to re-

quest a hearing that incorporates both school and camp. The common thread between both situations is that parents must always consider all possible public school placements prior to unilaterally enrolling their child in a private school or camp, or to requesting pendency. Even if you feel that after seeing one or two placements, this is a futile process and there is no way that type or ratio of class will be appropriate for your child, it is still impera-tive to make the effort to visit all options. Parents have actually lost hearings because the hearing officer decided that they did not make an effort to visit the public school placement and consider it. Parental effort and cooperation, otherwise known as “equities,” is an entire prong of a three-prong test that impartial hearing officers consider when determining the appropriateness of the student’s unilateral placement by parents. If you chose to request a hear-ing for any of the above reasons, it is recommended that you seek the assistance of an advo-cate or attorney who will advise you as to your rights and assist you throughout the impartial hearing process.

EDITOR'S NOTE: As we went to print the decision to not allow summer camp placements has been reversed for one summer only in some cases (see article on page 12).

Juby Shapiro is a special educationadvocate and the parent of two chil-dren with special needs. She is the founder and director of TAFKID, a not-for-profi t organization dedicated to helping families whose children have a variety of disabilities and spe-cial needs. TAFKID can be reached at 718.252.2236 or tafk [email protected].

60 June 2012

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ASK THE EXPERT?

June 2012 61

September 2007

1

SPECIAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT

SEPTEMBER, 2007

June 2008

1

A SPECIAL EDUCATION MAGAZINE

June 2009

December 2008


December 2008

December 2009

December 2009

A SPECIAL NEEDS MAGAZINEA SPECIAL NEEDS MAGAZINE

June 2010

Supplement to the Jewish PressPeriodical Publication

June 2010

A SPECIAL NEEDS MAGAZINEA SPECIAL NEEDS MAGAZINE

A Publication of

You can see past issues at www.buildingblocksmagazine.comor E-mail: [email protected]

Join Us AgainFor Our

Next Big IssueNov. - Dec. 2012

NOW

AVA

ILAB

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Past

Issu

es o

fA

SP

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A Publication of


December 2011December 2011

“It’s like she isn’t a real person” Page 36


5TH ANNIVERSARY

NOW CELEBRATING ITS

FOSTER ANDADOPTION OF

SPECIAL NEEDSCHILDREN

PAGE 40

FOSTER ANDADOPTION OF

SPECIAL NEEDSCHILDREN

PAGE 40

Choosing theRIGHTDOCTORPAGE 32

DisturbingChanges toMedicaidWaiverPAGE 12

Choosing theRIGHTDOCTORPAGE 32

DisturbingChanges toMedicaidWaiverPAGE 12

Changes Impact theFuture of theTherapy ProfessionalPAGE 44

Changes Impact theFuture of theTherapy ProfessionalPAGE 44


December 2011December 2010 June 2011


A Supplement of the

December 2012December 2012

A LIFE OFAUTISM

YOU CAN DO ITHOW TO HELP THOSEWITH SPECIAL NEEDS

NEWBREAKTHROUGHSAND TREATMENTS

EARLY INTERVENTIONWhere it All Begins…

62 June 2012

PRODUCT REVIEWS The world of special needs children has grown tremendously over the past few years. New diagnoses, new therapies and

a while range of new products and books to make life a little bit easier. It’s hard to know which product or book & what is best for your child and their specific needs. That’s where we come in with our unique review section. Therapists and

educators in the field have reviewed all of the items in these reviews. We hope you enjoy! Chaya Ilene Klass Yitty Rimmer Breindy Rosenblatt

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ScramBlitz

Race to be the first player to recreate the pattern on the

pattern card! But watch out be-cause all your playing cards have a black or white flip side. If you make a wrong choice, you won’t be able to solve the puzzle. This

game can be played with 2-6 play-ers. Players each get 16 tiles. On one side players will have two tiles each of 8 patterns, but on the other side 8 tiles have a black flip side, and the other 8 have a white flip side. One player turns over

the Pattern card from the middle, and all players race to use all 16 tiles correctly to rec-reate the Pattern, care-

fully flipping the cards to a black or white side until all designated boxes have been filled. The first player to recreate the pattern yells out “ScramBlitz” and the other players check to make sure he is correct. On the bottom of each pattern card is points depending on how difficult the pattern is to recreate. The first player to collect 25 points, wins.

Doubleplay at4115 14th Avenue,

Brooklyn, New York

$18.00THERAPEuTIC BENEFITS: Develops cognitive skills through sorting, grouping, logical thinking, color recognition, shape recognition and problem solving. Develops visual perceptual skills through copying pattern cards and identifying shapes and colors. Helps develop fine motor coordination skills through the pincer grasp when turning over and placing cards. Helps develop social skills through turn taking, sportsmanship, and negotiating skills that automatically take place when playing board games in a group. Encourages speed and timing, in the race to be the first to correctly solve their board

Magnetic Picture Maker

This toy company is rap-idly becoming a favorite of

many discerning parents. With their simple aesthetic appeal us-ing natural wood and primary colors, combined with activities that promote thinking and skill building, Melissa & Doug is the toy company for toys that educate and last a lifetime. The Magnetic Picture Maker will not disappoint either. This toy uses double sided picture cards that store in a sleeve with the top picture showing

through a clear plastic window. The child utilizes the attached magnetic wand to move magnetic circles encased inside the window to the appropriate colored circle seen on the pre-printed picture. This activity keeps children mes-merized and busy for hours. A child, even as young as four years old, can use the wand to move the pieces to its corresponding colored circle to create pictures. There is even a blank pre-circled card that can be filled in with dry

erase markers to create your own picture, and can be wiped clean, allowing for multiple use. All the pieces in this game are enclosed, the wand is attached, and the cards store inside the board mak-ing it ideal for travel as well.

Available atMelissaAndDoug.com

$24.99

or Doubleplay at4115 14th Avenue,

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THERAPEuTIC BENEFITS: Helps develop fine motor coordination skills by grasping the magnetic wand to move pieces. Develops visual perceptual skills through copying pre printed pictures. Develops visual motor skills through movement dependent on visually attending to the place where the magnetic circles need to be placed. Helps develop imaginative play by encouraging children to create their own pictures on blank cards, or just using the wand to move pieces and create.

Doubleplay at4115 14th Avenue,

June 2012 63

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Guess How I Feel

Super Sorting Pie

This game is unique in that it develops fine motor

skills, speech development, and social skills all at once. Players take turns picking a situation card that portrays a scene that would elicit an emotion (for example a mother hugging a crying child), and either draw-ing their reaction to the situa-tion on the magnetic mirror or using magnetic facial expres-sions to create their reaction on the mirror. This game works with younger children who are not reading yet, as well as older children who need a fun way to practice their hand grasp and writing/drawing skills. This game can be played with different ver-sions depending on what skill is

needed. If children need to learn to identify different emotions and express feelings, this game can be played where every child has to label the emotion with a word. If children need help to develop empathy skills, the game can be played where children have to “guess” what emotion the first player drew to the situation card. The game is a good opening for verbalizing ways to handle diffi-

cult situations, as well as how to react and behave appropriately. The game uses bonus points from a guess bag to motivate players to guess correctly and think about the emotion being displayed.

Available atwww.FunandFunction.com

$26.99

This is a great game to help preschoolers develop their

pincer grasp, learn early count-ing and math skills, differentiate colors, and sort objects. All 60 game pieces, miniature replicas of fruit, fit into a 5 sectioned realistic looking “pie” container, complete with a “lattice shaped dough” cover. A child can play individually or with others in a group. Using a jumbo tweezer, the child can pick up fruit pieces and sort them into sections either by color, amount, or type of fruit. The game comes with double-sided activity cards for children to

play in a group and use the cards as a guide. An adult can also guide a child how to sort the fruit to teach

specific concepts such as addition, subtraction, fractions etc.

Available at www.pfot.com

$27.95

THERAPEuTIC BENEFITS: Increase fine motor skills

Increase graphomotor/handwriting skills Increase ability to read non-verbal expressions and develop social cues Increase expressive speech development through labeling and verbalizing emotions displayed in

situation cards Increase problem solving skills, through discussions on appropriate ways to handle negative situations

THERAPEuTIC BENEFITS: Develops cognitive skills through sorting, grouping, logical thinking, color recognition, shape recognition, and early mathematical skills.

Develops fine motor coordination skills through the use of jumbo tweezers that require a pincer grasp and isolation of the first two fingers during use.

Develops visual perceptual skills through using double-sided activity cards to guide the direction of the game.

his game is unique in that it develops fine motor

skills, speech development, and social skills all at once. Players take turns picking a situation card that portrays a scene that would elicit an emotion (for example a mother hugging a crying child), and either draw-ing their reaction to the situa-tion on the magnetic mirror or using magnetic facial expres-sions to create their reaction on the mirror. This game works

needed. If children need to learn to identify different emotions and express feelings, this game can be played where every child has to label the emotion with a word. If children need help to develop empathy skills, the game can be played where children have to “guess” what emotion the first player drew to the situation card. The game is a good opening for verbalizing ways to handle diffi-

THERAPEuTIC BENEFITS:

shaped dough” cover. A child can specific concepts such as addition,

64 June 2012

PRODUCT REVIEWSAdaptive Clothing Showroom

Lotto Hide & Seek Bugs

One of the hardest jobs every parent has is the morning

routine. Trying to get children of all ages awake, dressed, fed, bag packed and out to school by a designated time is a known stres-sor in households worldwide. For parents of disabled children, the morning difficulties are magni-fied even more. With the intro-duction of adaptive clothing, now even a child with physical or de-velopmental disabilities who may not have developed fine motor movements to coordinate but-tons, zippers, and belt buckles, can

dress themselves independently. By subtly disguising buttons with Velcro, and allowing belts to be fastened using only one hand, these children who previously depended on someone to button their shirt, or fasten a belt buckle in order to complete dressing, can now dress themselves. The beauty about these adap-tive clothing, is that they are the brands you know and use, with subtle changes to allow for easier dressing. They look like clothing all the other children are wear-ing! Even for children who are

completely immobile, and may be too large for lifting up, there are pants available with zippers on the side to allow for easier dressing without having lifting the child to a standing position. The pants can be unzipped, one piece placed under the child’s legs, the other piece placed on top and zipped closed. These items should be considered by anyone who wants to encourage children with specific disabilities who may not develop appropriate fastening skills to become independent in dressing themselves.

Available at www.adaptive-clothingshowroom.com

Prices vary

This is not your regular lotto game! In this lotto game,

each player gets a board showing a colorful field of flowers with 6 bugs hidden amongst the leaves. Each player takes a turn picking up a tile with a picture of a bug on it, and shows the picture to everyone. The player who finds the bug on his board puts the tile in its place on the board. The first player to have matched all the bugs on his board wins! Young children will find the hard plastic tiles and large board easy to manipulate. For an advanced version of the game, each player takes a turn picking up a tile and only checks their board if the bug is hiding in their field. If it is, they place the tile on the board. If it is not, they show it to the other players and place it upside down in the middle.

No one is allowed to touch this tile for one turn. In the next turn, players can pick up a tile from the pile, or take one of the tiles in the middle. But since the tile is turned faced down, play-ers need to remember which tile matches the bug on their board. This is a good game for non-readers no matter what the age because it encourages attention to detail, scanning, matching,

and identification. This is also a good game for children to play with peers with developmental disabilities, because it relies on pictures.

Available at www.pfot.com

$14.95

THERAPEuTIC BENEFITS: Increase a child’s ability to dress independently by removing fine motor skill barriers that may impede independent dressing. Decreases emotional stress in households overwhelmed with the constant care children with disabilities require.

THERAPEuTIC BENEFITS: Develops cognitive skills through picture identification, recognition, matching, memory, and attention to detail. Encourages the development of fine motor skills, specifically the pincer grasp and grading wrist movement, through turning over tiles. Develops visual perceptual skills, through scanning for hidden bugs and matching. Encourages social skills through turn taking, playing within a group, settling disagreements within a group in a socially appropriate way, displaying good sportsmanship etc.

No one is allowed to touch this tile for one turn. In the next turn, players can pick up a tile from the pile, or take one of the tiles in the middle. But since the tile is turned faced down, play-ers need to remember which tile matches the bug on their board. This is a good game for non-readers no matter what the age because it encourages attention to detail, scanning, matching,

Lotto Hide & Seek Bugs

June 2012 65

PRODUCT REVIEWS

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Hidden Gems: Our Special Children is a life-transforming work. Reading it sensitizes all of us to the needs and feelings of special children and those with whom they interact. Even more: we will all be inspired to deal with our own unique challenges, whatever they may be, with faith, determination, and courage.

Tri-chew The Tri-Chew is triangular shape-dteether, made of medical grade, chewy, resilient material that is lab tested as safe for babies. It was designed by Debra Beckman, MS, CCC-SLP, speech pathologist, the president of Beckman Oral Mo-tor. This company stands behind their products and understands the need to have the best equip-ment and tools to help children in their early developmental stag-es. They are easily cleaned with

soap and water and made in the United States. The Tri- Chew has ridges, bumps and swirls on each side to simulate various textures of food used for chewing. This provides sensory input for the lips, gums, tongue and hands. Each end is a different length and shape to allow the jaws to experience the move-ments and pressure to prepare it and increase the muscle strength for feeding. The small end pieces

are also small enough to prevent gagging. The soft material pro-vides comfort and can help calm a teething baby as well. The trian-gular shape makes it easy for even little fingers to hold.

Available atwww.Beckmanoralmotor.com

1 Pack $7.753 Pack $19.75

THERAPEuTIC BENEFITS & INDICATIONS: Besides for alleviating pain in teething babies, they can be used to increase biting and chewing skills in toddlers and young children Promote jaw grading and stability Encourage oral exploration and acceptance of textures Can be used for individuals with oral sensory-motor difficulties sometimes seen in, but not limited to, children with Down’s Syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy and Sensory Processing Disorder

66 June 2012

Does your child have difficulty

feeding himself? Does the food spill off the spoon before it gets to his mouth? Is he hypersensitive to utensils? Does he gag easily? Then this is for you! The E –Z Spoon by Ark Therapeutic is made of smooth flexible plastic that is rigid enough to keep food on the blade, but soft enough to bend when needed. It has a thin shallow bowl that holds just enough food for a little

mouth as well as to decrease chances of gagging. It comes in a 2 pk and is latex free and rea-sonably priced. It will help increase your child’s oral motor control and

feeding abilities.

Available atwww.Beckmanoralmotor.com

2 Pack $12.25 to $14.255 Pack $24.95 to $29.99

PRODUCT REVIEWS

225 Arlington StreetFramingham, MA 01702

Tel: (800) 257-5376Fax: (800) 268-6624www.therapro.com

Parent-centered Activities

Speech & Language

Sensory Integration

Early Learning

•

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The Therapy Resource forFamilies & Professionals!

Sensory StoriesSensory stories © is a welcome

and long awaited tool that will help children with sensory processing deal with their envi-ronment. Children with sensory processing disorders often have overresponsivity- meaning they have difficulty engaging in every-day activities because they fear they will get hurt. They are unable to process the sensory input in the same way that typically develop-ing children do, so they will often tantrum about seemingly simple things. For example, some chil-dren have an extreme hypersen-sitivity in their mouths, so tooth brushing can be an overwhelm-ingly negative experience. They fear putting hard bristles and mushy toothpaste in their mouth. For others, it’s going shopping- they fear the crowds, the loud

noises and are afraid they will get lost. These children and their parents spend their days trying to alleviate the negative situations so that a meltdown will not occur. Enter sensory stories. These are 30 stories, available online or on a CD, that are designed to teach children with sensory overresponsivity to be able to go through the day without the aversive behaviors and feelings. Each story is about 1 activity or situation that has been difficult for sensory children to deal with. They are divided into school, community and home stories. For example, one of the stories in the community section is about going to the dentist. The first page talks about why we go to the dentist. The second explains some of the equipment you see at

the dentist, thereby preparing the children and taking away some of the fear of the unknown. The next page has a picture of a boy who is doing some sensory exer-cises to prepare himself and keep calm. For each step of the dentist visit there is another strategy or idea to help deal with the parts of the experience that makes it un-comfortable, like putting on sun-glasses if the light is too bright. Every page has a child friendly picture and engaging narrative. Sensory stories can be used for any child that is having difficulty participating in everyday activi-ties. Some children with PDD, ADD, Asperger’s syndrome, and learning disabilities display over-responsivity- these stories will be most beneficial for them as well. The words of the sensory stories

are early elementary level, but you can customize each story to match your child’s level.

Available atwww.therapro.com

$45.00

is for you! The E –Z Spoon by

mouth as well as to decrease chances of gagging. It comes in a 2 pk and is latex free and rea-sonably priced. It will help increase your child’s oral motor control and

feeding abilities.

E-z Spoons

THERAPEuTIC BENEFITS: The spoons can be used for patients with autism, cleft palate, Down syndrome, apraxia, neuromuscular disorders and cerebral palsy among others They come in a variety of child friendly colors made of FDA approved materials The shallow blade promotes lip closure The narrow handle allows the caregiver to place food more easily on the side of the mouth to increase feeding skills The soft material reduces the chance of injury to the mouth should your child bite on it

June 2012 67

Early Developing SoundsArticulation Flip Books

Drive- thru menus were designed by an occupational therapist

and yoga instructor to address the lack of movement and exercise in children’s daily routine. She devel-oped this program to serve as a class-room tool to improve students’ abili-ties to focus and use their movements for learning. The program consists of 32 cards to help teachers incorporate movement into foundations skills such as literacy, math, reading and social studies. Each card has a poem or song as well as instructions for the physical activity and the physical goals it addresses. For example, Humpty Dumpty focuses on rotation, balance, coor-dination, and bilateral arm move-ments. The exercise is described as follows- “Students perform this exer-cise on their tiptoes, arms bent at the elbows, hands on shoulders. Once in this position, start repeating the

rhyme rotating from side to side as if balancing. For the last line, students fall to the ground.” There is an ador-able, colorful, appealing picture on the other side of the sturdy, laminat-ed card that shows a child doing the exercise. It also comes with variations to be able to accommodate children of all abilities thus promoting inclu-sion in least restrictive environments. It also comes with 4 posters that have the pictures of the exercises and the name of the story so the kids can choose which activity they want to do. This new program will be a wel-come addition to any classroom for ease of transitions, morning circle, or preparation for lesson. Guaranteed to be a winner!!!!


Cards & 2 Posters $26.95Cards $14.95

PRODUCT REVIEWSDrive-Thru Menus for

Preschool & KindergartenHow many kids hate repeating

sounds for articulation prac-tice? Why struggle getting kids to do their articulation practice when we have these exciting therapy books to use! Early Developing Sounds Ar-ticulation Flip Books are exciting and colorful and keep children engaged and laughing throughout the whole session. Each book contains three "flip-able" panels that allow students to change one or all three sections of amusing and fun sentence stories i.e. the rabbit/ ate a strawberry / on the caboose. Each panel is divided and color-coded by sound and word po-sition (initial, medial, final) for quick and easy identification. The books are divided in to “entire world of _____” series and each book focuses on a different group of sounds, i.e. p, b; m, n; s, r, l; wh, l; t, d; sh, ch; k, g; s, z; f, th, v. Sounds can be practiced in single

words, phrases, sentences, structured and spontaneous conversation. In addition to articulation, these books can also be used for receptive and expressive language tasks including vocabulary development, verb tens-es, pronouns, prepositional phrases, syntax, sentence formulation, predic-tion and word retrieval. In addition, ‘wh’ questions- what where and who questions can be targeted as well as story comprehension. These books will be an exciting addition to any therapy session or at home practice of speech and language goals. The chil-dren feel like they are making their own sentences as they flip the pages thereby making it easier for them to practice the sounds they need to. No boring articulation therapy sessions here!!!!!


$79.99

68 June 2012

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Having mobility issues can be challenging in many ways,

from obtaining a proper wheel-chair to navigating your environ-ment. One of the biggest chal-lenges is getting from origin to destination. Whether you have your own vehicle or need to rely on public transportation, you need

to do research on what is the most appropriate accommodation. Many major cities now have public transportation that is hand-icapped accessible, from city bus-es to taxis. However, most people find it very difficult to get around relying on this. The only practical alternative is to purchase a spe-cially accommodated vehicle. When shopping for mobility op-tions, don't be overwhelmed! There is a wide variety of options available. The requirements these vehicles must meet will vary depending on an individual’s needs. Someone who can drive themselves, or who has the ability to transfer out of their wheelchair into a regular car seat will need a very different vehi-cle than someone who will always be a passenger and must remain in their wheelchair at all times. It's important that you con-sider your needs, or the needs of the person you're caring for, not only today, but for the service life of the new vehicle, five or even seven years down the road. Can the person transfer from a wheel-chair to a vehicle seat now, but might not be able to in the future? Can you afford to buy one vehicle

that’s appropriate now and anoth-er one in a few years when that person’s needs have changed? There's no such thing as, "one size fits all". Usually, when people shop for a new car, 99% of the population will comfortably fit into just about every vehicle of-fered. But the needs of wheelchair

and scooter users are much more specific and extremely diverse. Because of the complexity of the choices available and the relative-ly high cost of these vehicles, fam-ilies should do their homework carefully to find the right balance between features and price. A good mobility dealer will serve as your personal mobility expert. It's their role and respon-sibility to find the best mobil-ity option to fit your needs, your lifestyle, and your budget. In or-der to do this, you'll need to meet with your local mobility dealer in person to find the best available option to fit your family and the wheelchair user. You can either stop by the local dealership or they can schedule a time to visit you at your home. If you do a search online, you will find a multitude of deal-ers who can be contacted online and in person. If you visit a local dealer, you can see, touch, and try out the vehicles. And they provide full support after the sale, which is an important service that the online dealers do not offer. There are many considerations to take into account when decid-

ing which type of vehicle to buy: Size of wheelchair and wheel-chair user - if the wheelchair itself is very large this determines the minimum size of vehicle needed. Parking availability - Is there a driveway available or only on-street parking? Do you go to school/doctor appointments

where parking is limited? Size of family - Do you have a lot of other family members that also need to fit in the vehicle? Seating - If an adult is the wheelchair user, would they be driving or be able to sit up front in the regular car seat next to the driver? If it is a child, you will need to put them in the back of the vehicle. There are a vari-ety of vehicles available. Some are adapted with a special lift or ramp for bringing the person into the vehicle in their wheelchair. Others have regular car seats that swing out, enabling someone to transfer or be transferred from their wheelchair to a regular seat.

MINIvANS According to Dan Bussani of Bussani Mobility Team, there are a few different brands of minivans that are available already convert-ed for handicapped access. The main difference between them is the size of the vehicle. Conversion companies take the basic minivan from the manufac-turer and adapt them for wheel-chair or scooter accessibility to meet an individual’s daily trans-portation needs. Approximately

12-15,000 units are done a year. The majority have side- entry access, with a manual or powered ramp. There are also rear-entry ac-cess minivans which are a great solution for those who frequently travel to areas with tight parking situations. Rear entry access also

allows regular seating on either side of the wheelchair, in addi-tion to an optional bench seat in the back. However, be aware that, because of the ramp, there is very little cargo space and the addi-tional seats might not accommo-date adults comfortably. The majority of modified min-ivans have lowered floors, which is a benefit to the wheelchair user but might make it more difficult for people in the back of the ve-hicle to navigate.

FuLL SIzE vANS For those wheelchair or scoot-er users who might want or need a larger vehicle, a full-sized van that's fitted with a powered wheelchair platform lift might be perfect. There are a variety of lifts available. If the person in the wheelchair is tall, or the chair it-self very large, these vans can be fitted with extra-high doors for greater ease of use. The term "wheelchair lift" can either refer to a system that lifts the empty wheelchair or scooter up and into the vehicle, or it can refer to a platform that lifts the wheelchair or scooter up and into the vehicle with the individual

By Elisheva Stein

Handicapped Accessible vehicles

Rear-loading full size van.Rear loading minivan. Side ramp with transferable seat on the side.

PRODUCT REVIEWS

June 2012 69

still in it. The kind you need will depend upon whether the wheel-chair or scooter user is physically able to stand or transfer from their chair to the vehicle.

WHEELCHAIR LIFT AND SCOOTER LIFT GuIDE

FOR vANS There are a variety of different lift manufacturers. Most lifts have similar functions. The UVL, or Under Vehicle Lift®, by Braun, is mounted un-derneath the vehicle, and remains out of sight and out of your way until needed. That means easy ac-cess for passengers who can walk unaided and cargo, a clear side view for the driver while travel-ing and maximum interior space for passengers.

FOLDING PLATFORM WHEELCHAIR LIFT

This type of lift has a power tri-folding platform, which solves the problem of wheelchair access and entry for other pas-sengers. Over half the van's side door is available for easy access when the wheelchair lift is in the stowed position. Pushing a button quickly unfolds the plat-form, revealing a fully-function-al wheelchair lift in a compact package. For additional passen-ger comfort, the front seat can recline fully – an attractive fea-ture of wheelchair lifts that are mounted inside the vehicle. The KlearVue™ lift from Ricon has a unique “fold-in-half ” de-sign. When the KlearVue™ lift is stowed, it provides an unob-structed side view for the driver, helping to eliminate hazardous blind spots, allows a clear view for the passengers, and is virtu-ally unseen from outside. Plus, because the KlearVue™ platform folds when stowed, a raised-roof for the vehicle is not required – even when a long platform is nec-essary for larger wheelchairs and power scooters.

SIDE-ENTRYWHEELCHAIR LIFT

The Millennium Series by Braun has a strong, stable lift-

ing platform. It has the stan-dard side-entry platform, which facilitates boarding in tight parking situations.

ECONOMICALWHEELCHAIR LIFT

The Century Series has a sim-plified electrical system and is a full platform lift, which stows inside the vehicle. Its main draw-back is that it takes up a lot of in-terior space.

CAR-TOP CARRIER FOR STANDARD FOLDING

WHEELCHAIRS If the individual is able to trans-fer to a car seat from a standard folding wheelchair, there is a spe-cially designed storage container for the folded wheelchair that is designed to fit on the roof of a wide variety of cars. This frees up a lot of storage space inside the vehicle.

TIE-DOWNS In order to secure the wheel-chair and its occupant inside a van when it is in motion, you need to restrain it with a special device called a tie-down. There are several types available, from simple straps that attach to the wheelchair once it’s in place to a device called an EZ-lock that is bolted to the vehicle and then at-tached to the wheelchair.

PuRCHASING A vEHICLE According to Dan Bussani, it is easier to buy a vehicle that has already been converted and is in a mobility specialist’s inventory. However, that limits your choice to what the dealer has in stock, in terms of color and other custom-izations. If you want to see and evaluate all of the options avail-able from a particular dealer, it’s always best to visit the showroom in person rather than looking at pictures and descriptions of their vehicles online. If you’re looking for a better deal, ask the dealer if he has any older models in stock, but remember that in such cases you will have to settle for what-ever he has on hand. Bussani Mobility also has a won-derful option of renting the vehicle for a few days to try it out in their

try-before-you-buy program. PRICE RANGE

There are two components which go into the total cost of the mobility vehicle, the base price of the original vehicle itself and the price of the mobility package in-cluding its installation. New con-verted minivans range in price from $40,000-$75,000 based on the optional items the customer desires. Full-size adapted vans range from $60,000-$70,000, also based on customer preferences. Dan states that the mobility in-dustry has made great strides over the past 40 years. Originally it only offered commercial full size vans which were cut open so that a lift could be installed. Today, there are many more options avail-able, including smaller and more comfortable minivans with power ramps and built in tie downs. This specialized industry is

self-regulated by the National Mobility Equipment Dealers As-sociation so the industry can monitor and regulate the modifi-cation of these vehicles. This en-forces quality standards that meet government regulations. The best ways to find dealers in your area are to search the In-ternet, network with other people who have bought an adapted ve-hicle, or visit the nearest Abili-ties Expo (again, do an Internet search for dates and locations). You can also visit www.nmeda.com and put in your zip code. Web sites for Lift manufacturers:www.vantagemobility.comwww.riconcorp.comwww.braunability.com

Elisheva Stein is the mother of two special needs children and has been driving a handicapped accessible ve-hicle for 8 years.

Extensive product lines New and Pre-owned Wheelchair accessible vehicles Custom mobility van conversions

If you can dream it, we can get you there.

I’ll Drive!

70 June 2012

THE WOMAN WHO CHANGED HER BRAIN AND OTHER INSPIRING STORIES OF PIONEERING

BRAIN TRANSFORMATIONBy Barbara Arrowsmith-Young

Free Press (Simon & Shuster, Inc.) N.Y., N.Y. 10020 2012

In the confusing world of learning disorders, there is a name that garners admiration all around, and that is Arrowsmith. Barbara

Arrowsmith-Young is the founder of the famous Arrowsmith School in Toronto that proves her successful approach to learning problems which tackles the brain’s underlying neurological deficits head-on. Not limited to compensating for problems (which in effect weakens a skill that is already weak), the program uses the principle that the brain can change and learn to do what it cannot do yet. The concept is from neuroscience, called neuroplasticity, and current neurologists are very excited by it. Arrowsmith-Young suffered terribly from various academic diffi-culties as a young student. Math was a mystery and specific grammar and language concepts were incomprehensible to her. She was accident-prone and always aware of other areas in which she had deficits, such as finding her way around. She felt as if her mind was in a fog for the first twenty six years of her life. Don’t be mistaken, she was highly intel-

ligent, determined to succeed and made full use of her great memory to survive as a student, but learn-ing was an ever-present challenge. In graduate school, she discovered Aleksander Romanovich Luria’s books and related to his story about an individual who was shot in the brain and suffered neuro-logical impairments that mirrored her own problems. Arrowsmith-Young quickly latched onto brain function research and learned that the motivated brain can physi-cally and functionally change in response to stimulation. Determined to help herself, she ‘threw herself into’ the task of fixing what she recognized now as underlying deficits in her brain’s functioning, targeting specific areas of the brain that she had learned were responsible for specific combinations of functions. Never hav-ing grasped the way an analogue clock works, and having learned that the cortical region is responsible for this, she spent hours and hours at age twenty six studying the way a clock represents time by system-atically turning the hands, drawing each demonstration of time, using her own flash cards and adding more complex measurements of time. She hoped that by purposefully feeding the cortical region of her brain that did not yet work well she would realize improved functioning in all areas controlled by this region such as reading comprehension, fol-lowing a course of logic, grasping math ideas as well as understanding time concepts. At a certain point she actually saw a major increase in ability in all these areas and knew she had succeeded in changing her brain by creating new neural pathways. Exhilarated, she proceeded to find ways to “wake up” other parts of her brain she knew were not functioning properly as evidenced by her specific “disabilities”. Lucky for her and for us, Arrowsmith-Young did not want the world to see learning disabilities as a life-long sentence of impairment. Throw-ing herself into neuroscience’s research on brain plasticity and totally convinced that children with neurological deficits can learn exactly what they need so as to have fuller brain functioning given the correct input (and lots of hard work), she started the Arrowsmith School in Toronto in 1980. In this book, she retells her own plus countless other stories about children and even some adults who benefitted from this unique approach and totally changed the way they learn. Improvements in many areas of functioning come hand in hand as different parts of the brain are targeted and ‘rehabilitated’. Not satisfied with helping the lucky few who could spend time at her facility, Arrowsmith-Young continues to train educators and help interested schools to set up her program wherever it is needed, including in some yeshivos. This absorbing book is an uplifting read, meant to be enjoyed cover to cover as a novel, and should be on the summer reading list for all special educators, teachers, and parents of children who have learn-ing problems. Anyone who thinks that learning disabled children are doomed to suffer impaired functioning forever should read this book and take heart.

By Bracha Holczer

BOOK REVIEWSBracha Holczer is part of a family that relishes books (especially books by Mo Willems, graphic novels, or not connected with school assignments)

and also serves as a reading specialist with the New York City Department of Education. She can be reached at [email protected].

www.thewomanwhochangedherbrain.com

This is the story and work of a remarkable woman. Though she began life severely learning disabled, she built herself a better brain and a brain training program that has helped thousands of others do the same.

“Arrowsmith-Young’s uplifting book about her transformation from a child born with severe learning disabilities to a dynamic pioneer in cognitive education offers hope to anyone who has ever struggled with a learning disorder, brain trauma, ADD, or stroke. By her own fierce determination and passionate desire to learn, this remarkable woman changed her own brain and has since helped countless others to change theirs. This is an important book.”

—Mira Bartók, New York Times bestselling author of The Memory Palace

Bais Yaakov of Boro Park

Beis Chaya Mushka, Brooklyn

Eitz Chaim Schools, Toronto

Jewish Educational Center (JEC), Elizabeth, NJ

Yeshiva Degel Hatorah, Spring Valley

Yeshiva Tiferes Torah, Lakewood

w w w. a r r ow s m i t h s c h o o l . o r g

ArrowsmithPROGRAMStrengthening Learning Capacities

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Foreword by Norman Doidge, M.D., author of “The Brain That Changes Itself”

The Arrowsmith Program is currently being offered at the following yeshivas:

June 2012 71

WHEN YOuR CHILD STRuGGLES -THE MYTHS OF 20/20 vISION

(WHAT EvERY PARENT NEEDS TO KNOW)By Dr. David L. Cook

Invision Press, Atlanta, (866) 268 - 3937(Available from Therapro) 2004

Have you heard of vision therapy? The phrase has been thrown around a lot but many of us do not

know exactly what it is. After all, the eye sees what it sees, right? If not, glasses will help, won’t they? Author Dr. David Cook explains exactly what vision therapy is and how it can make a big difference in the life of a child or even an adult who suffers vision problems. These problems are not the sort that can be corrected with glasses. The beginning of the book contains a very carefully explained rationale for using glasses to correct clarity of vision. As clearly described and illustrated by Dr. Cook, even those with 20/20 natural or corrected vi-sual acuity can actually lack other visual abilities. He describes the dan-gers of assuming all visual abilities are intact just because the common school screenings and typical eye examinations show good visual acuity for the few short minutes it takes to identify what’s on the eye chart. Dr. Cook wrote this book because deficits or delays in various vi-

sual abilities such as eye teaming and visual perception difficulties can cause real academic difficulties. He explains that some children end up struggling with reading and math, not because they have underly-ing language problems or learning disabilities but because they just cannot see the text properly, causing delays in or incorrect interpreta-

tion. They suffer from intermittent blurry vision, letters and numbers that run together or dance around, burning eyes or eye pain when reading and eye fatigue, but do not always know how to describe their problems so they just continue to suffer. They have difficulty copying from the board or using reference charts hanging helpfully in the room. They lose their place in textbooks alarmingly often. In short - they struggle mightily and can come across as intellectually im-paired. In focused, short chapters, Dr. Cook succinctly describes and clearly illustrates what other problems a person can have with vision, the importance of a proper evaluation to diag-nose them, and how specific vision exercises can quickly help solve decoding and math difficulties and also improve

comprehension, handwriting, and even spelling problems. He offers resources that help locate optometrists able to diagnose and treat vi-sion problems. This book is a good resource for those already looking into Vision Therapy or those searching for answers about seemingly unexplained academic struggles.

TEACHING ADOLESCENTS WITH AuTISMBy Walter Kaweski, MA

Corwin Press, Ca., corwin.com 2011

Children with developmental disorders including autism (ASD - Autism Spectrum Disorders) are learning alongside typically

developing peers in more and more classrooms. Given conditions in typical classrooms, these children are at a disadvantage in many as-pects unless the adults in charge can see to it that their needs are met. Without proper preparation by the adults, social difficulties and learn-ing differences may become a substantial roadblock to success, espe-cially for adolescents. Middle and high school students can be ruthless when dealing with socially awkward peers, especially when the adults treat those same children as impaired individuals. The predictable devastating results are failure and rejection. On the other hand, re-search has been going on for a while now about the best practices and most effective accommodations and modifications (the differences are described in the book) that can be provided to set up opportunities for classrooms to become inclusive, positive centers of learning that respect and effectively serve all students there. Strategy books for younger children with ASD are available but not appropriate, and general education strategy guides are insufficient. Walter Kaweski, after raising a son with ASD to adulthood while en-joying a career as a teacher, autism specialist and inclusion coordina-tor saw a need for such a resource for middle and high school teachers. He firmly believes in informed support to optimize learning and pre-vent stigmatization. In this book, the author presents issues that affect adolescents with ASD in general classrooms along with practical and effective strategies and techniques, along with powerful first-person vignettes and illustrative cartoons drawn by an adolescent. In order to best plan for students with ASD, one must understand the underlying developmental deficits and how they affect social in-

teraction, communication, be-havior and learning. One must also recognize the varying levels of functioning that can occur in different individuals with ASD and within one individual as well, all while keeping in mind how the typical children in the class will interact with them. This in itself is quite a challenge for teachers, but the information is synopsized meticulously along with discussions about legal and technical aspects of inclusive education. The rest of the book is devoted to discussing specif-ic areas of functioning within the school setting and corresponding techniques and practices that are proven to elicit positive outcomes. From good behavior to keeping up with class work, from lunchtime to organizing a homework and study schedule, this book covers it all. Chapter 6, in particular, provides a clear paradigm for thinking about and choosing accommodations and modifications along a continuum of necessary support and inclusion. All teachers accommodating stu-dents with special needs in their classrooms will gain from studying Kaweski’s logical questions to consider and what he believes special education really means. To ensure goal oriented progress, Teaching Adolescents with Au-tism includes many checklists about specific areas of functioning to guide teachers as well as instructional assistants (for whom an entire guide is provided online to avoid common pitfalls that can occur with a student-focused assistant) in building a truly successful classroom - where all children can fulfill their potential.

BOOK REVIEWS

ic areas of functioning within the school setting and corresponding

numbers that run together or dance around, burning eyes or eye pain when reading and eye fatigue, but do not always know how to describe their problems so they just continue to suffer. They have difficulty copying from the board or using reference charts hanging helpfully in the room. They lose their place in textbooks alarmingly often. In short - they struggle mightily and can come across as intellectually im-paired. In focused, short chapters, Dr. Cook succinctly describes and clearly illustrates what other problems a person can have with vision, the importance of a proper evaluation to diag-nose them, and how specific vision exercises can quickly help solve decoding and math difficulties and also improve

72 June 2012

BOOK REVIEWS

SPEAKING OF APRAxIA - A PARENTS’ GuIDETO CHILDHOOD APRAxIA OF SPEECH

By Leslie A. Lindsay, R.N., B.S.N.Woodbine House 2012

We all wait impatiently for our children’s first words, and expect to delight in small talk with our small children. Some children

hold their silence for so long that we worry, and some of those children are eventually diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS, previously known by many other names). This is done by differential diagnosis, and as so carefully presented in the book, is defined as a neurologically- based motor speech disorder (as opposed to a delay) associated with speech movement difficulties around the mouth. CAS is found in some children with other special needs (see one of the in-formative appendices) and also just by itself, and there is a lot that can be done about it. Author Leslie Lindsay is a parent of a child with CAS and has thoroughly researched this disorder that had profoundly affected her daughter’s ability to speak and communicate. In her well-planned book she generously shares the technical information so valuable to parents, teachers and service providers of children newly and not-so-newly di-agnosed, as well as healthy doses of encouragement and support. She clearly has the whole child in mind and guides the reader through the many approaches to treating and nurturing the complete well-being

of the diagnosed child. Armed with interviews with many parents and speech language pathologists (SLPs), Leslie Lindsay offers a veritable encyclopedia covering nearly every aspect of life with CAS along with neatly organized charts, lists, and summaries. Speaking of Apraxia can easily be read in short bursts as a handy resource or read cover to cover while immersing oneself in CAS information. Divided into five main sections, the book covers speech basics, deal-ing with a diagnosis and familiarizing oneself with current approaches both traditional and complementary/alternative, helping your child in many areas including academic, and coping as a family as the child’s needs changes (and they will). A fascinating section about designing the child’s bedroom and play space is a worthy read for all parents and interior designers (yes - interior designers!). The author presents many thought-provoking factors to take into consideration when preparing the places where a child ends up spending so much time. And, as if the book did not offer enough, there are noteworthy appendices that cover maximizing insurance benefits and other sources for obtaining therapy, a very detailed speech and language milestone list for use as a guideline, and relevant research on related reading difficulties. With this book, Leslie Lindsay accomplished a worthy goal: to pro-vide a “real-life book” that would cover apraxia. If CAS at all plays a part in your life, you will find yourself reaching for Speaking of Aprax-ia over and over again.

PREPARING CHILDREN FOR SuCCESS IN SCHOOL AND LIFE - 20 WAYS TO INCREASE

YOuR CHILD’S BRAIN POWERBy Marcia L. Tate Corwin Press, Ca., corwin.com 2011

If you want to re-energize your parenting skills just in time to in-crease the quality of your time with your children this summer, this

is the book for you! At first, I was skeptical, after all, don’t we have all the parenting advice we need in the Torah? Haven’t I taken enough parenting courses and attended lectures already? But the more I read, the more I was taken in by the high energy and positive messages that were washing over me, and so will you as you read this book. Every strategy is backed by brain research and comes from an assortment of life-changing programs which the author Marcia Tate (already a noted author of teaching strategy books based on brain research) is trained in, including Stephen Covey’s Highly Effective programs and Don Lowry’s True Colors. The first few chapters urge a parent to “fill up” their children with good, positive experiences, feelings and abilities so the children will not easily be “crushed” by life’s crushing challenges. Explaining with sheer joy how this is what’s best for the brain, Tate backs nearly every strategy with brain research specifically proving its benefit (amazingly, without getting heavy or scholarly!). There are the expected chapters about the importance of really talking with and listening to our chil-dren, reading to them, ensuring proper nutrition for powerful brains and encouraging creative play, but to read them as Tate presents the ideas makes it all sound so exciting and important all over again. What makes this book all the more special is the beautiful way Tate packages her ideas in chapters like “Accentuate the Positive” and “Deemphasize the Negative.” Fully backed by brain research, of course, the ideas pre-sented match many of our values, such as refraining from disciplining

children out of anger, and using their hopes for their fu-tures to motivate good practices now. Also, at the end of each chapter is a form for us to use to record what we feel we are already doing well in specific areas and what new habits we’d like to develop. The latter chap-ters focus on prepar-ing children for suc-cess in school and strongly encourage hands-on oversight of our children’s ed-ucation, both with homework and with extracurricular endeavors. We are encouraged to really have a good time helping our children learn. Whole chapters are devoted to maxi-mizing four modes of learning in all ages: auditory, visual, kinesthetic and tactile. The more modes active during learning, the more likely learning will stick! A quick read, enjoyable as a whole or in bits and pieces as time allows (in between a full schedule of enriching our families’ lives, of course), Preparing Children for Success in School and Life is a mean-ingful and fun read.

extracurricular endeavors. We are encouraged to really have a good

June 2012 73

SHOW ME THE DATA! DATA-BASEDINSTRuCTIONAL DECISIONS MADE

SIMPLE AND EASYBy RinaMarie Leon-Guerrero, Chris Matsumoto, and Jaime Martin

Autism Asperger Publishing Co., Shawnee Mission, KS, asperger.net 2011

When working with children whose behavior or educational out-comes vary widely from day to day or even from time period

within a day to another time period within the same day, accurate col-lection of data is crucial. Accurate data keeping takes the guesswork out of deciding if progress is being made. While this may sound in-tuitive, at times improvement or success is not so clear, especially in children with special needs. Data collection is key to making informed decisions about objectives, as well as whether to actually do away with an entire educational program, such as when a goal is accomplished or the program is not sufficiently effective. For people who make small increments of improvements and must be strongly supported through each increment, accurate record keeping helps determine if the pro-vided support is helping. A chart can show that a child had six or more episodes of moderate to severe resistance to schedule transitions. Then a corrective program was initiated to address that, and then three to six a day for five days, then two episodes a day for four days, then one episode for two days, and then no episodes for a week. While all involved care givers may agree that the child is ‘doing better,’ charting the decreasing undesired

behavior can help justify sticking with the program those first few difficult days and dis-continuing it once transitions are measurably successful for the child. One major obstacle to keeping accurate data is not having appropriate data-keeping tools. Show Me the Data! is a compilation of data collection sheets, ready for use as is, or customizable, using the provided CD loaded with the files. The sheets cover skills in a va-riety of areas such as adaptive, behavior, com-munication, motor, routines, and social. Geared for use with children with cognitive and behavioral concerns, the collection includes op-tions for use with one child and those for use with multiple children. Some charts focus on progressing through the many steps of one ac-tivity, such as washing hands, some cover frequencies, intensities and durations of behaviors, while others cover various objectives related to multiple IEP goals. There are check-off sheets, matrices and a vari-ety of charts. The authors provide samples of the sheets in use, model graphs to demonstrate decision-making based on the collected data, and helpful suggestions to ensure accurate data collection by multi-member educational teams. If you are looking for a way to simplify data-keeping across the various skills and issues that come into consideration when educating children with cognitive delays and behavioral concerns, Show Me the Data! is a handy and able resource.

BOOK REVIEWS

munication, motor, routines, and social. Geared for use with children

THE RECYCLING OCCuPATIONAL THERAPISTBy Barbara Smith, M.S., OTR

RecyclingOT.com 2012

Barbara Smith, author of From Rattles to Writing: A Parent’s Guide to Hand Skills (previously reviewed in these pages) once again

shares a wealth of creative occupational therapy know-how. In this book, The Recycling Occupational Therapist, Smith presents thera-peutic activities that are motivating, fun, and meaningful to the client. She was inspired by working with adults with developmental disabili-ties, plus her experiences providing children with occupational thera-py, manufactured products available for occupational therapy and also by her creative young son who relishes building his own activities with available materials. This spiral-bound book depicts scores of occupa-tional therapy devices easily made with simple tools (no major power tools, don’t worry!), some basic purchased supplies such as duct tape, velcro and string, and finally, recyclable materials like rubber bands, baby wipe containers, plastic bottles, and foam meat trays. After a small initial expense, an OT stands to save lots of money (especially impor-tant for someone just starting a career) by hand-making the activities as opposed to buying expensive ready-made activities that accomplish the same objectives. The actual creation of some activities can easily involve clients or family members. An added benefit of knowing how to create these devices is that an OT can easily leave them with the cli-ent for home use and make another. Many areas of fine and gross motor functioning are addressed through targeted activities. For example, finger strength, dexterity and motor planning is targeted in an activity utilizing sandbags made from colorful socks. These sandbags are pushed into customized holes in bottle covers or boxes. Adaptations address skill levels, tactile dif-

ferences, and other goals, such as matching colors. Gross motor ob-jectives such as increasing upper-extremity strength and coordina-tion is encouraged, for example, by having the child play with a cloth attached to a wall (with Velcro) while sitting, standing or lying nearby on a movement apparatus such as a rocking chair or air mat-tress. Many activities are designed to please a client’s sensory appetite, which is a powerful motivator to performance. This results in in-creased effort and longer attention spans, maximizing benefit from each activity. Directions are clear and specific with illustrations to match the steps. Adaptions for different skill levels or motivational differences are suggested and shown. Nearly all of the activities in the book look like fun for children of varying ages, and with some assistance or supervision, enterprising families will be kept busy for long stretches of time at minimal cost, creating, adapting, and savoring the activities here. One appendix lists the activities Barbara Smith found to be popular among children with and without developmental disabilities, making them useful in groups and families. The Recycling Occupational Therapist, along with a hammer and nails, would make a meaningful gift for a devoted OT or children han-kering for a mission (think long summer afternoons...).

creased effort and longer attention spans, maximizing benefit from

74 June 2012

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

AHRC NY Address: 83 Maiden Lane,New York, New York 10038Phone: (212) 780-2500Website: www.ahrcnyc.orgLocation: Home and CenterServices Provided: ABA, Family Training, PT, OT, SLP, Psych, Evaluations

All About KidsAddress: 255 Executive Drive, LL 105Plainview, NY 11803Phone: (516) 576-2040Website: www.allaboutkidsny.comLocation: Home Services Provided: ABA, Speech therapy, PT, OT, Special Instruction, Social work, Psycho-logical, Groups (Developmental Intervention, Special Instruction, Family/Caregiver Sup-port, Parent Support Groups & Parent-Child Groups), family counseling, play therapy, mu-sic therapy, Initial & ongoing Service Coordi-nation and Tutoring.

The Auditory Oral School of New York/Strivright to SucceedAddress: 3623 Avenue LBrooklyn, New York 11210Phone: (718) 531-1800Mail to: Jewish PressBuilding Blocks Magazine4915 16th AvenueBrooklyn, NY 11204-1115Website: www.auditoryoral.orgLocation: Home and CenterServices Provided: Sensory integration, speech language therapy, auditory-verbal therapy, au-diological testing and central auditory pro-cessing (CAPD) evaluations, OT, PT, special instruction home-based/center-based hearing education services (HES), multi-disciplinary evaluations for children birth to five years, family counseling, play therapy, music therapy, educational, parent-infant toddler groups, par-ent support groups

Center for Hearing and Communication (formerly League for the Hard of Hearing)Address: 50 Broadway, 6th floor,New York, New York 10004

Phone: (917) 305-7700Website: www.chchearing.orgLocation: CenterServices Provided: Auditory oral speech and language therapy (individual and group)

Challenge Early Intervention CenterAddress: 649 39th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11232Location 2: 70-14 141st Street,Flushing, New York 11367Location 3: 1911 Richmond Avenue,Staten Island, New York 10314Phone: (718) 972-0880Location: Home and CenterServices Provided: ABA, sensory integration, Medek, multidisciplinary evaluations, speech therapy, special instruction, occupational therapy, physical therapy, family counseling, social work services, family training, nutrition services, psychological services, vision ser-vices, assistive technology, audiology, service coordination, individual and group develop-mental services

Donna Klein and Associates, Inc.Address: 690 North Broadway, Suite GL2White Plains, New York 10603Phone: (914) 686-3116Website: Donnakleintherapy.comLocation: HomeServices Provided: Sensory integration

EIS LAASOIS/WIECDCAddress: 22 Middleton StreetBrooklyn, New York 11206Phone: (718) 303-9400Website: www.EISLAASOIS.orgLocation: Home and CenterServices Provided: Floor time, Sensory Inte-gration and NDT

GiGi's Playhouse, Down Syndrome Aware-ness CentersAddress: 106 W117th StreetNew York, New York 10026Mailing Address: P.O. Box 925,NYC, New York 10026Phone: (646) 801-7529Website: www.newyork.gigisplayhouse.org

EARLY INTERvENTION APPROvED PROGRAMS

The listing below is intended to serve as a starting point for family members, professionals and care givers seeking programs, institutions and service providers designed for special needs individuals and their families within the Jewish community. Building Blocks does not specifically endorse any of those listed. Readers are urged to contact them individually for more information. You must make your own determination as to whether the services and programs they offer are appropriate for your specific case. Also note, that languages are in addition to English.

DIRECTORY LISTINGS Compiled by Suri Greenberg

We Provide:

71-25 Main Street Flushing, New York 11367

Tel: 718·261·0211Fax: 718·268·0556

72-52 Metropolitan Ave.Middle Village, New York 11379

Tel: 718·326·0055Fax: 718·326·0637

Funded by NYS Educational Dept. and NYS Dept. of Health

POSITIVE

BEGINNINGS

IMPACTSA LIFETIME

Classes in English, Spanish, Hebrew & Russian Integrated Classes Comprehensive

Evaluations School Psychologist Counseling

Social Work Services Speech Therapy

Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy Family Support

Groups and Training Adaptive

Physical Education Fully Equipped

Playground Music, Art, Library

& Science

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

June 2012 75

Contact Information: [email protected], (646) 489-8837

Hamaspik of Rockland County Address: 58 Route 59, Suite 1,Monsey, New York 10952 Phone: (845) 356-8400

Hand in Hand Development, Inc Address: 465 Grand Street, 2nd Floor,New York, New York 10002 Phone: (212) 420-1999 ext. 149Location: Home and Center

Hebrew Academy for Special Children – HASC PreschoolAddress: 1311 55th StreetPhone: (718) 851-6100Website: www.hasc.netLocation: Home and CenterServices Provided: Sensory integration, Medek, assistive technology, therapeutic yoga, music therapy, computers, family counseling, play therapy, feeding therapy, parent support groups; nursing

HASC Spring valleyAddress: 46 Grandview Avenue,Spring Valley, New York 10977Phone: (845) 356-0191Website: www.hasc.netLocation: Home and CenterServices Provided: ABA, OT, PT, SP, Sensory Integration, Family Counseling, Music Therapy

HASC Woodmere Address: 321 Woodmere BoulevardWoodmere, New York 11598 Phone: (516) 295-1340Website: www.hasc.netLocation: Home, ClinicServices Provided: ABA, Floor time, Sensory Integration, Play therapy, Parent support groups

Important StepsAddress: 2447 Eastchester Road, Bronx, New York 10469Phone: (718) 882-2111Website: www.Importantsteps.comLocation: Home and CenterServices Provided: Floor time, Sensory Integration

Jumpstart Early Intervention ProgramAddress: 3914 15th AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 853-9700 Location: Home

Services Provided: OT, PT, Speech, Special Instruction, Nutrition, Sensory integration, Medek, family counseling, play therapy

Little Wonders, Inc.Address: 88-66 Myrtle AvenueGlendale, NY 11385Phone: (718) 850-0400Website: www.littlewonders-ei.orgServices Provided: OT, PT, ST, Family Coun-seling, Play Therapy, Music Therapy, Parent Support Groups, Service Coordination, Multi-disciplinary Evaluations.Languages: Spanish, Polish, Russian, Italian, French, Creole, Greek, Tagalog, Hindi, Pun-jabi, Hebrew, Urdu and Yoruba.

Los Niños Services Address: 535 8th Avenue, 2nd floor,New York, New York 10018Phone: (212) 787-9700Website: www.losninos.comLocation: Home Services Provided: ABA, Speech therapy, PT, OT, Special Ed teachers, Social work, Psychol-ogy, Parent training, Development and Parent/child groups, Parent support groups

McCarton CenterAddress: 350 East 82nd StreetNew York, New York 10028Phone: (212) 996-9019Website: www.mccartoncenter.comLocation: Center Services Provided: ABA, sensory integration, S & L therapy, educational testing

Omni Childhood CenterAddress: 1651 Coney Island AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11210Phone: (718) 998-1415Website: www.omnirehab.comLocation: Home Services Provided: ABA, Floor time, Sensory integration, Medek

School for Children withHidden IntelligenceAddress: 345 Oak StreetLakewood, NJ 08701Phone: (732) 886-0900Website: www.schischool.orgLocation: HomeServices Provided: ABA, floor time, sensory in-tegration, family counseling, support groups

EARLY INTERvENTION APPROvED PROGRAMS CONTINuED…

...where every child shines!

N AB, NY

..

THE BEACON SCHOOL

/

-

· Small self-contained classes for children age 5-13· Certified Special Ed teachers· Intensive behavior modification· Social skills training program· Behavioral psychologist- Child Study Center· Orton-Gillingham Reading Program· Mainstream Opportunities

:

76 June 2012

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

Shema Kolainu – Hear Our voicesAddress: 4302 New Utrecht Av-enueBrooklyn, New York 11219Phone: (718) 686-9600Website: www.shemakolainu.orgLocation: HomeServices Provided: ABA, Spe-cial Instruction, Speech, OT, PT, Counseling, Social Work, , Au-dio, vision, Evals, Service Coor-dination

Step By Step Infant Develop-ment CenterAddress: 1049 38th StreetPhone: (718) 633-6666Website: www.stepbystepny.comLocation: Home and CenterServices Provided: ABA, sensory integration, Medek, OT. PT. ST, special instruction, parent train-ing, nutrition, vision, auditory training, family counseling, mu-sic and art therapy, parent sup-port groups, swimming, respite.

YAI NetworkAddress: 460 West 34th StreetNew York, New York 10001Phone: (866) 2-YAI-LINKWebsite: www.yai.orgLocation: Home and CenterServices Provided: ABA, Floor Time, Sensory Integration

Yedei ChesedAddress: 48 Scotland Hill RoadChestnut Ridge, New York 10977Phone: (845) 425-0887Website: yedeichesed.orgLocation: Home

Services Provided: Counseling, play therapy, music therapy, par-ent support groups

Yeled v’Yalda Early Childhood CenterAddress: 1312 38th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218 Phone: (718) 686-3700Website: www.yeled.orgLocation: Home and CenterServices Provided: ABA, Sensory integration, Medek, play therapy, parent support groups

EARLY INTERvENTION APPROvED PROGRAMS CONTINuED…

The Ability CenterAddress: 3521 Avenue SBrooklyn, NYPhone: (718) 336-3832Website: Theabilitycenter.netLocation: CenterPopulation: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Au-tism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, ADD/ADHD, Visu-ally Impaired, Hearing Impaired, Learning Disabled, Multiply HandicappedServices: Speech therapy, OT, PT, Sensory Integration, MEDEK

AHRC NYCAddress: 83 Maiden LaneNew York, New York 10038Phone: (212) 780-2500Website: www.ahrcnyc.orgLocation: CenterServices Provided: ABA, Fam-ily Training, PT, OT, SLP, Psych, EvaluationsPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Emotionally Disturbed, Multiply HandicappedServices: Speech therapy, Play therapy/counseling, ABA, Senso-ry Integration, TEACCH, PECSLanguages: SpanishAdd’l. Info: State approved

Aim High Children’s ServicesAddress: 202 Foster AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11230

Phone: (718) 853-1750Website: www.aimhighchild.orgLocation: Home, Center, Will send providers to private schools Population: Mild-severe de-velopmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally Disturbed, Multiply HandicappedServices: SEIT, OT, PT, Speech, Play therapy/counseling, ABA, Floor time, sensory integrationLanguages: Yiddish, Hebrew, Rus-sian, SpanishAdd’l. Info: State approved

All About KidsAddress: 255 Executive Drive, LL 105Plainview, NY 11803Phone: (516) 576-2040Website: www.allaboutkidsny.comLocation: Home Population: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Lan-guage impaired, Learning Dis-abled, ADD/ADHD, Emotionally Disturbed, Hearing Impaired, Visually Handicapped, Multiply HandicappedServices Provided: SEIT, OT, PT, Speech, Play Therapy/Counsel-ing, ABA, Floor Time, Sensory Integration, PROMPT, Feeding Therapy, Tutoring.Languages: Spanish all areas. Please call for specific languages offered by area.

Add’l. Info: Privately funded, State Approved

The Auditory Oral School of New YorkAddress: 3623 Avenue LBrooklyn, New York 11210Phone: (718) 531-1800Website: www.auditoryoral.orgLocation: Home, Center, will send providers to private schools Population: Mild-severe de-velopmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing impairedServices: SEIT, OT, PT, Speech, Play therapy/counseling, HES, ABA, Sensory integration, Speech-language therapy, Au-ditory-oral therapy, Audiologi-cal testing & central auditory processing (CAPD) evaluations, Multidisciplinary evaluations for children birth to five years, Fam-ily counseling, Play therapy, Mu-sic therapyLanguages: Yiddish, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Cantonese, Manda-rin, French, ASLAdd’l. Info: State approved

Center for Hearing and Com-munication (formerly League for the Hard of Hearing)Address: 50 Broadway, 6th floorNew York, New York 10004

Phone: (917) 305-7700Website: www.chchearing.orgLocation: CenterPopulation: Hearing impairedServices provided: Speech, Au-ditory oral speech & language therapy

Comprehensive KidsDevelopmental SchoolAddress: 99 Essex StreetNew York, New York 10002Phone: (212) 566-8855Website: www.comprehensive-center.comLocation: Home, Center, Will send providers to private schoolsPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PPD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Emotionally disturbedServices: SEITLanguages: Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Yiddish, Greek, Russian

Donna Klein and Associates, Inc.Address: 690 North Broadway, Suite GL2White Plains, New York 10603Phone: (914) 686-3116Website: Donnakleintherapy.comLocation: HomePopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PPD, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Multiply HandicappedServices Provided: OT, PT, Sen-sory integration

CPSE SCHOOLS OR CENTERS (3-5)

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

June 2012 77

CPSE SCHOOLS OR CENTERS (3-5)

Add’l Info: State approved

EIS LAASOIS/WIECDCAddress: 22 Middleton StreetBrooklyn, New York 11206Phone: (718) 303-9400Website: www.EISLAASOIS.orgLocation: CenterPopulation: Mild-severe developmen-tal delays, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Emotion-ally disturbed, Visually impaired, Multiply HandicappedServices Provided: OT, PT, Speech, Floor time and Sensory Integration Languages: YiddishAdd’l. Info: State Approved

Evalcare, Inc.Address: 5225 New Utrecht AvenueBrooklyn, New YorkPhone: (718) 686-0100Website: www.evalcare.comLocation: Will send providers to private schoolsPopulation: Hearing impairedServices: SEIT, OT, PT, Speech, Auditory ProcessingAdd’l. Info: State ApprovedHand in Hand Development, Inc Address: 465 Grand Street, 2nd FloorNew York, New York 10002 Phone: (212) 420-1999 ext. 149

Gesher Early Childhood CenterAddress: PO Box 649Cedarhurst, New York 11516Phone: (516) 730-7377Website: www.gesher-ecc.orgLocation: CenterPopulation: Mild developmental delays, Speech & Language impaired, Learning DisabledServices Provided: Sensory IntegrationAdd’l. Info: Privately funded

Hand in Hand Development, Inc.Address: 465 Grand Street, 2nd FloorNew York, New York 10002 Phone: (212) 420-1999 ext. 149

GiGi's Playhouse, Down Syndrome Aware-ness CentersAddress: 106 W117th StreetNew York, New York 10026Mailing Address: P.O. Box 925,NYC, New York 10026Phone: (646) 801-7529

Website: www.newyork.gigisplayhouse.orgContact Information: [email protected], (646) 489-8837

Hebrew Academy for Special Children – HASCAddress: 1311 55th StreetBrooklyn, New YorkPhone: (718) 851-6100Website: www.hasc.netLocation: Home, Center, Will send providers to private schoolsPopulation: Mild-severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Multiply handicappedServices: SEIT, OT, PT, Speech, Play therapy/counseling, Sensory Integration, Medek, Yoga, Augmentative communication, Assistive tech-nology, music therapy, nursingLanguages: Yiddish, Hebrew, Russian, SpanishAddl. Info: State approved, Breakfast pro-vided, Kosher meals, Transportation provided through the Dept. of Ed

A Helping HandAddress: 703 East 4th St., Suite 3Phone: (718) 435-7464Location: Home, Will send providers to pri-vate schools Population: Mild-severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHDServices: ABA, SEIT, State ApprovedLanguages: Yiddish, English

Imagine AcademyAddress: 1458 East 14th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11230Phone: (718) 376-8882Website: www.imagineacademy.comAges Served: 3-21 Hours: 8:30AM-3:30PM Classes: MixedPopulation Served: Moderate to severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDDServices: OT, PT, Speech, Play Therapy/Coun-seling, ABA, Floor time, Pre-vocational, Art, Music, Yoga, Therapeutic SwimLanguages: HebrewAddl. Info: Privately Funded, Transportation provided through the Department of Educa-tion, Lunch provided

78 June 2012

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

Important StepsAddress: 2447 Eastchester Rd., Bronx, New York 10469Phone: (718) 882-2111Website: www.Importantsteps.comLocation: Home and Will send providers to schoolServices Provided: Floor time, Sensory IntegrationPopulation: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Au-tism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Hearing Impaired, Visually ImpairedServices: SEIT, OT, PT, Speech, Play Therapy/counselingLanguage: Spanish, Russian, Pol-ish, Albanian, Italian, Hebrew. Please call for other languages

Kiryas Joel Pre-School (Part of Kiryas Joel uFSD)Address: 1 Diner RoadMonroe, New York 10950Phone: (845) 782-7510Location: Center, Will send pro-viders to private schoolsPopulation: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Au-tism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing Impaired, Visually Im-paired, Multiply handicappedServices: SEIT, OT, PT, Speech, Play Therapy/counseling, ABA, Sensory Integration, MEDEKLanguage: Hebrew, YiddishAdd’l Info: State Approved. Full/Half Day Classes

Los Niños Services Address: 535 8th Ave, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10018Phone: (212) 787-9700Website: www.losninos.comLocation: Home Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hear-ing impaired, Visually impaired, Multiply handicappedServices Provided: SEIT, ABA

Languages: Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Italian, Portuguese, French, and others

National Jewish Council for Disabilities/Yachad (NJCD)Address: 11 Broadway, 13th fl.New York, New York 10004Phone: (212) 613-8229Website: www.njcd.orgLocation: Center, Will send pro-viders to Private SchoolsPopulation: Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Hearing impairedServices Provided: Audiological

Omni Childhood CenterAddress: 1651 Coney Island AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11210Phone: (718) 998-1415Website: www.omnirehab.comLocation: Home, Center, Will send providers to private schools Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing impaired, Multiply handicappedServices: SEIT, OT, PT, Speech, Play therapy/counseling, Sensory Integration, MedekLanguages: Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, PolishAdd’l. Info: State approved

Otsar Family ServicesAddress: 2334 West 13th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11223Phone: (718) 946-7301Website: www.otsar.orgLocation: CenterPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbedServices: OT, PT, Speech, Play therapy/counseling, ABA, Floor Time, Sensory Integration, Music therapy, Dance therapy, Parent workshops & Support groups

School for Children withHidden IntelligenceAddress: 345 Oak StreetLakewood, New Jersey 08701Phone: (732) 886-0900Website: www.schischool.orgLocation: CenterPopulation Served: Moderate to severe developmental delays, Au-tism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, ADD/ ADHD, Hearing impaired, Multiply handicappedServices Provided: OT, PT, Speech, Play therapy/counseling, ABA, floor time, sensory inte-gration, music and art therapy, adaptive physical ed, Therasuit therapy, aqua therapy, animal therapy, etc.Languages: Hebrew, Yiddish

Sesame Sprout, Inc.Address: 96-08 57th AvenueCorona, New York 11368Phone: (718) 271-2294Website: www.sesamesprout-school.com Population: Mild developmental delaysServices: OT, PT, SpeechLanguages: SpanishAdd’l. Info: State approved

Small Wonder PreschoolAddress: 90-45 Myrtle AvenueGlendale, New York 11385Phone: (718) 849-3002Website: www.smallwonders.orgPopulation: Moderate to severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, Hear-ing impaired.Services Provided: OT, PT, Speech, Play therapy/counseling, ABA, Parent Support Groups, Miller Method (for children on the Autism Spectrum).Languages: Spanish, Polish, Cre-ole, Guajarati, Tagalog, Bengali, Arabic, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and American Sign Language, Bilin-gual staff.

uCP of New York CityAddress: 80 Maiden Lane, 8th Floor

New York, New York 10038Phone: (877) 827-2666Website: www.ucpnyc.orgLocation: Center Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Speech & Lan-guage impaired, Learning Dis-abled, Multiply handicappedServices: Floor Time, Sensory IntegrationLanguages: Spanish Additional Info: State Approved, Privately FundedAdd’l Info: State Approved, Pri-vately Funded

YAI NetworkAddress: 460 West 34th StreetNew York, New York 10001Phone: (212) 273-6182Website: www.yai.orgLocation: Home and CenterPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Multiply handicappedServices Provided: SEIT, OT, PT, Speech, Play therapy/coun-seling, ABA, Floor Time, Sen-sory integrationLanguages: Spanish, Chinese, Mandarin, CantoneseAdd’l Info: State Approved & State Funded

Yeled v’Yalda Early Childhood CenterAddress: 1312 38th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218 Phone: (718) 686-3700Website: www.yeled.orgLocation: Home Based, Will send providers to private schoolsPopulation Served: Mild-severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing impaired, Visually im-pairedServices: SEIT, OT, PT, Speech, Play therapy/counseling, ABA, Sensory Integration, MEDEKLanguages: Hebrew, Yiddish, Russian, Spanish

CPSE SCHOOLS OR CENTERS (3-5) CONTINuED…

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

June 2012 79

CSE SCHOOLS OR CENTERS (5-21)AHRC NYCAddress: 83 Maiden LaneNew York, New York 10038Phone: (212) 780-2500Website: www.ahrcnyc.orgPopulation: Autism/PDD, Multiply HandicappedAges: 5-21 Gender: Boys & Girls Classes: Mixed Hours: 8:00 – 2:30 Therapies: Elementary: PT, OT, SLP, Psych, Art therapy; Middle/High School: Psych, con-sultant model for OT/SLP, Art therapyAdd’l Info: State approved, Handicap acces-sible, Lunch provided, Transportation avail. through Dept. of Ed

All About KidsAddress: 255 Executive Drive, LL 105,Plainview, New York 11803Phone: (516) 576-2040Website: www.allaboutkidsny.comPopulation: Mild to moderate to severe de-velopmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Emotionally Disturbed, Hearing Im-paired, Visually Handicapped, Multiply Hand-icappedAges: 5-21 Gender: Boys & GirlsClasses: Mixed Hours: Mon-Friday 8am-7PM. Authorized ser-vices provided at our facilities are offered Mon-Thurs 8am -7pm & Fri 8am-5pm. Privately funded services are offered in a child’s home and/or community Mon-Sat 8am-7pm.Services Provided: OT, PT, Speech, Social Work/Counseling, ABA, Floor Time, Behavior Intervention, Psychological, Parent Training, Staff Training& Consultations and Tutoring.Languages: Spanish all areas. Please call for specific languages offered by area.Add’l. Info: Privately funded, State Approved. Handicapped Accessible

Arrowsmith Program at Beth Jacob of Boro ParkAddress: 1371 46th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11219Add’l Info: For more information about the Ar-rowsmith Program at Beth Jacob of Boro Park, please contact Rachel Zimmerman at (718) 755-1977 Or Malkie Deutsch (917) 562-7068.

Arrowsmith Program at Beis Chaya MushkaAddress: 1505 Carroll StreetBrooklyn, New York 11213Phone: (718) 756 0770 E-mail: [email protected]

Add’l Info: For information about the Arrow-smith Program at Beis Chaya Mushka please contact Rabbi Levi Plotkin, Principal

Arrowsmith Program at Eitz Chaim Schools Address: 475 Patricia AvenueToronto ON M2R 2N1Phone: (416) 225-1187E-mail: [email protected]’l. Info: For information about the Arrow-smith Program at EitzChaim please contact Rabbi IsserPliner, Principal

Arrowsmith Program at Jewish Educational Center Address: 330 Elmora AvenueElizabeth, New Jersey 07208Phone: (908) 355-4850 Add’l Info: For information about the Arrow-smith Program at the JEC contact Rabbi Eli-yahu D. Teitz, Associate Dean

Arrowsmith Program at Yeshiva Degel Hatorah Address: 111 Maple AvenueSpring Valley, New York 10977Gender: Yeshiva DegelHatorah has a separate boys and girls Arrowsmith Program.Add’l Info: For information, please contact Marsha Feuer at (845)304-7053 or email: [email protected]

Arrowsmith Program at Yeshiva Tiferes TorahAddress: 75 East End AvenueLakewood, New Jersey 08701Phone: (732) 370-9889Email: [email protected]’l Info: For information about the Arrow-smith Program at Yeshiva Tiferes Torah please contact Rabbi Feldman, Principal

C.A.H.A.L.Address: 540-A Willow AvenueCedarhurst, New York 11516Phone: (516) 295-3666Website: www.cahal.orgPopulation: Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHDAges: 5-18 Gender: Boys & Girls Classes: Separate & mixed Hours: 8:00 – 5:00 Services: OT, PT, SPEECHAddl. Info: Therapies provided on site, Lunch provided, Kosher Meals, Transportation through Dept. of Ed.

Pesach TikvahDoor Of HopeFamily & Children Services• Services for Children with Special Needs• Recovery Based Residences• Respite Program • Family Counseling Center• Psychiatric Assessment and Treatment• Continuing Day Treatment Program• Holocaust Survivors Program• Summer Program for Children with Developmental Disabilities

PESACH TIKVAHHOPE DEVELOPMENT, INC.18 Middleton StreetBrooklyn, NY 11206Tel: 718-875-6900Fax: 718-875-6999Web: www.pesachtikvah.orgE-Mail: [email protected]

80 June 2012

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

Donna Klein and Associates, Inc.Address: 690 North Broadway, Suite GL2White Plains, New York 10603Phone: (914) 686-3116Website: Donnakleintherapy.comPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PPD, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Multiply HandicappedServices Provided: OT, PTAdd’l Info: State approved, Ther-apies provided on site

Ezra Hatzvy AcademyAddress: 2555 Nostrand AvenueBrooklyn, New York Phone: (718) 975-1041Website: Ezrahatzvy.comAges: 5-21 Gender: Boys/Girls Classes: MixedHours: 9:00-4:00PMPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Hearing impaired, Emotionally disturbed, Vision impaired, Mul-tiply handicappedServices Provided: ABA, Floor time, Aquatics, OT, PT, SP.Languages: YiddishAdd’l Info: Privately funded, Handicapped accessible, Thera-pies provided on site, Transpor-tation through Dept. of Ed.

Gesher Early Childhood CenterAddress: PO Box 649Cedarhurst, New York 11516Phone: (516) 730-7377Website: www.gesher-ecc.orgPopulation: Mild developmental delays, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning DisabledAges: 3-6 years old (nursery, kin-dergarten, PRE-1A)Gender: Male & FemaleClasses: MixedHours: Mon-Thurs: 8:30-3:30, Fri: 8:30-12:15Services: Classrooms run by Early Childhood Special Educa-tion Teachers providing a dual curriculum, Related Services are provided on site thru CPSE agen-

cies or the BOE Add’l. Info: Privately funded

Gesher Yehuda YeshivaAddress: 49 Avenue TBrooklyn, New York 11223Phone: (718) 714-7400Population: Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ADHDAges: 5-13 Gender: Male & Fe-maleClasses: Mixed Hours: 8:45-4:15Services: ST, OT, CounselingAddl. Info: Privately funded, Transportation provided through Dept. of Ed.

GiGi's Playhouse, Down Syn-drome Awareness CentersAddress: 106 W117th StreetNew York, New York 10026Mailing Address: P.O. Box 925,NYC, New York 10026Phone: (646) 801-7529Website: www.newyork.gigis-playhouse.orgContact Information: [email protected], (646) 489-8837

Girls’ Program – An Alternative Educational Program for Girls Ages 5-9 Address: 2221 Avenue RBrooklyn, New York 11229Phone: (718) 336-5296 Fax: (718) 336-5298Ages: 5-9 Gender: Girls Hours: 9-3:45Population: Mild developmental delays, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning DisabledServices: OT, PT, Speech, Coun-selingAddl. Info: Therapies provided on site, Lunch Provided, Meals kosher, Transportation through Dept. of Ed.

Ha’or Beacon SchoolAddress: 2884 Nostrand AvenueBrooklyn, New YorkPhone: (718) 951-3650Population: Autism/PDD, Learn-ing Disabled, Speech & Language Impaired, ADD/ ADHD, Emo-

tionally disturbedAges: 5-13 Gender: MaleHours: 9:00-4:00Services: Speech, OT, PT, CounselingAddl. Info: Therapies provided on site, Privately funded, Lunch provided, Kosher meals, Trans-portation provided through Dept. of Ed

HASC School Age ProgramAddress: 6220 14th AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11230Phone: (718) 331-1624Ages: 5-21 Gender: Male & FemaleClasses: Separate & MixedHours: 8:30-2:45Population Served: Moder-ate to severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Multiply handicappedServices: ABA, Carbone, OT, PT, Speech, Counseling, Vision, Hearing, Medically Frail, NurseLanguages: Yiddish, Hebrew, RussianAddl. Info: State Approved, After School Program, Kosher Break-fast and Lunch, Transportation provided through the Board of Education

HASC@RemsenAddress: 555 Remsen AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11236Phone: (718) 495-3510Website: www.hasc.netPopulation: Mild to Moderate to severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Emotionally dis-turbed, Multiply handicappedAges: 5-12 Gender: Boys & GirlsClasses: MixedHours: 8:45-2:15Services: SP, OT, PT, CounselingAddl. Info: State Approved

HASC Spring valleyAddress: 46 Grandview AvenueSpring Valley, New York 10977Phone: (845) 356-0191Website: www.hasc.netLocation: Home and CenterPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD,

Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Hearing impaired, Vision im-paired, Multiply handicappedServices Provided: ABA, Senso-ry integration, SEIT, OT, PT, SP, Play therapy/CounselingLanguages: YiddishAdd’l Info: State approved

HASC Woodmere Address: 321 Woodmere Blvd., Woodmere, New York 11598Phone: (516) 295-1340Website: www.hasc.netPopulation: Mild to severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Multiply handicappedServices Provided: SEIT, OT, PT, Speech, Play Therapy/Counsel-ing, Parent TrainingAdd’l. Info: State approved

HASC Center, IncAddress: 5601 First AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11220Phone: (718) 535-1953Website: www.hasccenter.orgLocation: Center Population: Mild to severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired

A Helping HandAddress: 703 East 4th StreetPhone: (718) 435-7464Ages: 5-21Population: Moderate to severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHDServices: ABA, SEIT, PendencyLanguages: Yiddish, English

Imagine AcademyAddress: 1458 East 14th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11230Phone: (718) 376-8882Website: www.imagineacademy.comAges Served: 3-21Hours: 8:30AM-3:30PMClasses: Mixed

CSE SCHOOLS OR CENTERS (5-21) CONTINuED…

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

June 2012 81

Population Served: Moderate to severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDDServices: OT, PT, Speech, Play Therapy/Coun-seling, ABA, Floor time, Pre-vocational, Art, Music, Yoga, Therapeutic SwimLanguages: HebrewAddl. Info: Privately Funded, Transportation provided through the Department of Educa-tion, Lunch provided

IvDu Elementary School for Girls Address: 1277 East 14th StreetBrooklyn, New YorkPhone: (718) 758-2999Website: www.NJCD.orgAges: Kindergarten-grade 5Gender: GirlsPopulation: Learning Disabilities, Mild devel-opmental disabilities, Speech & Language De-lays, ADD/ADHDServices: OT, PT, SEIT, Speech, counseling Add’l. Info: Therapies provided on site, Trans-portation provided from all 5 boroughs

IvDu upper School Boys Division Address: 1305 Coney Island AvenueBrooklyn, NYPhone: (718) 372-7203 Website: www.NJCD.org Ages: 13-21 Gender: BoysPopulation: Learning Disabilities, Mild-mod-erate developmental disabilities, Speech & Language Impaired, ADD/ADHD, ED, broad range of needs (students grouped by ability level)Services: Speech, Therapy, OT, Counseling, Travel Training, Vocational TrainingAdd’l. Info: Transportation provided from all 5 boroughs

IvDu upper School Girls Division Address: 1277 East 14th streetBrooklyn, New York 11230Phone: (718) 677-4279 Website: www.NJCD.org Ages: 13-21 Gender: GirlsPopulation: Learning Disabilities, Mild-mod-erate developmental disabilities, Speech & Language Impaired, ADD/ ADHD, ED, broad range of needs (students grouped by ability level)Services: Speech, Therapy, OT, Counseling, Travel Training, Vocational TrainingAdd’l. Info: Transportation provided from all 5 boroughs

Kinor Dovid - HarmonyAddress: 3820 14th AvenueBrooklyn, New YorkPhone: (718) 435-8080Website: www.harmonyservices.org Population: Mild to Moderate developmental delaysAges: 18+ Gender: Male Classes: SeparateGroups: Small groups, separate for men & womenHours: M-Th: 9-3, 3-7:30; Fri. & Sun: 9-1:30Services: OT, PT, Speech, Counseling, Pre-vocationalLanguages: Yiddish, HebrewAdd’l. Info: On-site therapies, Center based, DayHab without walls, Vocational Services, Handicap Accessible, Kosher food provided, Transportation providedOptional Beis Medresh Program.

Kinor Malka - HarmonyAddress: 1467 39th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 435-8080Website: www.harmonyservices.org Population: Mild to Moderate developmental delaysGroups: Small groups, separate for men & womenAges: 18+ Gender: Female Classes: SeparateHours: M-Th: 9-3, 3-7:30; Fri. & Sun: 9-1:30Services: OT, PT, Speech, Counseling, Pre-vocationalLanguages: Yiddish, HebrewAdd’l. Info: On-site therapies, Center based, DayHab without walls, Vocational Services, Handicap Accessible, Kosher food provided, Transportation providedOptional Seminary Program.

The Manhattan Children’s Center Address: 124 West 95th Street,New York City 10025 Phone: (212) 749-4604Website: www.manhattanchildrenscenter.orgPopulation: Autism/PDDAges: 3-18 Gender: Males/FemalesGroups: MixedSchool Hours: 8:30-2:45PMServices: ABA, OT, SpeechAdd’l. Info: Privately funded, Therapies pro-vided on site, Transportation provided through Dept. of Ed


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RESOURCES DIRECTORY

82 June 2012

Ohr HaLimud – The Multi-Sen-sory Learning CenterAddress: 1681 42nd StreetBrooklyn, New York 11204Phone: (718) 972-0170Website: www.ohrhalimud.orgAges: 7-14 Gender: Girls Hours: 8:30-4:00Population Served: DyslexiaServices: A complete transitional Bais Yaakov, uniform wearing school that utilizes the scientifically based Orton-Gillingham approach to teach all subjects with emphasis on reading, writing, and spelling in both English and Hebrew.Languages: YiddishAdd’l Info: Kosher Meals, Trans-portation provided through Dept. of Ed., After School Program Monday thru Thursday/Sunday, Accepts P3s.

Omni Childhood CenterAddress: 1651 Coney Island Ave.Brooklyn, New York 11210Phone: (718) 998-1415Website: www.omnirehab.comAges: 0-21 Gender: Boys & GirlsClasses: SeparatePopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing impaired, Multiply handicappedServices: ABA, Pre-vocationalLanguages: Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, PolishAdd’l. Info: State approved, Ther-apies provided on-site, Handicap accessible, Transportation pro-vided through Dept. of Ed

P’TACHAddress: 1428 36th Street #211Brooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 854-8600Website: www.ptach.orgPopulation: Learning DisabledAges: 6-18 Gender: Boys & GirlsSchools: Separate schools Hours: 8:45-5:00Services: Speech, CounselingLanguages: YiddishAdd’l Info: Therapies provided on-site, Transportation provided

through Dept. of Ed.

PS/IS 226-BiYAddress: 6006 23rd Ave Brooklyn, New York 11204Phone: (646)339-9041Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Speech & Lan-guage impaired, Learning Dis-abled, ADD/ADHD, Multiply HandicappedAges Served: 11-15 Gender: Boys and Girls School Hours: 8:00-3:00PMLanguages: Yiddish, HebrewAdd’l Info: Transportation Pro-vided through Department of Education, Kosher Breakfast Pro-vided, Handicapped AccessibleServices: OT, PT, Speech, Guidance and Pre-vocational

School for Children with Hidden IntelligenceAddress: 345 Oak StreetLakewood, New Jersey 08701Phone: (732) 886-0900Website: www.schischool.orgLocation: CenterPopulation Served: Moderate-severe developmental delays, Au-tism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, ADD/ ADHD, Emo-tionally Disturbed, Hearing im-paired, Visually impaired, Multi-ply handicappedAges: 3-21 Gender: Male & femaleClasses: Separate and MixedServices Provided: OT, PT, Speech, Counseling, ABA, floor time, pre-vocational, main-streaming, music & art therapy, Therasuit therapy, adaptive phys ed, job training, aqua therapy, animal therapy, computers, etcLanguages: Hebrew, Yiddish, SpanishAdd’l Info: Therapies provided on site, state approved, Handi-cap accessible, Breakfast and Lunch provided, Kosher meals, Transportation provided through Dept. of Ed.

SEAD - Special Education Acad-emy of DealAddress: 1 Meridian RoadEatontown, New Jersey 07724Phone: (732) 460-1700Website: www.seadschool.orgPopulation: Mild developmen-tal delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language Impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHDAges: 3-14 Gender: Boys & GirlsClasses: Mixed Hours: 8:30-4:00Services: OT, PT, Speech, Social SkillsAdd’l Info: Therapies provided on site, Handicap Accessible, Lunch Provided, Kosher Meals, Private Transportation provided, Privately Funded

Shema Kolainu – Hear Our voicesAddress: 4302 New Utrecht Ave.,Brooklyn, New York 11219Phone: (718) 686-9600Website: www.shemakolainu.orgPopulation: Moderate-severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, ADD/ ADHD, Emotion-ally Disturbed, Hearing impaired, Visually impaired, Multiply handicappedAges: 5-11 Gender: Boys & GirlsClasses: Mixed Hours: 8:30am-2pmServices: ABA, OT, PT, SpeechAdd’l Info: State Approved, Handicap Accessible, Therapies provided on-site, Transportation through Dept. of Ed.

Sinai SchoolsAddress: 1485 Teaneck Road, Suite 300, Teaneck, NJ 07666Phone: (201) 833-1134Website: www.sinaischools.orgPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing impaired, Visually impairedAges: 6-21 Gender: Boys & GirlsLanguages: HebrewClasses: Separate & MixedHours: 8:00am-4pm

Services: OT, Speech, Counsel-ing, ABAAdd’l Info: Therapies provided on site, Privately Funded, Handi-cap Accessible, Breakfast and Lunch provided, Kosher Meals, Private Transportation & Trans-portation provided through Dept. of Ed.

STEP (Special Torah Education)Address: 3005 Ave LBrooklyn, New York 11210 Phone: (718) 252-8822 Population: Moderate to severe de-velopmental delays, Autism/PDD, ADD/ ADHD, Multiply handi-capped, Emotionally disturbed, Speech & Language impairedAges: 5-21Gender: Boys and GirlsClasses: Separate Hours: 9-4Services: OT, PT, Speech, Coun-seling, AquaticLanguages: Hebrew, YiddishAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, Lunch provided, Kosher meals, Transportation through Dept. of Ed.

uCP of New York CityAddress: 80 Maiden Lane, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10038Phone: (877) 827-2666Website: www.ucpnyc.orgPopulation: Moderate to severe developmental delays, Multiply handicappedGender: Boys & GirlsClasses: Mixed Hours: 8-2Services: OT, PT, Speech, Play therapy/counselingLanguages: SpanishAdd’l Info: State Approved, Pri-vately Funded, Therapies provided on site, Handicap Accessible, Break-fast & Lunch Provided, Transporta-tion through Dept. of Ed.

The Yaldeinu SchoolAddress: 1600 63rd StreetBrooklyn, New York 11204Phone: (718) 851-0123Population: Autism/PDDAges: 5-11 Gender: Boys & GirlsClasses: Separate Hours: 9–3Services: ABA, OT, Speech


RESOURCES DIRECTORY

THERAPY & EvALuATION SERvICES

June 2012 83

The Ability CenterAddress: 3521 Avenue SBrooklyn, New YorkPhone: (718) 336-3832Website: Theabilitycenter.netLocation: CenterPopulation: Mild to moderate to severe de-velopmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, ADD/ADHD, Visually Impaired, Hearing Impaired, Learning Dis-abled, Multiply HandicappedServices: Speech therapy, OT, PT, Sensory In-tegration, MEDEKAdd’l Info: Accepts RSA’s, Handicapped Accessible

AHRC NYCAddress: 83 Maiden LaneNew York, New York 10038Phone: (212) 780-2500Website: www.ahrcnyc.orgLocation: Home and CenterAges: Evaluations from birth – 3 yrs.Population: Mild-severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Multiply HandicappedServices: PT, OT, Speech/Language, Special EdLanguages: ASL, French, Japanese, Korean, Serbian, SpanishAdd’l Info: No cost, EI & CPSE evals, Handi-cap accessible

All About KidsAddress: 255 Executive Drive, LL 105Plainview, New York 11803Phone: (516) 576-2040Website: www.allaboutkidsny.comLocation: Home, Center, Will send providers to private schoolsAges: Birth - 21Population: Mild to moderate to severe de-velopmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Emotionally Disturbed, Hear-ing Impaired, Visually Handicapped, Multi-ply HandicappedServices Provided: OT, PT, Speech, Special Education, Social Work, ABA, Floor Time, Behavior Intervention, Educational Evalu-ations, Psychological, Parent Training, Staff Training, Consultations, Neuropsychological Evaluations, Audiological Evaluations, Hear-ing/Vision & Mobility Services, Sensory In-tegration, PROMPT, Feeding Evaluations & Therapy, Group Therapy, Transition Planning and Home Tutoring.Languages: Spanish all areas. Please call for specific languages offered by area.Add’l. Info: Handicapped Accessible. Private Evaluations provided.

Languages: YiddishAdd’l Info: Therapies provided on site, Lunch provided, Kosher meals, Transportation through Dept. of Ed.

Yeshiva Bonim LamokomAddress: 425 East 9th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 693-9032Population: Mild developmental delaysAges: 5-21 Gender: BoysHours: 9–5Services: OT, PT, Speech, CounselingLanguages: Yiddish Add’l Info: Privately funded, Therapies pro-vided on site, Breakfast & Lunch provided, Ko-sher meals, Transportation provided through Dept. of Ed.

Yeshiva Binyan OlemAddress: 68 Franklin AvenueBrooklyn, New YorkPhone: (718) 302-5222Population: Mild to severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-

paired, ADD/ADHD, Learning Disabled.Ages: 12-18 Gender: BoysHours: 8-6PMServices: OT, PT, Speech, CounselingLanguages: Yiddish Add’l Info: Privately funded, Therapies pro-vided on site, Breakfast & Lunch provided, Ko-sher meals, Transportation provided. Handi-cap Accessible.

YESS! Yeshiva Education for Special Students Address: 147-37 70th RoadFlushing, New York 11367Phone: (718) 268-5976Website: www.yessyeshiva.orgPopulation: Mild developmental delays, Speech & Language impaired, Learning DisabledAges: 5-14 Gender: Boys & GirlsClasses: Mixed Hours: 8AM-3:45 & Fri. 8AM-1:30Services: OT, PT, speech, counseling Add’l Info: Therapies provided on site, Pri-vately Funded, Handicap Accessible, Breakfast & Lunch Provided, Kosher Meals, Transporta-tion through Dept. of Ed.


RESOURCES DIRECTORY

84 June 2012

Arrowsmith ProgramAddress: 245 St. Clair Ave, West, TorontoPhone: (416) 963-4962Website: www.arrowsmithschool.orgPopulation: Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ADHDServices: It is available to public and private schools. It Identifies, Intervenes and Strengthens the weak cognitive capacities that af-fect learning through a program of specific cognitive exercises. For over 30 years the Arrowsmith program has proven effective for students having difficulty with eading, writing and mathemat-ics, comprehension, logical rea-soning, problem solving, visual and auditort memory, non-verbal learning, attention, processing speed and dyslexia.

The Auditory Oral School of New YorkAddress: 3623 Avenue LBrooklyn, New York 11210Phone: (718) 531-1800 Website: www.auditoryoral.orgLocation: Home, Center, Will send providers to private schoolsAges: Birth to school age (EI – CSE)Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing impairedServices: SEIT, OT, PT, Speech/Language, Special Ed, Counsel-ing, Sensory Integration, Hearing Education Services (HES)Languages: English, Yiddish, He-brew, Russian, Mandarin, Can-tonese, ASLAdd’l Info: Accept RSA’s & P3’s, For audiological evaluations pending acceptance of insurance, Handicap accessible, Private eval-uations

Blanche Kahn Diagnostic CenterAddress: 1121 East 14th StreetBrooklyn, New York

Phone: (718) 434-4600E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.hasccenter.org/center.phpServices: Uniquely Designed to meet the Medical Needs of People with Disabilities, In-ternal Medicine, Podiatric Medicine, Physiatry, Neurol-ogy, Psychiatry, OT, PT, Speech Therapy, Women’s Health, Ge-riatric Medicine, Dermatology, Psychosocial EvaluationsLanguages: Yiddish, Hebrew, Russian Add’l Info: Accepts Medicaid and Medicare, Handicap acces-sible, Extended Hours

Center for Hearing and Com-munication (formerly League for the Hard of Hearing)Address: 50 Broadway, 6th FloorNew York, New York 10004Phone: (917) 305-7700Website: www.chchearing.orgLocation: Center Population: Hear-ing impairedServices: Psych-educational eval-uations, auditory oral speech and language therapyAdd’l Info: Accepts insurance

ChaverimAddress: 1704 Avenue MBrooklyn, New York 11230Phone: (718) 692-0430Location: Center Ages: 8-18Gender: Boys & Girls Groups: SeparatePopulation: Speech & Language ImpairedServices: Speech/Language, Group therapy exclusively for children with ASPERGERS SYN-DROME to enhance social skills.Add’l Info: Accepts insurance

Comprehensive Children’s Ther-apy ServicesAddress: 99 Essex StreetNew York, New York 10002Phone: (212) 566-8855Website: www.comprehensive-center.com

Location: Home, Center, Will send providers to private schools Ages: 3-16Services: OT, PT, Speech, Coun-selingLanguages: Spanish, YiddishAdd’l Info: Accepts RSA’s

Comprehensive Evaluation ServicesAddress: 460 Grand StreetNew York, New York 10002Phone: (212) 566-8853Website: www.comprehensiveevalu-ations.comLocation: Home, Center, School Ages: 3-5Disciplines: Speech, OT, Physi-cal, Developmental, Psychologi-cal, Social HistoryLanguages: Spanish

Donna Klein and Associates, Inc.Address: 690 North Broadway, Suite GL2White Plains, New York 10603Phone: (914) 686-3116Website: Donnakleintherapy.comLocation: Home, Will send pro-viders to private schools Ages: Birth-18 years Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PPD, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Multiply HandicappedServices Provided: OT, PT, Sen-sory Integration, Will conduct private evaluationsAdd’l Info: Provide services in several school districts in Westchester.

EIS LAASOIS/WIECDCAddress: 22 Middleton StreetBrooklyn, New York 11206Phone: (718) 303-9400Website: www.EISLAASOIS.orgLocation: Home and Center Ages: 0-18Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Speech & Lan-guage impaired, Learning Dis-abled, Emotionally disturbed, Visually impaired, Multiply Handicapped

Services Provided: OT, PT, Speech, Floor time and Sensory Integration Languages: YiddishAdd’l. Info: Accept RSA’s

Euro-Peds National Center for Intensive Pediatric PTAddress: 461 W. Huron Street #406Pontiac, MI 48341Phone: (248) 857-6776Website: www.europeds.orgAges: 1-21 Location: CenterPopulation: Mild-severe de-velopmental delays, Multiply HandicappedServices Provided: PT, Euro-pean-based Intensive PT for the treatment of non-progressive neuromuscular disorder.Add’l. Info: Accepts most major health insurances

HarmonyAddress: 1070 East 17th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11230 &1467 39th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 986-7648Location: HHome, Center, Will send providers to private programs Ages: 18+ for therapy, 3+ for psychological and psychosocial evaluationsPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Multiply handicappedServices: OT, PT, Speech/Lan-guage, private evaluations, Coun-seling, ABA, Sensory Integration, Augmentative CommunicationLanguages: Yiddish, Hebrew, Spanish, Russian Add’l Info: Accepts RSA’s and Insurance, Handicap Accessible, Full service Article 16 Clinic Providing on-site and homecare services.

Hebrew Academy for Special ChildrenAddress: 1311 55th StreetPhone: (718) 851-6100Website: www.hasc.netLocation: Home, Will send pro-

THERAPY & EvALuATION SERvICES CONTINuED…

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

June 2012 85


viders to private schools Ages: Birth – 5Population: Mild-severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Multiply handicappedServices: OT, PT, Speech & Language, Spe-cial Ed, Psychological, Audiological, MEDEK, ABA, Sensory Integration, Floor Time.Lan-guages: Hebrew, Yiddish, RussianAddl. Info: Handicap Accessible

HASC@RemsenAddress: 555 Remsen AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11236Phone: (718) 495-3510Website: www.hasc.netLocation: Center Ages: 3-5Population: Mild-severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Multiply handicappedServices: OT, PT, Speech/Language, Special Ed, ABA, Sensory IntegrationAddl. Info: Handicap Accessible

HASC Center, IncAddress: 5601 First AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11220Phone: (718) 535-1953Website: www.hasccenter.orgLocation: CenterPopulation: Mild-severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, Multiply handi-cappedServices: OT, PT, Speech/Language, Private evaluationsLanguages: Yiddish, HebrewAdd’l Info: Insurance accepted, Handicap Ac-cessible

The Haven for Stuttering, PLLCAddress: 17 Pennington WaySpring Valley, New York 10977Phone: (845) 517-0965Website: www.stutteringhaven.orgLocation: Center Ages: 3-adultPopulation: Mild to severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, Emotionally disturbed, Hear-ing impairedServices Offered: Speech Language, Evals, Counseling, Refresher SessionsLanguages: Hebrew, Spanish

HorseAbility / Center for Equine Facilitated ProgramsAddress: SUNY College at Old Westbury / PO Box 410-1 / Old Westbury, New York 11568Phone: (516) 333-6151Website: www.horseability.orgLocation: Center Ages: 3+Population: Mild-severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing Impaired, Vi-sually Impaired, Multiply handicapped.Services Offered: Speech Language, Private Evaluations, OT/PT, Hippotherapy, Therapeu-tic Riding, Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy.Languages: AMSAdd’l Info: Therapists are independent con-tractors and payment is submitted directly for Hippotherapy (PT, OT, ST) and EFP (Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy). Services may be reimbursed depending on which insurance the therapist’s practice accepts, Handicap Ac-cessible.

Important StepsAddress: 2447 Eastchester Rd., Bronx, NY 10469Phone: (718) 882-2111Website: www.Importantsteps.comLocation: Home, Center and Will send pro-viders to schoolPopulation: Mild to moderate to severe de-velopmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Hearing Impaired, Visually ImpairedServices: SEIT, OT, PT, Speech, Special Ed, Floor time, Sensory IntegrationLanguage: Spanish, Russian, Polish, Albanian, Italian, Hebrew. Please call for other languagesAdd’l. Info: Handicap accessible

Jumpstart Early Intervention ProgramAddress: 3914 15th AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 853-9700Location: Home, Will send providers to pri-vate schools Ages: 0-3 yearsServices: OT, PT, Speech/Language, Special Ed, Sensory Integration, MEDEKPopulation: Mild-severe developmental delay, Speech & Language impaired, ADD/ADHD, Hearing impaired, Visually impaired, Multiply handicapped

86 June 2012

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

Los Niños Services Address: 535 8th Ave., 2nd FloorNew York, New York 10018Phone: (212) 787-9700Website: www.losninos.comLocation: Home, Center, Will send providers to private schoolsAges: 0-5Population: Mild-severe de-velopmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing impaired, Visually im-paired, Multiply handicappedServices Provided: ABA, Private EvaluationsLanguages: Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Italian, Portuguese, French, and others

McCarton CenterAddress: 350 E. 82nd StreetNew York, New York 10028Phone: (212) 996-9019Website: www.mccartoncenter.comLocation: Home, Center, Will send providers to private schoolsAges: 2-13Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delay, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, ADD/ ADHDServices: ABA, OT, Speech/Lan-guage, private evaluations

National Jewish Council for Disabilities/Yachad (NJCD)Address: 11 Broadway, 13th fl.New York, New York 10004Phone: (212) 613-8229Website: www.njcd.orgLocation: Center, Will send pro-viders to Private SchoolsAges: 5-21Population: Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, Hearing impairedServices Provided: Audiological, Will Conduct Private EvaluationsAdd’l. Info: Accepts Insurance, Private Evaluations provided.

Omni Childhood CenterAddress: 1651 Coney Island Avenue

Brooklyn, New York 11210Phone: (718) 998-1415Website: www.omnirehab.comLocation: Home, Center, Will send providers to private schoolsAges: 0-21Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing impaired, Multiply handicappedServices: OT, PT, Speech/Lan-guage, Special Ed, Private evalu-ations, ABA, MEDEK Languages: Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, PolishAdd’l Info: Accepts RSA’s, P3s, and all Major Insurance, Handi-cap Accessible

Pesach Tikvah-Hope DevelopmentAddress: 18 Middleton StreetBrooklyn, New York 11206Phone: (718) 875-6900Website: www.pesachtikvah.orgLocation: Center Based, Will send Providers to Private SchoolsAges: 5+Population: Autism/PDD, Learn-ing Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Multiply handicappedServices: Psychiatric and phar-macologicalLanguages: Hebrew, Yiddish, SpanishAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, Ac-cepts insurance

Shema Kolainu – Hear Our voicesAddress: 4302 New Utrecht Ave.Brooklyn, New York 11219Phone: (718) 686-9600Website: www.shemakolainu.orgLocation: Home and Center Based, Will send Providers to Pri-vate Schools Ages: 0-5Population: Mild-severe de-velopmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing impaired, Visually im-

paired, Multiply handicappedServices: ABA, OT, PT, Speech/Language, Special EdLanguages: Hebrew, Yiddish, SpanishAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible

Sweet Dream Therapy Farm, Delta Society FacilityAddress: Sweet Dream Therapy Farm, 826 Green Valley Road, Jackson, New Jersey 08527 on the border of Lakewood NJPhone: (732) 806 - 7370Website: sweetdreamtherapy-farm.webs.comLocation: Home and CenterPopulation Served: Mild-severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing impaired, Visually im-paired, multiply handicapped.Ages: 1-Adult Services Provided: Animal As-sisted Activities and Therapies. We use a wide diversity of gentle, trained animals, Sensory Inte-gration, Emotional stabilization, Speech assistance and progres-sion, physical developmental as-sistance, developmental learning assistance. Work with OTs, PTs, Speech, Drs, Schools.Languages: Hebrew, Yiddish and EnglishAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, does not accept insurance.

Therapy for KidsAddress: 68-68 Main StreetFlushing, New York 11367Phone: (718) 793-5202Location: Home, Center, Will send providers to private school Ages: 3-21Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Hearing impaired, Visually im-paired, Multiply handicappedServices: Sensory Integration, Therapeutic Listing Program,

Handwriting Programs, Sensory Gym, OT, PT, Speech/Language, private evaluations, Therapy TreatmentLanguages: Hebrew, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Yiddish, Greek, Italian, TagalogAdd’l Info: Accept RSA’s, Handi-cap Accessible

Therapy in Motion Address: 856 - 46th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11220 Phone: (718) 435-7000Location: Center Services: MEDEK, PT

Tikvah at OHELAddress: 2925A Kings HighwayBrooklyn, New York 11210 Phone: (718) 382-0045Website: www.ohelfamily.orgLocation: Center Ages: 3+Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, emotional challengesServices: Family, Couple, & Indi-vidual counseling, Child & Adult counseling, Psychotherapy, Psy-chiatric Evaluation, Medication Treatment Add’l Info: Accepts Medicaid, Medi-care & Many other ins. On a sliding scale, Handicap Accessible

uCP of New York CityAddress: 80 Maiden Lane, 8th Floor,New York, NY 10038Phone: (877) 827-2666Website: www.ucpnyc.orgLocation: Center Ages: 3-21Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Speech & Lan-guage impaired, Learning Dis-abled, Multiply handicappedServices: Floor Time, Sensory Integration, OT, PT, Speech/Lan-guage, Special Ed

Watch Me GrowLocation 1 Address: 162 West 72nd St., Suite 5, NY, NY 10023Location 2 Address: 361 East 19th St., Suite 2, NY, NY 10003Phone: (212) 721-5220


RESOURCES DIRECTORY

June 2012 87


Website: www.WatchMeGrowNYC.comLocation: Center, Will send providers to private schoolsAges: 0-21Population: Mild-severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing Impaired, Visually ImpairedServices Provided: OT, PT and Speech Therapy, Sensory IntegrationAdditional Info: Accept RSA’s, Private evaluations

YAI NetworkAddress: 460 West 34th StreetNew York, New York 10001Phone: (212) 273-6182Website: www.yai.orgLocation: Home & Center Ages: AllPopulation: Mild-severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Multiply handicappedServices: OT, PT, Speech/Language, Special

Ed, ABA, Floor Time, Sensory integration, All therapies for children and adults of all agesLanguages: variesAdditional Info: Private evaluations, Autism evaluations, Handicap Accessible

Yeled v’Yalda EarlyChildhood CenterAddress: 1312 38th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218 Phone: (718) 686-3700Website: www.yeled.orgLocation: Home, Center, Will send providers to private schools Ages: 0-21 years Population: Mild-severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing impaired, Visually impaired Services: ABA, Sensory Integration, Medek, OT, PT, Speech/Language, Special Ed, play therapy/counselingLanguages: Yiddish, Hebrew, SpanishAdd’l Info: Accepts RSA’s and P3s

AHRC NYCAddress: 83 Maiden LaneNew York, New York 10038Phone: (212) 780-2500Website: www.ahrcnyc.orgLocation: Camp Anne - Ancramdale, NY and Harriman Lodge - East Jewett, NYDuration: 3 weeksType: Sleep-Away campAges: Children 5-20 & adults 21+Gender: Male & Female, mixedPopulation: Mild-severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Emotionally Disturbed, Multiply handicappedSpecial services: Daily Living SkillsAdd’l Info: Handicap accessible, NY State ap-proved, accept children not toilet trained

Bonim LamokomAddress: 425 East 9th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 693-9032Website: BonimLamokom.comLocation: Liberty, NY

Duration: 8 weeksPopulation: Mild developmental delaysAges: 12-25 Gender: BoysHours: 9–5Add’l Info: Privately funded, Therapies pro-vided on site, Kosher Food Provided

Camp Ahuvim Inc.Address: 616 Seagirt Blvd.Far Rockaway, New York 11691Phone: (888) 6-AHUVIM(888-624-8846)Website: www.campahuvim.orgLocation: Upstate NYDuration: 4 weeksType: Sleep-Away campAges: 5-20 Gender: MalePopulation: Autism/PDD, Speech & Lan-guage impairedAdd’l Info: Therapy provided, 1:1 counselor to camper ratio, Kosher food provided, We also offer a day camp option for campers who wish to stay with their family in their summer home. Accept children not toilet trained

is a not-for-profit organization services are free of charge to all families.

For more information call TAFKID at (718) 252-2236 or

e-mail: [email protected]

TAFKID assists families whose children

have been diagnosed with a variety of disabilities and special needs.

Services provided by TAFKID include: Family Support Services & Information Educational Advocacy Individual Case Consultation Referrals to Doctors, Therapists,

Schools and Government Programs Parent Matching Family Recreation Programs Parent Training and Meetings Guest Lecturers Community Sensitivity and Training Informational Publications Pediatric Equipment Lending Program Tape/Video Lending

For further information or to advertise please contact:Moshe Klass at 718.330.1100 ext. 352 or [email protected]

* All submissions become the property of Building Blocks and may not be returned.Publication is subject to the discretion of the editors. Please do not submit previously published material.

BECOME A PART OF THE NEXT

To Be PublishedDecember 2012

ASK THE EXPERT

To ask a question of one of ourtherapists, advocates or educators.Contact Chaya Klass at: [email protected]

BULLETIN BOARD

To have pictures of your events postedfree of charge in this section.

Contact Eli Stein at: [email protected]

FAMILY FORUM & SIBS SPEAKFor a member of a family with a special

needs individual to submit an anecdote, advice, or comment.

Contact Ruchi Eisenbach at: [email protected]

ORGANIZATIONAL LISTINGSTo be included in the next directory freeof charge, request a submission form at

[email protected] - a form must be submitted to update any previously published listing.


CAMPS & END OF SuMMER PROGRAMS

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

88 June 2012

CAMPS & END OF SuMMER PROGRAMSCamp HASCAddress: 5902 14th AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11219Phone: (718) 686-5930Website: www.hasc.net/campLocation: 361 Parksville RoadParksville, NY 12768Duration: 7 weeks Type: Sleep-Away campAges: 3-Adulthood Gender: Male & Female Groups: MixedPopulation: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Au-tism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ADHD, Hearing Impaired, Visually Impaired, Multiply HandicappedAdd’l Info: Therapy provided, Kosher food provided, We also of-fer a day camp option for campers who wish to stay with their fam-ily in their summer home, Accept children not toilet trained, Camp after Camp program for 10 days after camp (All female staff for fe-males 5-18 and young boys 5-8).

Camp Kaylie @ OHELAddress: 4510 16th AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11204Phone: (800) 603-OHELWebsite: CampKaylie.orgLocation: Wurtsboro, New YorkType: Fully integrated campAges: 10-16 Gender: Male and FemaleGroups: SeparatePopulation: Typical kids with no disabilities and kids with devel-opmental disabilitiesPrograms offered: A ground-breaking camp offering an ex-hilarating camp experience of unmatched sports and activities, leadership programming, state of the art facilities, magnificent grounds and a camp for kids of all abilities where campers thrive in a diverse environment nurtur-ing personal leadership, self-con-fidence and an inclusive spirit

Camp Mishkon-SternbergAddress: 1358 56th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11219

Phone: (718) 851-7100Website: www.jbfcs.orgLocation: NarrowsburgDuration: 6 weeksType: Sleep-Away camp Ages: 3+Gender: Boys under 9, girls 3+Groups: SeparatePopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, Hearing Im-paired, Visually Impaired, Multi-ply HandicappedAdd’l Info: Kosher food, handi-cap accessible, state approved, special ed and therapy provided, accept children not toilet trained

Chai Lifeline / Camp Simcha SpecialAddress: 151 West 30th StreetThird Floor, NY, New York 10001Phone: 877-CHAILIFEWebsite: www.ChaiLifeline.orgLocation: Glen Spey, NY Type: Sleep-away Ages: 7-17Duration: 2 weeksGender: Male and Female Groups: SeparatePopulation: Multiply HandicappedAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, Kosher food provided, Physical therapy provided on-site, Accept children who are not toilet trainedNote Camp Simcha Special ac-cepts children with medical ill-nesses and disabilities resulting from illness whose cognitive functioning is at age level. All ap-plications must be approved by the camp’s medical director.

Ezra Hatzvy AcademyAddress: 2555 Nostrand AvenueBrooklyn, New York Phone: (718) 975-1041Website: Ezrahatzvy.comType: Day CampDuration: 6 weeks Ages: 5-21 Gender: Boys/Girls Groups: Separate/Mixed Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Hearing impaired, Emotionally

disturbed, Vision impaired, Mul-tiply handicappedAdd’l Info: Handicapped accessi-ble, Special Education and related services provided on sire, accept children not yet toilet trained.

Hand in Hand Family Services Address: 390 Kings HighwayBrooklyn, New York 11223Phone: (718) 336-6073Website: www.hihfs.orgLocation: FlatbushType: Day campAges: 5+ Gender: Boys & Girls Population: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Au-tism/PDDAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, Kosher food provided, NY State Ap-proved, Special Education and relat-ed services not provided on-site.

HarmonyAddress: Kinor Dovid: 3820 14th AvenueBrooklyn, New YorkKinor Malka: 1467 39th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 435-8080Website: www.harmonyservices.org Location: at Camp Manavu and at Camp ChedvaDuration: 8 WeeksType: Sleep-away camp Ages: 18+Gender: Male and Female Groups: SeparatePopulation: Mild-severe develop-mental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech and Language Impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ADHD, Hearing impaired, Visually impairedAdd’l Info: Kosher food provided

HASC Woodmere Address: 321 Woodmere BoulevardWoodmere, New York 11598Phone: (516) 295-1340Website: www.hasc.netLocation: Woodmere, New YorkDuration: 6 WeeksType: Extended School Year Ages: 3-10 Gender: Male & FemaleGroups: MixedPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD,

Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Multiply handicappedAdd’l Info: Special education and related services (therapy) provid-ed on site, Kosher food provided, NY State Approved, Accept chil-dren not toilet trained

Camp HorseAbililtyAddress: SUNY College at Old Westbury / Old Westbury, NY 11568Phone: (516) 333-6151Website: www.horseability.orgDuration: 1 weekType: Day camp Gender: Male/FemaleGroups: Mixed *Separate programs may be of-fered if there is sufficient de-mand.Population served: Mild-severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Multiply handicapped Add’l Info: Handicap Accessible, accepts children who are not toi-let trained.

JCC of the Greater Five TownsAddress: 207 Grove AvenueCedarhurst, New York 11516Phone: (516) 569-6733Website: www.fivetownsjcc.orgLocation: JCC / North Wood-mere ParkDuration: 6 WeeksType: Day CampHours: 12:00-4:30Ages: 5-16 Groups: Mixed

Kids of CourageAddress: 13158 Broadway, Suite 207Hewlett, New York 11557Phone: (888) 9-KIDSOCWebsite: www.kidsoc.orgLocation: TravelingAges: 5-Young AdultPopulation Served: Multiply Handi-capped, Serious Illness & DisabilityAdd'l Info: Kosher Food, Handi-cap Accessible

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

Kulanu Torah Academy Address: 620 Central Ave.Cedarhurst, New York 11516Phone: (516) 569-3083Duration: 8 WeeksType: Day campAges: 3-21 Gender: Boys & Girls Groups: MixedPopulation: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Au-tism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHDAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, Kosher food provided, NY State Approved, Accept children not toilet trained

National Jewish Council for Disabilities/Yachad (NJCD)Address: 11 Broadway, 13th FloorNew York, New York 10004Phone: (212) 613-8229Website: www.njcd.orgLocation: PA, NY, IsraelDuration: 6 weeksType: Sleep away campAges: 9+ Gender: Male, Female Groups: Separate and MixedPopulation: Mild-severe de-velopmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Hearing impairedAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, Kosher food provided, Accept children not toilet trained.Special education and therapy can be arranged in certain locations

OHEL Children’s Home &Family Services, Bais EzraAddress: 4510 16th AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11204Phone: (800) 603-OHELWebsite: www.ohelfamily.orgLocation: Bklyn, Queens, Long IslandDuration: 2 weeksType: Sleep away & Day CampAges: 5-21 Gender: Male, FemaleGroups: Separate & MixedPopulation: Mild developmen-tal delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Multiply handicappedServices: Family, Couple, & Indi-

vidual counseling, Child & Adult counseling, Psychotherapy, Psy-chiatric Evaluation, Medication Treatment Add’l Info: Kosher food pro-vided, Handicap Accessible, NY State Approved, Accept children not toilet trained

Otsar Family ServicesAddress: 2334 West 13th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11223Phone: (718) 946-7301 Website: www.otsar.orgLocation: Otsar Center in Bklyn Duration: 2 weeksType: Day campAges: 5-15 Gender: Male & FemaleGroups: MixedPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD

Pesach Tikvah-Hope DevelopmentAddress: 18 Middleton StreetBrooklyn, New York 11206Phone: (718) 875-6900Website: www.pesachtikvah.orgDuration: 2 weeks Type: Day CampAges: 5-21 Gender: Male and Fe-male Groups: MixedPopulation: Mild developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Multi-ply handicappedAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, Kosher food provided, NY State Approved

The Rayim Connection(Camp Rayim)Address: 1312 Christmas LaneAtlanta, Georgia 30329Phone: (678) 916-6631Website: www.rayimconnection.comPrograms Offered: An inclu-sion camp for young children, a Sunday school for children with special needs, social skills groups, music therapy group, Shabbat & Yom Tov programs, and more.

Camp Ruach HachaimAddress: 266 Penn StreetBrooklyn, New York 11211

Phone: (718) 963-0090Website: www.campruachha-chaim.orgLocation: Bloomingburg, NYDuration: 8 weeksType: Sleep-Away campAges: 7-30 Gender: Male Population: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Down Syndrome, Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ADHD, Hearing ImpairedAdd’l Info: Kosher food provided, take children from all over the world

Sesame Sprout, Inc.Address: 96-08 57th AvenueCorona, New York 11368Phone: (718) 271-2294Website: www.sesamesprout-school.com Duration: Six weeksType: Day campAges: 2-12 Gender: Male & FemaleClasses: MixedPopulation: Mild developmental delaysAdd’l. Info: Therapies provided on-site, Handicap accessible, NY State approved, Accept children not toilet trained

The Special Children’s CenterAddress: 1400 Prospect StreetLakewood, New JerseyPhone: (732) 367-0099Duration: Four weeksType: Day campAges: 0-22 Gender: Male & FemaleClasses: MixedPopulation: Mild to Moderate to severe developmental delays, Au-tism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally Disturbed, Hearing impaired, Visually im-paired, Multiply handicappedAdd’l. Info: Handicap accessible, Kosher food provided, Accept children not toilet trained

STEP (Special Torah Education Program)Address: 3005 Avenue LBrooklyn, New York 11210 Phone: (718) 252-8822

Duration: 7 weeksType: Day Ages: 5-21 Gender: Boys and GirlsClasses: Separate Population: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Au-tism/PDD, ADD/ ADHD, Mul-tiply handicapped, Emotionally disturbed, Speech & Language impairedAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, Kosher meals, Accept children not toilet trained

uCP of New York CityAddress: 80 Maiden Lane, 8th Floor, NY, New York 10038Phone: (877) 827-2666Website: www.ucpnyc.orgLocation: 175 Lawrence AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11230Duration: 3 weeksType: Day camp Ages: 13-21Gender: Male and Female Groups: MixedPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Multiply handicappedAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, OMRDD-funded, Accept chil-dren not toilet trained

YAI NetworkAddress: 460 West 34th StreetNew York, New York 10001Phone: (212) 273-6182Website: www.yai.orgType: Day camp & Sleep-away camp Location: Sleep away camp in Claryville, NY in the Catskills; day camp in Rockland CountyDuration: Sleep away camp 2-4 weeks, day camp 4-6 weeksAges: Sleep-away camp: 8-18; day camp: 8-14 Gender: Male & FemaleGroups: Separate sleeping quar-ters, mixed activitiesPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ADHD, Multiply handicappedAdd’l. Info: Handicap accessible, Kosher food provided at sleep away camp

CAMPS & END OF SuMMER PROGRAMS CONTINuES…

June 2012 89

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

90 June 2012

CAMPS & END OF SuMMER PROGRAMS CONTINuED…

AhivimAddress: 6 Mountain Rd #204Monroe, New York 10950Phone: (845) 774-7000Email: [email protected]: www.ahivim.orgGender: Male and Female Groups: SeparateHours: 9-3Population: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delaysAdd’l Info: Day Hab Without Walls

AHRC NYCAddress: 83 Maiden LaneNew York, New York 10038Phone: (212) 780-2500Website: www.ahrcnyc.org Location: CenterAges: 18+Gender: Male & FemaleGroups: MixedHours: 9-5Population: Mild-severe develop-mental delaysAdd’l Info: Handicap accessible, Transportation provided, Voca-tional Services provided, Day-Hab Without Walls

Hand in Hand Family Services Address: 390 Kings HighwayBrooklyn, New York 11223Phone: (718)336-6073Website: www.hihfs.orgLocation: CenterAges: 18+ Gender: Male & Female Groups: SeparateProgram Hours: 9-5PM Population: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delaysAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, Kosher food provided, Transpor-

tation Provided, Day Hab with-out walls, Vocational Services offered.

HASC Center, IncAddress: 5601 First AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11220Phone: (718) 535-1953Website: www.hasccenter.orgGender: Men’s Yeshiva and Young Women’s ProgramsGroups: Separate & MixedHours: 9:00 – 3:00, Extended hours in our Men’s Yeshiva ProgramLocations: Boro Park, Flatbush, Williamsburg.Language: Yiddish, HebrewPopulation: Mild-severe develop-mental delaysAdd’l Info: Vocational services offered, Handicap Accessible, Kosher food provided, Transpor-tation provided, Center Based, DayHab Without Walls

Human Care ServicesAddress: 1042 38th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11229Phone: (718) 854-2747Website: www.humancareser-vices.orgAges: 18+ Gender: Male & FemaleGroups: Separate Hours: 9:00 – 5:00Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delaysAdd’l Info: Yeshiva and Semi-nary day program, Yeshivas Lev Tahor and Machon Lev Semi-nary. Pre-Vocational services offered, Handicap Accessible, Kosher food provided, Transpor-tation provided from Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, Staten Is-

land, Manhattan, and the Bronx, Center Based

Kinor Dovid - HarmonyAddress: 3820 14th AvenueBrooklyn, New YorkPhone: (718) 435-8080Website: www.harmonyservices.org Population: Mild to Moderate developmental delaysAges: 18+ Gender: MaleGroups: Small groups, separate for men & womenHours: Mon-Thrs: 9-3, 3-7:30; Sun. & Fri: 9-1:30Languages: Yiddish, HebrewAddl. Info: On-site therapies, Center based, DayHab without walls, Vocational Services, Hand-icap Accessible, Kosher food pro-vided, Transportation providedOptional Beis MedreshProgram.

Kinor Malka - HarmonyAddress: 1467 39th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 435-8080Website: www.harmonyservices.orgPopulation: Mild to Moderate developmental delaysAges: 18+ Gender: Female Groups: Small groups, separate for men & womenHours: Mon-Thrs: 9-3, 3-7:30; Sun. & Fri: 9-1:30Languages: Yiddish, HebrewAddl. Info: On-site therapies, Center based, DayHab without walls, Vocational Services, Hand-icap Accessible, Kosher food pro-vided, Transportation providedOptional Seminary Program.

National Jewish Council for Disabilities/Yachad (NJCD)Address: 11 Broadway, 13th Fl., New York, New York 10004Phone: (212) 613-8229Website: www.njcd.orgAges: 21+ Gender: Male & Female Groups: Mixed Group Size: 30 Hours: 8:30-3:30Population: Mild to moderate developmental delaysAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, Vo-cational Services,Transportation provided, Kosher Food Provided, DayHab Without Walls, Supple-mental Day Hab also available.

OHEL Children’s Home &Family Services, Bais EzraAddress: 4510 16th AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11204Phone: (800) 603-OHELWebsite: www.ohelfamily.orgAges: 21+ Gender: Male & FemaleGroups: Separate & Mixed Size: 3-5 Hours: 8am-4pmPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays. Special pro-gramming for adults & seniorsAdd’l Info: Center Based, Handi-cap Accessible, Transportation Provided, Vocational services of-fered, Kosher food provided, Em-ployment training and placement services.

Otsar Family ServicesAddress: 2334 West 13th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11223Phone: (718) 946-7301 Website: www.otsar.orgAges: 21+ Gender: Male & FemaleGroups: Mixed Hours: 8:45-2:30Population: Mild-severe devel-

Yedei ChesedAddress: 48 Scotland Hill Road, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977Phone: (845) 425-0887Website: yedeichesed.orgLocation: Monsey, New YorkDuration: 2 separate weeks Type: Day campAges: 3 & above Gender: Male &

FemalePopulation: Mild-severe de-velopmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally disturbed, Hearing impaired, Visually im-paired, Multiply handicappedAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible,

Kosher food provided, NY State Approved, Accept children not toilet trained

Yeshiva Binyan OlemAddress: 68 Franklin AvenueBrooklyn, New YorkPhone: (718) 302-5222Population: Mild to severe de-

velopmental delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, ADD/ADHD, Learning Disabled.Camp Location: MonticelloAges: 12-18 Gender: BoysType: Sleepaway campDuration: 8 weeksAdd’l Info: Therapies provided on site, Kosher meals.

DAY HABILITATION PROGRAMS

RESOURCES DIRECTORY

June 2012 91

Hand in Hand Family Services Address: 390 Kings HighwayBrooklyn, New York 11223Phone: (718)336-6073Website: www.hihfs.orgPopulation: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Emotionally Dis-turbedAdd’l Info: IRA's and Supportive Apartments

HarmonyAddress: 1070 East 17th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11230 &1467 39th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 986-7648Ages: 21+Gender: Male & Female Population: Mild developmental delaysAdd’l Info: Supportive Apartments

HASC Center, IncAddress: 5601 First AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11220

Phone: (718) 535-1953Website: www.hasccenter.orgGender: Male & FemalePopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD Specialization: MultiplyhandicappedAdd’l Info: IRA’s, Supportive Apartments

Human Care ServicesAddress: 1042 38th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11229Phone: (718) 854-2747Website: www.humancareser-vices.orgAges: AllGender: Male and Female Hours: 9:00 – 5:00Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Hearing Impaired, Visually Im-paired, Multiply HandicappedAdd’l Info: IRA’s, Supportive Apartments

Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services/Mishkon

Address: 1358 56th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11219Phone: (718) 851-7100Website: www.jbfcs.orgAges: All Gender: Male, FemalePopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDDSpecialization: Emotionally disturbed, Hearing Impaired, Visually Impaired, Multiply HandicappedAdd’l Info: IRA’s, ICF

OHEL Children’s Home & Fam-ily Services, Bais EzraAddress: 4510 16th AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11204Phone: (800) 603-OHELWebsite: www.ohelfamily.orgAges: 13+Gender: Male & Female Groups: Separate & Mixed Size: 3-5 Hours: 8am-4pmPopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDDSpecialization: Emotionally dis-turbed, Hearing impaired, Visu-ally impaired, Multiply handi-

cappedAdd’l Info: IRA’s, Supportive Apts.

Pesach Tikvah-Hope DevelopmentAddress: 18 Middleton StreetBrooklyn, New York 11206Phone: (718) 875-6900Website: www.pesachtikvah.orgAges: 21+Gender: Male and Female Population: Mild to Moderate to Severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emotionally dis-turbed, Multiply handicappedAdd’l Info: Supportive Apartments

Sinai SchoolsAddress: 1485 Teaneck Road, Suite 300, Teaneck, NJ 07666Phone: (201) 833-1134Website: www.sinaischools.orgAges: 18+ Gender: Male Population: Mild developmental delays, Autism/PDD

opmental delaysAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, Kosher food provided, Transpor-tation provided, Vocational ser-vices not provided

School for Children withHidden IntelligenceAddress: 345 Oak StreetLakewood, New Jersey 08701Phone: (732) 886-0900Website: www.schischool.orgAges: 21+ Gender: Male & FemaleGroups: Mixed Group Size: 6-8Hours: 9:00-3:00Population: Moderate to severe developmental delaysAdd’l Info: Center based, Vo-cational Services, Handicap Ac-cessible, Kosher food provided, Transportation provided

The Special Children’s CenterAddress: 1400 Prospect StreetLakewood, New JerseyPhone: (732) 367-0099

Ages: 18+ Gender: Male & FemaleGroups: Separate Group Size: 5+Hours: 9:00-3:00Population: Mild to Moderate to severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emo-tionally Disturbed, Hearing impaired, Visually impaired, Multiply handicappedAdd’l. Info: Center based, Vo-cational Services, Handicap ac-cessible, Kosher food provided, Transportation provided

uCP of New York CityAddress: 80 Maiden Lane, 8th Flr.NY, New York 10038Phone: (877) 827-2666Website: www.ucpnyc.orgAges: 21+ Gender: Male & Female

YAI NetworkAddress: 460 West 34th StreetNew York, New York 10001

Phone: (212) 273-6182Website: www.yai.orgAges: 21+Gender: Male & FemaleGroups: Mixed Hours: 9-3Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delaysAdd’l. Info: Center-based, Day-Hab Without Walls, Handicap Accessible, Transportation Pro-vided, Vocational services offered

Women’s League Community Residences – CBR, Creative Business ResourcesAddress: 1556 38th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 853-0900Website: www.womensleague.orgPopulation: Individuals with Learning and/or Developmental DisabilitiesAdd’l Info: Vocational services, Job placement, Job coaching, & training

Yedei ChesedAddress: 48 Scotland Hill RoadChestnut Ridge, NY 10977Phone: (845) 425-0887Website: yedeichesed.orgAges: Post high schoolGender: Male & Female Groups: SeparateGroup Size: 16 Hours: 9 – 3Population: Moderate to severe developmental delaysAdd’l Info: Vocational services offered, Center Based, Handicap Accessible, Kosher food provid-ed, Transportation provided

Yeshiva Bonim LamokomAddress: 425 East 9th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11219Phone: (718) 693-9032Website: www.bonimlamokom.comAges: 20+ Gender: MalePopulation: Mild to moderate developmental delaysAdd’l Info: Vocational Services offered

DAY HABILITATION PROGRAMS CONTINuED…

RESIDENTIAL OPPORTuNITIES

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92 June 2012

MEDICAID WAIvER, RESPITE & OTHER PROGRAMSThe Ability CenterAddress: 3521 Avenue SBrooklyn, New YorkPhone: (718) 336-3832Website: Theabilitycenter.netServices: Children and Parent Groups to address the needs of families.

AhivimAddress: 6 Mountain Rd #204 Monroe, New York 10950Phone: 845-774-7000Email: [email protected]: www.ahivim.orgServices Provided: Medicaid Waiver, Parent Support Groups, Sibling Support Groups, Respite, Overnight Respite.

AHRC NYCAddress: 83 Maiden LaneNew York, New York 10038Phone: (212) 780-2500Website: www.ahrcnyc.orgPrograms Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Family support services to parents and siblings, Respite, Overnight respite, After School Program, Recreation

Chai Lifeline, Inc.Address: 151 West 30th St., Third Floor, New York, NY 10001Phone: (877) CHAI LIFE

Website: www.chailifeline.orgServices Provided: Offers emo-tional and social support groups for children with life threatening or chronic medical illnesses and their families.

Friendship Circle ofCrown Heights, New YorkAddress: 792 Eastern ParkwayBrooklyn, New York 11213Phone: (718) 907-8835Website: www.fcbrooklyn.comPrograms Offered: Friends @ home, Sunday Circle and Holiday Programs.

Friendship Circle of theupper West Side, NYAddress: 166 West 97th StreetNew York, New York 10025Phone: (646) 789-5770Website: www.ChabadWest-Side.org/FCWSPrograms Offered: Friends @ Home, Sunday Circle And Holi-day Programs.

Friendship Circle of theupper East SideAddress: 419 East 77th StreetNew York, New York 10021Phone: (212) 717-4613Website: www.fcues.comPrograms Offered: Friends @

Home, Children’s Circle, Sports Circle, Holiday Programs, Parents Networking, Summer Camp.

Friendship Circle ofLower Manhattan, New YorkAddress: 121 W19th StreetNew York, New York 10011Phone: (646) 688-5300Website: www.friendshipnyc.comPrograms Offered: Friends @ Home

Friendship Circle ofQueens, New YorkAddress: 211-05 Union TurnpikeQueens, New York 11364Phone: (718) 464-0778Programs Offered: Friends @ home, Sunday Circle and Holiday Programs.

The Friendship Circle of theFive TownsAddress: 74 Maple AvenueCedarhurst, New York 11516Phone: (516) 295-2478 ext. 13Website: http://www.fc5towns.comPrograms Offered: Friends @ home, Sunday Circle, Sports Night, Judaica Circle, Moms Night Out.

The Friendship Circle ofSuffolk County, New York

Address: 318 Veterans HighwayCommack, New York 11725Phone: (631) 543-1855Website: www.thefriendship-circle.comPrograms Offered: Friends @ Home, Torah Circle, The Clubs, Moms Night Out.

The Friendship Circle ofDix Hills, New YorkAddress: 501 Vanderbilt ParkwayDix Hills, New York 11746Phone: (631) 351-8672Programs Offered: Friends @ home, Sunday Circle, Holiday Programs

Friendship Circle ofGreat Neck, NYAddress: 400 East Shore RoadGreat Neck, New York 11024Phone: (516) 487-4554Programs Offered: Friends @ Home, Sunday Circle, Karate Circle, Holiday Programs.

The Merrin-Bienenfeld Friend-ship Circle, Lake Grove, NYAddress: 821 Hawkins AvenueLake Grove, New York 11755Phone: (631) 585-0521 ext.103Website: www.fcstonybrook.comPrograms Offered: Friends @ home, Holiday Programs, Sports

RESIDENTIAL OPPORTuNITIES CONTINuED…The Special Children’s CenterAddress: 1400 Prospect StreetLakewood, New JerseyPhone: (732) 367-0099 Ages: Any Age Population: Mild to Moderate to severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emo-tionally Disturbed, Hearing impaired, Visually impaired, Multiply handicapped

uCP of New York CityAddress: 80 Maiden Lane, 8th Flr, New York, New York 10038Phone: (877) 827-2666

Website: www.ucpnyc.orgAges: infants-adults Gender: Male & FemalePopulation: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD Specialization: Hearing im-paired, Visually impaired, Multi-ply handicappedAdd’l Info: IRA’s, Supportive Apts.

Women’s League Community Residences, Inc.Address: 1556 38th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 853-0900Ages: All agesGender: Male & FemalePopulation: Mild-severe devel-

opmental delays, Autism/PDDSpecialization: Emotionally dis-turbed, Hearing impaired, Visually impaired, Multiply handicappedAdd’l Info: ICF’s and Supervised IRA’s, Supportive Apartments

YAI NetworkAddress: 460 West 34th StreetNew York, New York 10001Phone: (212) 273-6182Website: www.yai.orgAges: 21+Gender: Male & Female Population: Mild-severe devel-opmental delays, Autism/PDD, Multiply HandicappedAdd’l. Info: IRA’s, Supportive

Apartments

Yedei ChesedAddress: 48 Scotland Hill Road, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977Phone: (845) 425-0887Website: yedeichesed.orgAges: post high schoolGender: Male & FemalePopulation: Moderate to severe developmental delaysSpecialization: Emotionally dis-turbed, Hearing impaired, Visually impaired, Multiply handicappedAdd’l Info: IRA’s, Supportive Apartments

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Night, Bowling League, Teen Scene.

Friendship Circle ofRoslyn, New YorkAddress: 75 Powerhouse RoadRoslyn, New York 11577Phone: (516) 484-3500Programs Offered: Friends @ Home, Holiday Programs

Friendship CircleWest Hempstead, New YorkAddress: 223 Windsor LaneWest Hempstead, NY 11552Phone: (516) 564-1012Programs Offered: Friends @ Home, Sunday Circle, Holiday Programs

Friendship Circle of theRiver Towns, New YorkAddress: 303 BroadwayDobbs Ferry, New York 10522Phone: (914) 693-6100Website: www.chabadrt.orgPrograms Offered: Friends @ Home, Holiday Programs

The Friendship Circle ofWestchester County, New YorkAddress: 20 Greenridge AvenueWhite Plains, New York 10605Phone: (914) 437-5762Programs Offered: Friends @ Home, Sunday Circle, Holiday Programs

Friendship Circle ofBedford, New YorkAddress: 16 Old Village LaneKatonah, New York 10536Phone: (914) 666-6065Programs Offered: Friends @ Home, Holiday Programs, Vol-unteer Programs

Friendship Circle ofRockland County/Monsey, NYAddress: 123 Route 59Suffern, New York 10901Phone: (845) 368-1889Programs Offered: Friends @ Home

The Friendship Circle ofMetrowest, New JerseyAddress: 66 W. Mt. Pleasant Ave. #205Livingston, New Jersey 07039Phone: (973) 251-0200Website: www.fcnj.comPrograms Offered: Friends @ Home, Torah Circle, Holiday Programs, Camps, Sports Pro-grams, Teen Scene

Friendship Circle ofunion County, New JerseyAddress: 193 South AvenueFanwood, New Jersey 07023Phone: (908) 898-0242Programs Offered: Friends @ Home, Holiday Programs, Vol-unteer Programs

The Ari Kraut Friendship Circleof Central JerseyAddress: 26 Wickatunk RoadManalapan, New Jersey 07726Phone: (732) 536-2319Website: www.friendsnj.comPrograms Offered: Friends @ Home, Sunday Circle, Life Skills, Teen Scene, Winter Camp, Holi-day Programs

The Friendship Circle ofBergen County, New JerseyAddress: 310 South DriveParamus, New Jersey 07652Phone: (201) 262-7172Website: www.BCFriendship.comPrograms Offered: Friends @ Home, Holiday Programs, Chil-dren’s Circle, Karate Circle, Sib-ling Circle, Cooking Circle, Win-ter Camp I, Winter Camp II, End of Summer Camp, Moms Night Out, Parent Seminars.

Friendship Circle ofGreater Mercer County, NJAddress: 103B Kingston Terrace DrivePrinceton, New Jersey 08540Phone: (609) 683-7240Website: www.mercerfriends.comPrograms Offered: Friends @ Home, Holiday Programs, Vol-unteer Programs

The Goodness Group ofWayne, NJ (Passaic County)Address: 194 Ratzer Road Wayne, New Jersey 07470Phone: (973) 694-6274Programs Offered: Friends @ Home, Moms Night Out, Holi-day Circles, Volunteer Programs, Winter and Spring Vacation Camps

The Friendship Circle ofFairfield County, ConnecticutAddress: 770 High Ridge Rd, Stamford, Connecticut 06905Phone: (203) 329-0015 #414Website: www.friendshipCT.comPrograms Offered: Friends @ Home, Sunday Circle, Holiday Programs, Volunteer Programs, Teen Scene, Sibling Support Groups, Winter Camp.

Friendship Circle ofHartford, ConnecticutAddress: 2352 Albany AvenueWest Hartford, Connecticut 06117Phone: (860) 232-1116Website: www.friendshipcir-cleCT.comPrograms Offered: Friends @ Home, Holiday Programs

For all other Friendship Circles:Friendship Circle InternationalAddress: 816 Eastern ParkwayBrooklyn, New York 11213Website: www.friendshipcir-cle.comTo Find A Friendship Circle Near You:http://www.friendshipcircle.com/friendship_circle_locations.aspPrograms Offered: Friends @ Home, Sunday Circle, Parents Webinar, Holiday Programs, Clubs, Sports Nights, Mom’s Night Out, etc…….

HaMercaz at Jewish Family Ser-vice of Los AngelesAddress: 12821 Victory Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91606Phone: (866) 287-8030Website: www.hamercaz.org

Programs and Services Offered: Family Support Services for par-ents and siblings, Respite when available, Sunday Program for birth to 19, mixed program for Males/Females, Handicap Acces-sible, Kosher food provided, will accept children not toilet trained, Monthly Recreation program from Birth to 18, Program is open to families, Fee dependent on event. Population served: Mild to Moderate to severe developmen-tal delays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emo-tionally Disturbed, Hearing im-paired, Visually impaired, Multi-ply handicapped.

Hand in Hand Family Services Address: 390 Kings HighwayBrooklyn, New York 11223Phone: (718) 336-6073Website: www.hihfs.orgPrograms Offered: Medicaid Service Coordination, Commu-nity Habilitation, Respite, Sunday Program for ages 5-15, separate program for Males/Females, Af-terschool Program 5 days a week for ages 5-15, separate program for Males/FemalesPopulation: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Au-tism/PDDAdd’l Info: Handicap Accessible, Kosher food provided, Transpor-tation Provided, No Fee

Harmony - Kinor Dovid/Kinor MalkaAddress: Kinor Dovid: 3820 14th Ave.Brooklyn, New YorkKinor Malka: 1467 39th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 435-8080Website: www.harmonyservices.org Programs Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Sunday Program, After School Program, Respite, Family Support Services

MEDICAID WAIvER, RESPITE & OTHER PROGRAMS CONTINuED…

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94 June 2012


HASC Center, IncAddress: 5601 First AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11220Phone: (718) 535-1953Website: www.hasccenter.orgGender: Male & FemalePrograms and Services Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Respite, Over-night respite, Holiday Respite, After School Program, Sunday Autism Program, Family support services for parents and siblings

HASC School Age ProgramAddress: 6220 14th AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11230Phone: (718) 331-1624Website: www.hasc.net/campPrograms Offered: No-fee after school program 4 days a week for male & female ages 5-21, mixed groups, handicap accessible, transportation provided, Kosher food provided, take children not toilet trained

HorseAbility / Center for Equine Facilitated ProgramsAddress: SUNY College at Old Westbury / PO Box 410-1 / Old Westbury, NY 11568Phone: (516) 333-6151Website: www.horseability.orgPrograms Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Family Support Services for siblings, Respite, Sunday Pro-gram, 5-day a week After school Program and 7-day a week Recre-ation Program serving all ages.Gender: Male/FemaleGroups: Mixed *Separate programs may be of-fered if there is sufficient de-mand.Add’l Info: Handicap accessible, Accepts children not yet toilet trained.*Fees are offered on a sliding scale to participants unable to afford typical pricing. They partner with a variety of organizations to supple-ment fees (including but not lim-ited to: MS society, Kids Plus, OP-WDD, Commission for the Blind, LIDDSO) and do not to refuse ser-vice based on financial reasons.

Human Care ServicesAddress: 1042 38th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11229Phone: (718) 854-2747Website: www.humancareser-vices.orgPrograms and Services Offered: Community Habilitation, Medic-aid Service Coordination, Family Reimbursement Program, Behav-ior Management Program, Re-spite, Separate Sunday Program for Males/Females Ages 3-20 for Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Hearing Impaired, Multi-ply Handicapped, handicap ac-cessible, transportation provided, Kosher food provided, No fee.

Imagine Academy Address: 1458 East 14th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11230 Phone: (718) 376-8882Website: www.imagineacademy.comPrograms Offered: Family Sup-port Services for Parents & Sib-lings, Respite, No-Fee Sunday Program for Ages 5-21, No-Fee After School Program 3 days a week for ages 5-21> Handi-capped Accessible, Transporta-tion provided, take children not toilet trained

JCC of the Greater Five TownsAddress: 207 Grove AvenueCedarhurst, New York 11516Phone: (516) 569-6733Website: www.fivetownsjcc.orgPrograms Offered: Provides many different programs for peo-ple with special needs (children – adults), including a Snoezelen Room, after-school and Sunday programs.

Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services/MishkonAddress: 1358 56th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11219Phone: (718) 851-7100Website: www.jbfcs.orgPrograms Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Family Support Services, Respite, Res-Hab

Kids of CourageAddress: 13158 Broadway, Suite 207Hewlett, New York 11557Phone: (888) 9-KIDSOCWebsite: www.kidsoc.orgPrograms Offered: Family Sup-port services to parents and sib-lings, Respite, Overnight respite

Kulanu Torah Acadamy Address: 620 Central AvenueCedarhurst, New York 11516Phone: (516) 569-3083Programs Offered: Respite, Sun-day program, Family support, Recreation, services for parents and siblings

Los Niños ServicesAddress: 535 8th Ave, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10018Phone: (212) 787-9700Website: www.losninos.comPrograms Offered: Provide Service Coordination in NYC and Westchester County, NY & trainings. We present the Annual Young Child Expo & Conference with Fordham University’s Grad-uate School of Education. We of-fer other trainings.

National Jewish Council for Disabilities/Yachad (NJCD)Address: 11 Broadway, 13th FloorNew York, New York 10004Phone: (212) 613-8229Website: www.njcd.orgPrograms Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Respite, Overnight re-spite, Sunday Program: males and females ages 8+, mixed groups, Handicap accessible, Transporta-tion provided, Kosher food provid-ed, Take children not toilet trained, There is a fee for the program.Population: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Au-tism/PDD, Speech & Language im-paired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Multiply HandicappedRecreation: Males and Females ages 3+, mixed groups, Transpor-tation provided at times, Kosher food provided, fee for program, open to families as well as special

needs children, Program is once a month in Brooklyn, NY, NJ.

OHEL Children’s Home &Family Services, Bais EzraAddress: 4510 16th AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11204Phone: (800) 603-OHELWebsite: www.ohelfamily.orgPrograms Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Respite, Overnight re-spite, After School Program, Sunday Program, Family support services for parents & siblings, Recreation

Otsar Family ServicesAddress: 2334 West 13th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11223Phone: (718) 946-7301 Website: www.otsar.orgPrograms Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Parent Support Groups, Respite, Overnight Respite, Par-ent Information WorkshopsSunday Program: For male & female ages 5-21, Mixed groups, Handicap accessible, Transporta-tion provided, Kosher food pro-vided, Take children not toilet trained

Pesach Tikvah-HopeDevelopmentAddress: 18 Middleton StreetBrooklyn, New York 11206Phone: (718) 875-6900Website: www.pesachtikvah.orgPrograms Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Camp Reimbursements, Respite, Overnight Respite, Ho-locaust Survivor Program/Geri-atric Programs.Sunday Program: for male & female ages 5-21, Mixed groups, Handicap accessible, Transportation provided, Kosher food provided, there is a fee for the program.Population: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Au-tism/PDD, Multiply HandicappedAfter School Program: for male & female ages 5-21, Mixed groups, 4 days a week, Handicap accessible, Transportation pro-vided, Kosher food provided

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Population: Mild to moderate to se-vere developmental delays, Autism/PDD, Multiply Handicapped

Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc.Address: 116 E. 16th Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10003Phone: (212) 677-4650Website: www.resourcesnyc.org, www.resourcesnycdatabase.orgPrograms Offered: Information and advocacy center for parents and professionals looking for any type of help pertaining to chil-dren birth to 26 with any disabil-ity. Holds a Special Camp Fair ev-ery January and we conduct many workshops throughout the city.

Shema Kolainu –Hear Our voicesAddress: 4302 New Utrecht Ave, Brooklyn, New York 11219Phone: (718) 686-9600Website: www.shemakolainu.orgPrograms Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Residential Habilitation

The Special Children’s CenterAddress: 1400 Prospect StreetLakewood, New JerseyPhone: (732) 367-0099 Ages: Any Age Programs Offered: Respite, Overnight respiteSunday Program: males and females ages 0-22, separate and mixed groups, Handicap acces-sible, Transportation provided, Kosher food provided, Take chil-dren not toilet trained,Population: Mild to moderate to severe developmental delays, Au-

tism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning Disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Multiply Handi-cappedAfter School Program: Males and Females ages 0-22, separate and mixed groups, Transporta-tion provided, Handicapped ac-cessible, Kosher food provided, fee for program.Population: Mild to Moderate to severe developmental de-lays, Autism/PDD, Speech & Language impaired, Learning disabled, ADD/ ADHD, Emo-tionally Disturbed, Hearing impaired, Visually impaired, Multiply handicapped

Special Care for Families and Children’s ServicesAddress: 1421 East 2nd Street Brooklyn, New York 11230Phone: (718) 252-3365Programs Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Respite

STEP (Special Torah Education)Address: 3005 Avenue LBrooklyn, New York 11210 Phone: (718) 252-8822 Programs Offered: Sunday Program

uCP of New York CityAddress: 80 Maiden Lane, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10038Phone: (877) 827-2666Website: www.ucpnyc.orgPrograms Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Family support services for parents, In-home respite for individuals on Medicaid waiver, Overnight Respite, After School Program, Recreation

uCP of New York City: The Par-ent’s PlaceAddress: 160 Lawrence AvenueBrooklyn, NY 12230, Room 205Phone: (718) 436-7979 xt. 704Website: www.ucpnyc.orgPrograms Offered: Free weekly workshops for parents and fami-lies, translation in Spanish is available.

Women’s League Community Residences, Inc.Address: 1556 38th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218Phone: (718) 853-0900Website: www.womensleague.org Programs Offered: Medicaid Waiver Community Habilitation and Supported Employment

Yad Hachazakah – The Jewish Disability Empowerment Cen-ter Inc.Address: 25 Broadway,Suite 1700, New York, NY 10004Phone: (212) 284-6936Location: Office, Agreed upon locationAges: 12 through older adulthood Population: Self-directing peo-ple with obvious or hidden dis-abilities/conditions and their loved ones.Services: Personal Coaching and Mentoring, Peer Networking, Ad-vocacy, Resource Navigation, Dat-ing and Marriage ConsultationAdd’l Info: Led by professionals and lay persons with disabilities under Orthodox Rabbinic Supervision.

Yedei ChesedAddress: 48 Scotland Hill Road, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977Phone: (845) 425-0887Website: yedeichesed.orgPrograms Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Family Support Services for parents and siblings, Respite, Overnight Respite, Sunday Pro-gram, After School Program

YAI NetworkAddress: 460 West 34th StreetNew York, New York 10001Phone: (212) 273-6182Website: www.yai.orgPrograms Offered: Medicaid Waiver, Family Support Services for parents & siblings, Respite, Overnight Respite, Sunday Pro-gram for all ages, male & female, After school program in Queens 5 days a week for boys & girls ages 6-17, Recreation for male & female ages 6-adult on various weekdays, weekends, and holidays, Medical/Dental/specialty practice for peo-ple with developmental and learn-ing disabilities and their fami-lies, Clinical and family services, parent support groups, in-home training, rehabilitation programs, employment training and place-ment programs, socialization pro-grams, travel, and much more.

Yeled v’Yalda Early Childhood CenterAddress: 1312 38th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11218 Phone: (718) 686-3700Website: www.yeled.orgPrograms Offered: Respite


OTHER SERvICESBeineinu-Connecting Parents of Children with Special NeedsAddress: 48 West Maple Avenue Monsey, New York 10952Phone: (347) 743-4900Website: www.Beineinu.orgServices Provided: Parent Matching, Internet research for medical information for internet-free families, Translation of med-

ical information into Hebrew, Zichron Yehuda Equipment Ex-change, Growing International database of Resources, Informa-tion of Interest to those dealing with various special needs, Li-brary of Chizuk and Inspirational articles, pictures and videos.

Dovi’s Playhouse for Children with Special NeedsAddress: P.O.Box 290-524, Brooklyn, New YorkPhone: (646) 736-2816Services Provided: Tutoring Services for Children with Spe-cial Needs – provides tutors after school to children at home.

E-treeAddress: 736 Lakeview RoadCleveland, Ohio 44108Phone: (877) 865-5235Website: www.treeofknowl-edge.usServices Provided: Interactive Online Learning System for k-12

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AhivimAddress: 6 Mountain Rd #204Monroe, New York 10950Phone: (845) 774-7000Email: [email protected]: www.ahivim.orgRegion: Orange, Rockland, Kings and Sullivan CountiesProvides representation: IEP Meetings, impartial hearings, and appeals

AHRC NYCAddress: 83 Maiden LaneNew York, New York 10038Phone: (212) 780-2500Website: www.ahrcnyc.orgRegion: Five boroughsProvides representation: IEP meetings, impartial hearings, and appeals

GiGi's Playhouse, Down Syn-drome Awareness CentersAddress: 106 W117th StreetNew York, New York 10026Mailing Address: P.O. Box 925, NYC, New York 10026Phone: 646-801-7529Website: www.newyork.gigis-playhouse.orgContact Information: [email protected], (646) 489-8837

Imagine Academy for Autism Address: 1465 East 7th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11230 Phone: (718) 376-8882Website: www.imagineacademy.comRegion: AllProvides representation: IEP meetings, impartial hearings, and appeals

Michael Inzelbuch Esq. Address: 555 Madison AvenueLakewood, New Jersey 08701Phone: (732) 905 2557 Region: New JerseyProvides representation: IEP Meetings, Impartial Hearings, and appeals

National Jewish Council for Disabilities/Yachad (NJCD)Address: 11 Broadway, 13th FloorNew York, New York 10004Phone: (212) 613-8229Hotline: (212) 613-8127Website: www.njcd.orgRegion: NY, NJ, NationalProvides representation: IEP, Im-partial Hearings

Otsar Family ServicesAddress: 2334 West 13th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11223

Phone: (718) 946-7301 Website: www.otsar.orgRegion: NYCProvides Assistance: IEP meet-ings, Impartial Hearings

Project LEARNSpecial Education Affairs – Agudath Israel of AmericaAddress: 42 Broadway,New York, New York Phone: (212) 797-9000, ext. 308/325Region: Primarily NY City and State, available to consult on questions on a national levelProvides representation: IEP meetings, Impartial Hearings, and Appeals

Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc.Address: 116 E. 16th St. 5th Floor, New York, NY 10003

OTHER SERvICES CONTINuED…

Euro-Peds National Center for Intensive Pediatric PTAddress: 461 W. Huron St. #406Pontiac, MI 48341Phone: (248) 857-6776Website: www.europeds.orgServices Provided: European-based model of therapy for treat-ing children with non-progressive gross motor disorders such as Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury and Spina Bifida. It was the first clinic outside of Europed to offer this type of therapy when it opened in 1999 out of a Michi-gan hospital, Doctor’s Hospital of Michigan.

GiGi's Playhouse, Down Syn-drome Awareness CentersAddress: 106 W117th StreetNew York, New York 10026Mailing Address: P.O. Box 925, NYC, New York 10026Phone: (646) 801-7529Website: www.newyork.gigis-playhouse.orgContact Information: [email protected], 646-489-8837Add’l Info: GiGi’sPlayhouse,

Down Syndrome Awareness Cen-ters is a community center offer-ing educational and therapeutic programs that support children with Down syndrome, their fam-ilies and community. Come for classes in art, music, dance, per-forming arts. Join us for commu-nity gatherings. This is a place to connect and celebrate our Down syndrome community.

Hand in Hand Family Services Address: 390 Kings HighwayBrooklyn, New York 11223Phone: (718) 336-6073Website: www.hihfs.orgServices Provided: Psychological and Psychosocial Evaluations

HaMercaz at Jewish Family Ser-vice of Los AngelesAddress: 12821 Victory Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91606Phone: (866) 287-8030Website: www.hamercaz.orgServices Provided: HaMercaz is a one-stop resource for fami-lies raising children with special needs in the greater Los Angeles

Area.

HorseAbility / Center for Equine Facilitated ProgramsAddress: SUNY College at Old Westbury / PO Box 410-1 / Old Westbury, New York 11568Phone: (516) 333-6151Website: www.horseability.orgServices Provided: HorseAbility is the only PATH International Premier Accredited Center on Long Island, and the only one at a convenient driving distance from the five boroughs of NYC. PATH International is the Profes-sional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International - pathintl.org.

Kids of CourageAddress: 13158 Broadway, Suite 207Hewlett, New York 11557Phone: (888) 9-KIDSOCWebsite: www.kidsoc.orgServices Provided: Fully medical-ly supervised travel and recreation program for seriously sick children and young adults. All participants are cognitively appropriate for age.

Trips include resort, door to door travel, touring and shabbatons. There is no cost to participants. It is all volunteer. They provide ad-vocacy for medical treatment as well as medical accompaniment to medical treatment destinations on commercial airlines.

BInuryni Parent Support NetworkAddress: HASC Center Inc5601 First AvenueBrooklyn, New YorkPhone: (718) 436-4087Programs Offered: Monthly Sup-port Groups for Mothers, Special Events, Guest Speakers, Open to all parents with special needs.

The Special Children’s CenterAddress: 1400 Prospect StreetLakewood New JerseyPhone: (732) 367-0099 Ages: 0-3Services Provided: Day Care serving all populations 9:00-2:00 or 4:00PM

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Phone: (212) 677-4650Website: www.resourcesnyc.org, www.resourcesnycdatabase.orgRegion: All 5 boroughsProvides representation: IEP meeting, Impartial Hearings, and Appeals

SEAD - Special EducationAcademy of DealAddress: 1 Meridian RoadEatontown, New Jersey 07724Phone: (732) 460-1700Website: www.seadprogram.orgRegion: New York & New Jersey

Provides representation: IEP meetings & Impartial Hearings

TAFKID Address: 977 East 17th StreetBrooklyn, New York 11230 Phone: (718) 252-2236Website: www.tafkid.orgE-mail: [email protected]: New YorkProvides representation: Educa-tional planning and case consulta-tion, assistance with letter writing and paperwork, IEP Meetings and Impartial Hearings

Thivierge and Rothberg, P.C.Address: 140 Broadway, 46th FloorNew York, NY 10005Phone: (212) 397-6360Website: www.trspecialedlaw.comRegion: New York & New JerseyProvides representation: IEP Meetings, Impartial Hearings, and Appeals

Yedei ChesedAddress: 48 Scotland Hill RoadChestnut Ridge, NY 10977Phone: (845) 425-0887Website: yedeichesed.org

Region: Rockland CountyProvides representation: IEP Meetings

uCP of New York CityAddress: 80 Maiden Lane, 8th FloorNew York, NY 10038Phone: (877) 827-2666Website: www.ucpnyc.orgRegion: Bronx, Bklyn, Manhat-tan and S.I.

FOR INFORMATION ON AvARIETY OF DISABILITIES

AND DISORDERS:Centers for DiseaseControl and PreventionAddress: 1600 Clifton RoadAtlanta, GA 30333, U.S.APhone: (800) CDC-INFO (232-4636)Developmental Disabilities Home Page Website: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/default.htm

National Institute ofNeurological Disorders & StrokeNational Institutes of HealthAddress: P.O. Box 5801Bethesda, Maryland 20824Phone: (800) 352-9424 or(301) 496-5751Website: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/index.htm

Learning Disabilities:All Kinds of MindsAddress: 2800 Meridian Parkway, Suite 100, Durham, NC 27713Phone: (888) 956-4637Website: http://allkindsofminds.org

IDEA Infant and Toddler Coordinators AssociationAddress: 6129 Calico Pool Lane

Burke, VA 22015Phone: (703) 850-1187Website: www.ideainfanttoddler.orgA guide to Early Intervention re-sources

Learning DisabilitiesAssociation of AmericaAddress: 4156 Library Road Pittsburgh, PA 15234-1349Phone: (412) 341-1515 Website: http://www.ldanatl.org/index.cfm

Hearing and visionDisabilities: Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of HearingAddress: 3417 Volta Place, NW, Washington, DC 20007Phone: (202) 337-5220TTY: (202) 337-5221Website: www.agbell.org

American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)Address: 1660 L Street, NW, Ste.513, Washington, DC 20036Phone: (202) 822-0830 (office/TDD)Website: http://www.afb.org

American Society for DeafChildren (ASDC)

Address: 3820 Hartzdale Drive Camp Hill, PA 17011Phone: (800) 942-2732 Website: www.deafchildren.org

Helen Keller National Center(HKNC)Address: 141 Middle Neck Road Sands Point, New York 11050Phone: (516) 944-8900TTY: (516) 944-8367 Website: www.hknc.org

INFORMATION ONSPECIFIC DISORDERS:

Autism Research InstituteAddress: 4182 Adams Avenue San Diego, CA 92116 ARI Autism Resource Call Cen-ter: Phone: (866) 366-3361Website: http://www.autism.com

Autism Society of AmericaAddress: 7910 Woodmont Av-enue, Suite 300 Bethesda, Mary-land 20814Phone: (301) 657.0881 or1-800-3AUTISM (1.800.328.8476) Website: http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServerThe International DyslexiaAssociation

Address: 40 York Rd., 4th Floor Baltimore, Maryland 21204Phone: (410) 296-0232 Website: http://www.interdys.org/Muscular DystrophyAssociation - uSAAddress: National Headquar-ters: 3300 E. Sunrise Drive Tucson, AZ 85718Phone: (800) 572-1717Diseases Home PageWebsite: http://www.mda.org/disease

National Down SyndromeSocietyAddress: 666 Broadway, 8th flr. New York, New York 10012.Goodwin Family Informa-tion and Referral Center at (800)221-4602Website: http://www.ndss.org/index.php

National Multiple SclerosisSociety (NMSS)Address: 1100 New York Ave., NW, Ste. 660 East, Washington, DC 20005Phone: (202) 408-1500Website: www.nationalmssoci-ety.org

The Internet is a vast reservoir of information. Below is just a sampling of the web sites offering useful information and resources on all aspects of Special Needs, as well as detailed information on specific disorders and disabilities. However, be aware that there is no assurance that the information found on a particular web site is accurate or up to date. Therefore, it is important to check with your physician or other authoritative source that you trust before acting on any specific medical or treatment information you may find on the Internet.

RESOuRCES & INFORMATION ON THE WEBCompiled by Suri Greenberg

ADvOCACY CONTINuED…

98 June 2012

Compiled By Elisheva SteinCompiled By Elisheva SteinCompiled By Elisheva Stein

BULLETIN BOARD

Denver, CO (Apr.11, 2012) – Prox-Talker.com LLC, manufactur-

ers and distributors of the LOGAN® PROXTALKER® communication de-vice and the LOGAN® BrailleCoach™ Braille teaching device, has partnered with LessonPix.com to provide cus-tom SoundTags™ using their library of 10,000 symbols. "The beauty of the LOGAN® PROX-TALKER® device is that it works out of the box with no initial programming as 80 SoundTags™ with images that are included with each purchase.”, said Chris McCann, Account Manager for ProxTalker.com. “An added bonus is that our customers can create new SoundTags™ using our blank Sound-Tags™ by recording a sound on the tags and then printing an image on our tag sticker sheets to be placed on the blank tag. This allows the device to be

customized to the user as opposed to the user to the device.” The new partnership with Les-sonPix.com provides easy access to over 10,000 high-quality symbols and a simple web-based wizard to create the SoundTags™ labels quickly and easily. The SoundTag™ template will be included in the core Lesson-Pix subscription which also includes learning games, symbols cards and many other visuals. “It’s been clear since we started LessonPix.com that the AAC device market was a great fit for our symbols and we’re thrilled to announced that the LOGAN® PROXTALKER® will be the first AAC device we support,” said Bill Binko, VP and founder of LessonPix.com. The agreement adds yet another option for LOGAN® PROXTALKER® users: "We now have four providers of symbols and images that allow our customers multiple options to make custom SoundTags™ to use for com-munication and teaching," said Chris McCann, “We have partnered with LessonPix.com due to the very low cost to our customer, the great ever-growing symbol library and the ease of use.” ProxTalker.com is an American company based in Connecticut, founded by Glen Dobbs in 2007 to de-sign, manufacture and distribute the LOGAN® PROXTALKER® which he

designed with his friend and colleague Kevin Miller. Glen and Kevin had the original idea to help Logan, Glen’s son who has au-tism, to achieve verbal output. Since then, ProxTalker.com’s customers have brought the com-pany into the world of Braille teaching, with the in-vention of the LOGAN® BrailleCoach™ and the use of its technology to help a variety of people with various com-munication disabilities in addition to autism. Founded in 2009, LessonPix pro-vides online visuals and materials for teachers, parents, therapists and speech-language pathologist (SLPs) with an ever-growing library of over 10,000 original high-quality scalable and powerful tools to leverage them in the classroom and home. Their unique SoundFinder and its related tools provide SLPs with the ability to easily "Search by Sounds not Letters" and make games, materials, and now AAC overlays and labels to support their therapy goals.

For More Information Contact:Chris McCann, U.S. Sales AccountManager, ProxTalker.com, LLC203.721.6074 [email protected]

Proxtalker & Lessonpix Get Together

Talk Is Not Cheap but Ezer Mzion Can HelpSeven-year-old Shai Chayat suffers

from a rare syndrome known as Marshal Smith, which prevents her from communicating through normal speech. Over the last year, Shai began to "speak" through a special augmenta-tive communication computer. Shai's parents borrowed the device that costs close to $5,500 from Ezer Mizion's unique VOCA (Voice Output Com-

munication Aids) Lending Center. As it was a loan, they had to return the device, as many others were await-ing their turn. Some families, at this point, pay for, or raise, the funds to purchase their own equipment, hav-ing determined by using the loaned item that this particular model will work for them. The Chayats were un-able to do either.

Luckily, the school she attends sent an article about her plight to an Ameri-can philanthropist who decided to cover the entire expense of a personal computer for her use. For child or adult, Ezer Mizion’s VOCA equipment is a breakthrough. Many people with communication disorders can be helped by use of Ezer Mizion’s VOCA devices.

BULLETIN BOARD

June 2012 99

Over 200 people convened at Ye-shiva Toras Emes for the Annual

Special Education Transportation meeting to engage in a forum hosted by the Office of Pupil Transportation. Senior staff of OPT joined Yeshiva Principals, Special Education Trans-port Coordinators, CSE Chairpersons, and school bus vendors to discuss challenges faced when routing Special Education students and potential pro-visions that would be made to further enhance future service. The Special Education Transporta-tion Department buses approximately 850 Jewish children every day. Servic-es are customized individually with a high dependence on accurate data and well coordinated logistics planning. The depth of detail and individual at-tention is extended to the driver and attendant level. Each school has an opportunity at the beginning of every new route to personally train ‘their’ driver in knowing and understanding the needs of every individual child. CEO of Support Services for the NYC Dept of Education, Mr. Eric Goldstein, invited everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to ‘meet

the team’. He em-phasized that ef-fective dialogue and a cohesive team would ensure improved service in a city as large and diverse as New York. Rabbi Naftu-lie Weiss, Director of Livnas Ha’Sapir, remarked that, ‘We must treat our job as if we are trans-porting expensive wine and if we drive too fast, our bot-tles will break.’ The new Director of OPT, Alexan-dra Robinson, highlighted key issues concerning the Customer Service unit and encouraged schools to call in with information, complaints and con-cerns. She also praised the Inspection Unit for their dedication to ensuring every bus, bus driver and attendant is compliant and safe. She was followed by John Mulligan, Deputy Executive Director of Special Education, who said that in order to ensure superior routes for the children and circumvent

delays; parents need to bring all relevant and accurate infor-mation to the initial meeting with the CSE. A question and answer and feedback platform was provided. A lot of positive and ap-preciative feedback was received along with many valid concerns, queries

and suggestions were put forward. Rabbi Moshe Ausfresser, who co-ordinated the event on behalf of OPT, brought up key points for the trans-port coordinators to be aware of in-cluding: When a parent knows of a change, they must immediately notify CSE and speak to their contact person to correct it. Schools should educate parents who expect a change in their child’s medical code to make the nec-essary changes through CSE and not OPT. Parents must understand that if they send their child to a school locat-ed out of their borough they cannot expect a short ride to school. Schools must ensure that a two weeks advance notice is given for field trips. OPT is in the process of adding a Friday PM application to their routing system which will allow for timely and ac-curate updates about alternate route information on Friday’s with early dis-missal. Additionally, Rabbi Ausfresser announced the implementation of a new system which allows the schools to notify OPT of cancellations, due to weather conditions or otherwise, a day in advance – 7:30 p.m. the day prior. Please contact the OPT hotline for more details.

Annual Special Education Transportation Meeting for Yeshivas Promotes Timeliness &

Celebrates Positive Progress

BULLETIN BOARD

100 June 2012

Miri is in her junior year of high school and hasn’t yet decided

where her career path will lead her. She’s heard great things about the hu-man services field and has a general feeling that she may want to pursue a degree in special education. For David, life as a student has had many ups and downs. Suffice it to say, academics was not his strong point. However, street smarts and a likeable personality have helped him navigate within the mainstream school sys-tem. David is currently approaching graduation with some trepidation. He doesn’t know what type of job is suit-able for him, given his lackluster aca-demic performance. David does plan to take a course in electronics, but knows his strength lies in interacting with people as he is an inherently caring guy. He thinks to himself, “Wouldn’t

it be nice if I could help s o m e o n e less fortu-nate while I attend the vocational c o u r s e .

Now when I’m still single and have extra time on my hands, well – why not?” Sue married off her youngest child two months ago. Having read up on “Empty Nesters” Sue thought she’d be prepared for this stage in life. She soon discovered that “theory” is quite different from “practice”. Sue is be-coming increasingly desperate to keep her days full with productive pursuits. Brunching with friends is great once weekly, but Sue needs a tad bit more than that. What do Miri, David, and Sue have in common? A situation that is calling out for this solution – Become a volunteer at Women’s League Community Resi-dences! Why not spend just one hour a week with a child or adult with dis-abilities? Group homes and support-ive apartments are located in Brooklyn with babies, adults and seniors who range from mildly challenged to those with severe disabilities. The feeling of satisfaction, know-ing that one is making a difference in someone else’s life is truly amazing. “Leah is so excited about our Tues-day evening walks on Ocean Park-

way, or when we just schmooze if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Lately, I realized that I also look forward to our time together and feel a loss if I need to miss our appoint-ment,” says veteran volunteer Danielle. For those wishing to “test the wa-ters” of a career in human services, volunteering in a group home setting allows one a chance to see if this is a viable future employment option. Some of our most valuable staffers first came to Women’s League as vol-unteers. And the rest of their story is, well, history! Whether it’s playing a musical toy with a blind child, learning the Par-sha with a mildly challenged man, baking a cake with women with dis-abilities or taking a walk with a senior, Women’s League’s volunteer program is prepared to create the perfect match – you know, the one made in heaven. Just contact Shaindy at 718.853.0900 ext. 308 to start the ball rolling.

volunteering At Women’s League –A Win/Win Situation!

Dovi’s Playhouse for Children with Special Needs was founded by

Shimon and Frady Steinhaus and their family eleven years ago. It is dedicat-ed in loving memory of Dov Zev z”l, a Down Syndrome child, who loved to play and sing with his family. This organization helps to provide social activities and encourage children with special needs in every aspect of their lives, helping them identify as proud members of the Jewish community. Shimon and Frady Steinhaus, would like their dream of Dovi’s Playhouse to become a reality. Their ultimate goal

of building a playground designed for special children is very far off at this time, but they are trying their utmost to do what they can for these children in other ways. They are currently help-ing children with special needs in ar-eas such as mainstreaming into camps. They do this by supplementing the costs of tutoring and other extra help in areas that have had state funding re-ductions. Dovi’s Playhouse had dedicated Do-vi’s Therapy Room at Yeshiva Bonim Lamokom, a yeshiva high school for Down Syndrome boys in Brooklyn.

The ceremony was a tribute to the memory of their son, Dovi a’h. Dovi’s Playhouse had demonstrated unwaver-ing support for the belief that a Torah true chinuch must be made available to all Jewish children.Dovi’s Playhouse also donated Purim parties and Pesach’s Children Artscroll Haggadahs to this yeshiva, Bonim Lamokom. The ongoing and ever increasing support of friends from around the world is deeply appreciated and so vital to the continued success of Dovi’s Playhouse and to maintain the dedication in memory of Dov Zev.

Dovi’s Playhouse

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June 2012 101

On May 4-6 at the New Jersey Convention Center in Edison,

approximately 7,000 people children and adults crossed the threshold of Abilities Expo New York Metro, or as

one attendee called it, “Disability Wonder-land.” Abilities Expo had put together an im-pressive line-up of exhibits, workshops, celebrities, events and activities to appeal to people of all ages with the full spectrum of disabilities—includ-ing physical, learning,

development and sensory disabilities “Most of all, it’s a celebration of what you can do, not what you can’t.” said David Korse, president and CEO of Abilities Expo. Attendees experienced thousands of cutting-edge technologies, products and services. One Staten Island family whose 11-year-old has a rare skin dis-order was even awarded a wheelchair accessible van from Ride-Away, one of the exhibitors. Other highlights included hip-hop and ballroom wheelchair dancing, as-sistance dogs demos, adaptive sports, facepainting and the opportunity to see first-hand how full-sized horses connect to kids with Autism and their

siblings. Expo-goers even got to meet the stars of Push Girls, a new docu-series from the Sundance Channel which traces the lives of four dynamic women in Hollywood who happen to be in wheelchairs.

Don’t worry if you missed this Abili-ties Expo, as they’ll be back May 3-5,

2013. Visit www.abilitiesexpo.com to find out more.

Abilities Expo New York MetroDraws Record Attendance

Should a preschool age child who requires intervention or related

services enroll in a yeshiva classroom populated with typically developing children, or should that child enroll in a NYSED funded non-sectarian spe-cial education program? Educators, therapists, and parents who are faced with this question rec-ognize how challenging it is for the Orthodox community to properly service preschool age children with learning differences. The demands and expectations of a high quality chi-nuch often preclude the efforts to fully integrate and support the needs of the non-typically developing child. Those involved in the decision making pro-cess of enrolling a child in a Yeshiva need to be certain that the child will succeed in that environment.

For many children who are not ready to enroll in a Yeshiva, the option of en-rolling in an NYSED funded program is available. These programs offer high quality services, helping to ready the child for enrollment in grade school. Unfortunately, choosing such a pro-gram necessitates sacrificing all formal chinuch and children who attend such programs often need to catch up when they enter the Yeshiva of their choice. Others are not even afforded the luxury of options. Many children who are not ready to succeed in a typical Ye-shiva classroom also do not qualify for NYSED funded services and programs. The Gesher Early Childhood Cen-ter is a unique and valuable resource for those facing this dilemma. Gesher is staffed with NYS certified Special Educators, proficient in curriculum

development and the skill to incorpo-rate the educational objectives of each child. As a non-NYSED funded pro-gram Gesher employs the high quality curriculum standards of Yeshiva Day School Early Childhood Education. The Gesher Administration sub-scribes to a trans disciplinary approach, fostering effective carryover of all re-lated services within the classroom setting. The Gesher staff is trained to maximize the potential of typically de-veloping children and those with mild to moderate delays utilizing the inte-grated classroom model. To schedule a consultation or for more information, Gesher can be reached at 516.730.7377 or via email at [email protected]. Visit Gesher on the internet at www.gesh-er-ecc.org.

Gesher Early Childhood Center: Bridging theWorlds of Yeshiva Chinuch and Special Education

BULLETIN BOARD

102 June 2012

CALENDAR OFuPCOMING EvENTS:

JuLY 1, 2012Ohel Boys (6-11) Sibshops—Five Towns(718) 686-3497 (Batsheva)[email protected]

JuLY 9, 2012Ohel Girls (6-16) Sibshops—Queens(718) 686-3497 (Batsheva)[email protected]

JuLY 12, 2012Ohel Girls (6-11) Sibshops---Brooklyn(718) 686-3497 (Batsheva)[email protected]

JuLY 12-13, 2012Glut1ds Conference Indianapolis, Indianawww.glut1ds.org

JuLY 15, 2012Ohel Girls (6-11) Sibshops—Five Towns(718) 686-3497 (Batsheva)[email protected]

JuLY 18, 2012Ohel Girls (12-16) Sibshops—Five Towns(718) 686-3497 (Batsheva)[email protected]

JuLY 19, 2012Ohel Girls (12-16) Sibshops---Brooklyn(718) 686-3497 (Batsheva)[email protected]

JuLY 19-22, 2012VCFSEF Conference Toronto, Ontario, Canadawww.vcfsef.org/about_vcfs/general_in-formation.html

JuLY 22, 2012Ohel Boys (6-11) Sibshops---Brooklyn(718) 686-3497 (Batsheva)[email protected] 25-29, 2012National Fragile X Foundation Interna-tional Conference • Miami, Floridawww.fragilex.org

AuGuST 1-2, 2012ICare4Autism International Autism Conference • Jerusalem, Israelwww.icare4autism.org www.hear-our-voices.org

AuGuST 3-5, 2012Abilities Expowww.abilitiesexpo.com Houston, Texas

OCTOBER 25-28, 2012Achieving Inclusion Across The Globe International Forum • Washington, DCwww.thearc.org

OCTOBER 26-28, 201212th International Symposium on Guil-lain-Barre/Acute Inflamatory Demyeli-nating PolyneuropathyFort Worth, Texaswww.gbs-cidp.org/home/take-action/events

OCTOBER 29-NOvEMBER 2, 20124th Congenital CMV ConferenceSan Francisco, [email protected] |www.mcaevents.org

NOvEMBER 16-18, 2012Abilities Expowww.abilitiesexpo.com San Jose, California

The 9th Annual Young Child Expo & Conference was held on

April 18-20, 2012 at the New York’s Hotel Pennsylvania right across from Madison Square Garden. This event brought together over 1000 early childhood principals, teach-ers, early childhood directors and other professionals for 3 days of great professional development. The focus of the conference was es-sential topics in early childhood de-velopment – learning to help young children learn and grow well. Top experts presented half the program on topics relevant for typically de-veloping children and half the top-ics aimed to help professionals ad-dress the special needs of children with autism and other developmen-tal disabilities and challenges. We had a great turnout and received positive feedback! Next year’s con-ference will be held at the same ho-tel – New York’s Hotel Pennsylvania on April 17-19, 2013. Save the Date. Mark your calendars and make our 10th Annual Young Child Expo & Conference your professional de-velopment day! The conference is a joint project of Fordham Univer-sity’s Graduate School of Education (www.fordham.edu) and Los Ni-ños Services (www.losninos.com). Our conference website is www.youngchildexpo.com

Los Ninos


COuRTESY OF

June 2012 103

BULLETIN BOARD

Howard is a 49 year-old man with a learning disability. Once a week

he volunteers at a day care facility. The rest of the week he spends time in a “Life Management” program. Sunday is funday for Howard. It is a day he shines, for Howard is one of the star basketball players for Los Angeles’ Special Macabees. Seven years ago Jeff Liss, a sales con-sultant, thought about the conundrum Orthodox Jews face in finding sports teams for their mentally challenged youth. So while walking the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California with his wife, Liz, Liss no-ticed a group of Special Needs kids wearing yarmulkes. He inquired about sports programs with their leader and discovered none existed. That’s when he came up with the idea of the Special Macabees. With the help of Liz, Jeff Liss or-ganized the Special Macabees. He re-cruited coaches and athletes, solicited funding, and contacted synagogues to

jump onto the bandwagon. For Howard and his teammates, basketball teaches them not only how to play the game, but how to interact with fellow teammates, being alert, focusing, and learning to follow the rules. The athletes’ abilities range from having trouble knowing which basket-ball hoop to address to those who have pretty consistent lay-up shots. On March 11, 2012 the Special Maca-bees had the opportunity to strut their stuff. They played their biggest game at the Westside JCC on Olympic Blvd. in Los Angeles against the Special Olympic team. This basketball game wasn’t like watching the Lakers at the Staples Center. However, the screaming fans and excited players made up for their lack of skill on the court. The coaches make sure all athletes had an opportunity to play, no mat-ter their skill level. No one hogged the ball. There were no swearing nor bad

manners. Yes, there were double drib-bles, walking, and other basketball no-nos ignored by empathetic refs. Occasionally an athlete protested a call or lack of one. During the third quarter of play, a Special Olympics player ran with the ball. A Macabee complained to the ref with the walk-ing sign. The ref ignored his plea. The final score of the March 11 game was 44-48, a Special Olympic victory. Afterwards, everyone was treated to kosher pizza and drinks. Jeff Liss’ dream is to duplicate his suc-cess with the Special Macabees in Los Angeles in other cities throughout the country. Liss can be contacted at [email protected].

Th e Special Macabees: Basketball at Its Finest

Human Care at the Israel Day Parade

Esther Lustig, LCSW CEO of Human Care Services with NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli at the celebrate Israel parade.

Human Care Services marching with NYS ComptrollerTom DiNapoli at the Celebrate Israel Parade.

104 June 2012

After-School HoursPositions available for Community Habtrainers with experience. Well payingjobs with special needs individuals.

P/T late afternoon hrsMon-Thurs & Weekends:

Email resumes to [email protected]

Spend just one hour per week with a child or adult with disabilities.

Boro Park/Flatbush group home settings.

Read, learn, play a game/music, walk together, be a friend, share a hobby, etc.

Male and Female volunteers welcome, ages 16 and up.

Want to make a huge difference - in someone else’s life? - in your own life?

Contact ShaindyWomens League Community Residences718-853-0900 ext. 308

BECOME A VOLUNTEER!

RECRUITMENT

June 2012 105

OTs · PTs · SLPs · CFYs · SEITs Clinical Psychologists/ LCSWs · LMHCs

WORK IN CLINIC OR SCHOOL SETTINGFlexible Scheduling & Competitive Rates

Ph (718) 998.1415

Seeking Special Instructors, Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapists to work with infants and toddlers in all Brooklyn neighborhoods. Bilingual (Spanish, Creole, Hebrew, Yiddish, Russian, etc.) a plus.

Also seeking evaluators in all disciplines. Call Judy at ext. 240

Call JUMPSTART EI(718) 853-9700 ext. 255

or fax resume to(718) 853-5533


SPECIAL ACCESS FOR SPECIAL PEOPLE

PROJECT SPECIAL ACCESSKol Hachesed Hotline Beineinu Building Blocks Magazine

dial click read Special Access

Kol Hachesed Hotline 718-705-5000 20

Beineinu

Building Blocks Magazine

, , and are joining together to bring you a one-stop-resource-shopping experience. With , you will be able to accessinformation on resources for special needs from the leisure of your home at any hour, day or night.

If you like to , , or , has the information that you need in the format that youprefer.

ext to be connected to the new Developmental section,which lists programs and services of many agencies and organizations. A list of services isavailable through the Project SpecialAccess website.

to be connected to 's rapidly growing database ofresources, information and inspiration. Email to receive weekly Beineinuupdates delivered to your inbox.

, the bi-annual special needs publication, which is full of wonderfularticles and resource lists geared to the parents of children with special needs. Back issues will beavailable online through the Project SpecialAccess website.

[email protected]

DIAL

CLICK

READ

For more information, log onto .www.ProjectSpecialAccess.org

Whatever your media, we've got it!We provide

for special people like you!SPECIAL ACCESS

RECRUITMENT

106 June 2012

INDEX OF ADVERTISERSAbilities Expo 65The Ability Center 77AdaptiveClothingShowroom.com 64American Discount Medical 63Arrowsmith Program 70Beineinu 85Block Institute 70Bussani Mobility Team 69CAHAL 25Camp Kaylie 28CBR - Creative Business Resources 79Dovi's Playhouse 77EDUC.A.R.E 81Eis Laasois Child Development Services 105eTree / Tree of Knowledge 35Gesher Early Childhood Center 14Hamaspik 108Hand in Hand Family Services 74Haor - The Beacon School 75HASC School Age Program 16HorseAbility 37Human Care Services 2

IVDU Schools 29JCC of the Greater 5 Towns 34Women's League Community Residences 104Jumpstart Early Intervention 105Rabbi Reuven Kamin MA 85Kew Gardens SEP 9, 104Ilene Klass MS, OTR/L 81Kulanu Torah Academy 10Dana Ledereich, MA OTR/L 83Maxi-Health Research Inc. 55, 67MCC - Manhattan Children's Center 8, 52National Jewish Council 104New York League for Early Learning / YAI 104Ohel Bais Ezra 3, 54Ohel Children's Home & Family Services 83Omni Childhood Center 19, 79, 105Otsar Family Services 15, 81, 104Pesach Tikvah/Door of Hope 79Pocket Full of Therapy 62Positive Beginnings Preschool 74Project Special Access 47, 105

Reach for the Stars Learning Center 7, 104Spirit! Magazine 83Tafkid 87Therapro 66Touro College Speech & Hearing Center 18TTI - Testing & Training International 11UCP - Children's Programs 77Yachad / National Jewish Council for Disabilities 49Yachad / NJCD 83Yad B'Yad Academy 27Manhattan Star Academy / YAI 43Yedei Chesed 75Yeled V'Yalda Early Childhood Center 21Yeled V'Yaldah - Project Reach 17Yeshiva Binyan Olem 10Yeshiva Bonim Lamokom 41YESS - Yeshiva Education for Special Students 4Zahler 107

For further information or to advertise please contact: Moshe Klass at 718.330.1100 ext. 352 or [email protected]* All submissions become the property of Building Blocks and may not be returned. Publication is subject to the discretion of the editors. Please do not submit previously published material.

BECOME A PART OF THE NEXT

To Be Published December 2012

ASK THE EXPERT

To ask a question of one of ourtherapists, advocates or educators.Contact Chaya Klass at: [email protected]

BULLETIN BOARD

To have pictures of your events postedfree of charge in this section.

Contact Eli Stein at: [email protected]

FAMILY FORUM & SIBS SPEAKFor a member of a family with a special

needs individual to submit an anecdote, advice, or comment.

Contact Ruchi Eisenbach at: [email protected]

ORGANIZATIONAL LISTINGSTo be included in the next directory freeof charge, request a submission form at

[email protected] - a form must be submitted to update any previously published listing.


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108 June 2012

Building Blocks June 2012

Documents

new ipad

new website

special needs magazinedealing

rnthe new dsm

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