BEINEINU NEWS & NOTES
May 29, 2014
USA
East Ramapo School District—There have been many complaints by East Ramapo School District parents about the frequent breakdowns and lateness of the Student and Chestnut Ridge school buses serving the area’s special ed schools. Denise of the district’s transportation office has requested that parents should call her office at 845-577-6490, as well as the bus company, when there is a problem. They will be keeping a log of complaints and will deal with the bus companies to insure compliance with their contract.
New Yiddish Boys Sibshop---Ohel has now begun a monthly sibshop program in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) for boys ages 8-12 who are Yiddish speakers. For more information, contact Azi Steiner at 718-686-3492
New IRA Being formed—An IRA apartment is being formed in New York City exclusively for boys ages 14-20 who need their food intake monitored and restricted or are fed exclusively by g-tube. This is due to the first individual having Prader-Willi syndrome, requiring food to be locked up at all times. Please contact Shani Klein 718-360-6165 for more information.
OCD Summer Program--the Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders Program at Mount Sinai is offering two FREE summer programs for children with OCD. For more information about the child CBT programs, please contact the Mount Sinai OCD and Related Disorders program at 212-659-8823, visit the website www.mountsinaiocd.org, or feel free to contact Dr. Ariz Rojas at
ISRAEL
Parent Survey—Kesher is conducting a survey of parents of children with special needs on the topic of joining the workforce. The purpose is to help shape policies and develope services to enable parents to work. Email kesher at
Personal Safety---The police investigators have received training in a new system that can help non-verbal individuals express if they have been hurt by a caregiver or other person. There is usually a therapist in the room too but the training allows them to ask the child/individual non-directive questions, and receive answers, with minimal interference on her part so that they can get the individual's accurate depiction of what had happened.
Your Child’s Summer Rights--A list of some relevant rights for the summer
When does school end?
The vacation program at the special-ed schools ends on Aug 10, 2014 (with various adjustments). Nevertheless, it has recently been reported that children learning in frameworks for Autism will study until Aug 15, 2014 (unlike the statement on the circular).
Checking this with the national Special Ed supervisor, Mrs. Mimi Palezi, showed that indeed this is true and they are working to arrange the dates for all disabilities and all special ed frameworks.
She promised to issue an updated report in the following days. We will update you as soon as this is published.
Regarding Rehabilitative Day-Care Centers:
Over the past while, many efforts have been made to complete the school year in the rehabilitative day-care-centers so that they will match those in the special ed schools. The process involves approval and funding by the Health and Welfare offices.
Since there is no approval and unequivocal confirmation to the change, as of now the day-care centers will end on Aug 4, 2014, as planned. In the event that a decision for change will be made, we will let you know immediately.
Assistants ("Shadows") During the Summer Vacation
Students who are mainstreamed in reg ed, who are approved for a 'shadow' during the school year – this approval continues into camp, since the approval is for 12 months per year.
Approval is according to the number of hours approved.
In order to receive this assistance, the camp must be recognized and supervised by the Ministry of Education.
The Ministry of Education recommends that the 'shadow' working with the child in camp will be the same one who accompanies him throughout the school year, if at all possible.
Transportation During Vacation
In instances where the school year extension was approved, the Ministry of Education automatically continues to provide transportation for children who are approved all year long.
The transportation branch of the Ministry of Edcuation does not fund transportation to camps at all. In the case of an extended school year in the special ed, it is considered school, not a camp, and that is why transportation continues as usual.
Students who are mainstreamed into regular schools are not eligible for transportation to schools/camp after the school year ends, since the school they learn in has ended its activity in June.
Subsidizing Camps for Those Diagnosed With Autism
As of July 2012, children with Autism who are learning in regular schools in the educational system ("integrated education") enjoy a subsidization of 500 ILS per child attending a regular summer camp run by the local government during the summer months. Up until now, these children were only eligible for subsidization for special ed even if during the year they studied in regular schools.
As a result, parents who were interested in continuing to mainstream their child with their friends from school were forced to pay the regular camps from their own pockets.
Checking with the rehab and cognitive developmental disorders branches in the Ministry of Welfare, we found that there is no similar arrangement for these communities.
See more information about the rights here