To the team of autism experts in Seeach Sod, this came as no surprise.
They have felt this need ever since it was decided to separate the autism framework in Seeach Sod and further develop it.
Rabbi Avi Shechter, Director of the Seeach Sod Autism Department, Director of Yeshivas Shaarei Tvuna for Students with Autism
Rabbi Tzvika Cohen, Director of Seeach Sod’s Training Apartments and Integration
Mrs. Ruthi Morgenstern, Director of Supported Housing for Autism.
Why develop projects geared specifically for students with autism?
Rabbi Shechter:
“The key word in autism is accuracy. On two fronts. Accuracy in the diagnoses – which is now leading to an increase in cases of children diagnosed with autism, and accuracy in the response required for these children.
“Children and adults on the autistic spectrum need something different than children and adults with MS. Communication, regulation, social skills – in our approach to individuals with autism, these are all milestones. Our goal in Seeach Sod is to invest our all in the tools and professionals needed for this accurate response.”
Mrs. Morgenstern:
“Necessity is the father of invention. In the Chareidi sector, Seeach Sod was the first to address the individuals on the autistic spectrum. The need for both the families and individuals themselves is very great. As it is with everything they do, Seeach Sod’s projects are run on a highly professional standard. The autism team is constantly undergoing new training, reassessment, and holds frequent staff meetings. And all this is to provide our students with the tools that will allow them to grow towards independence.”
Rabbi Cohen:
“Due to their high functioning, an accurate response opens worlds of opportunity for children and adults with autism. Those who are at a level of high functioning can flourish in all areas of life. Instead of the frustration and inappropriate behaviors that separate them from the general community, their self-trust – and the community’s trust in them – is restored. And this way, they are able to actualize their potential.”
What is the great news in Life Skills Training Apartments for ASD Individuals?
Rabbi Cohen:
“These training apartments are an arena for mentoring. High functioning young adults with autism come once a week and practice skills needed for shared living, society and communication, regulation and avoiding frustration. These are lifelong tools. In addition, as part of the program, parents participate in workshops – so that they too become supporters of their children’s independence.”
Mrs. Morgenstien:
“It is tremendously important for every person, and specifically for individuals on the autistic spec-trum, to work with a process. The gradual and thorough training that these apartments will provide, will allow a smooth, pleasant and empowering transition to living in general housing, enabling a high level of quality of life.”
Rabbi Shechter:
“The rise in services available to individuals with autism proves that there is a great need for a response that is suitable to all walks of life. Our long-standing framework for boys and girls with autism received an expansion – in the form of a Talmud Torah and Yeshiva that opened in our magnificent, new Ramat Shlomo campus. There we are proven, each and every day, that the children in conditions favorable for their development and properly regulated, thrive, flourish, and reach milestones.
New and special frameworks for those with autism are continuously being launched: We recently won the tender for a day-care center, preschools were opened, and a new girls high school is on its way.
Life Skills Training Apartments is a new project that addresses a unique audience of young adults who are still living at home and are coming to acquire life skills. With this new program, in terms of addressing autism, all age groups and target audiences will be covered.”