24 / 32
one of its students alone in the grounds. We have begun a program for the
seventh grade, in which they have six yearly meetings with the Benjamin
Rothman school students and have joint activities together, including a Seder
before Pessach. The idea is to carry on these activities throughout their time
at Kadoorie, where both groups of students are exposed to and learn form
each other. I think that in many ways, our ‘normal’ students gain even more
than the students with autism. We have even, in a few cases of relatively
high-functioning students, brought them in to some regular classes. One of
them has joined our eighth grade for English lessons. The students know that
he may not always react in the same way, or even shout in the class, but it’s
something they have gotten used to. It’s part of building a healthier society
where all are accepted”.
Parents are also heavily involved in the various circles of activity. “There is
a complex process of adapting the expectations of our parents. It’s a very
sensitive process and one of our greatest challlenges, because naturally,
the parents will be hoping that their children can reach a higher level of
independence and that’s not always realistic” says Maoz. “But we need the
parents to be as much a part of this as possible because in the end, they will be
responsible for their child after graduation and the best thing for them is to be
able to lead productive lives, as far as they are capable”.
“When you have a child suffering from autism and you live far away from the
center of the country, it adds a lot more tension” says Shlomit, a mother of a
student at the school. “I can’t even begin to explain what a change it has made
to our lives to have such a school nearby. We know that whatever level our
child is at, whether its in her learning, extra-curricular activities or preparation
for adulthood, Benjamin Rothman school is capable of providing her with the
solutions that best suit her conditon”. Shlomit says that parents with children
in special schools in the center of Israel are already exploring the possibility to
move north just because of the new school. “Parents to children with autism
are fighters, they have to be. And they will give a lot to find the best possible
environment for their children. What we have achieved here in a short time,
the level of partnership we have, is unique”.
Talya, whose son is at the school says that “even though it’s a new school,
with a concept which is still evolving, I feel we are like part of a family. It’s
not just the equipment and the facilities which are simply the best. The staff
have succeeded in creating a shared language. In his previous school, our son,
despite the fact that he’s relatively high-functioning, failed to make progress
because he, and we as well, lacked that level of communication and investment
from the staff”.