SHALVA
 | |
| Formation | 1990 |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-profit NGO |
| Purpose | supports individuals with special needs |
| Headquarters | Jerusalem, Israel |
| Location |
|
Region served | Israel |
Founder and Chairman | Kalman Samuels |
| Website |
www |
SHALVA (The Association for Mentally and Physically Challenged Children in Israel) (Hebrew: שַׁלְוָה) is a registered non-profit organization[1] that supports individuals with special needs in Israel. The organization works with a wide range of individuals with disabilities: mental retardation, developmental delay, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, the Autism spectrum, special needs with recognized handicaps (children with minor to severe retardation, Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome), and more; and to empower the families of individuals with special needs.
The organization was founded in 1990 and operates a variety of programs for individuals with special needs. The organization’s programs are free of charge and rely heavily on the work of volunteers. As of 2015, the chairman of the organization is Kalman Samuels. The organization provides services to approximately 500 infants, children, and young adults.
Background
As parents of a child with special needs,[2] Kalman and Malki Samuels understood the need for the founding of an organization that would ease the burdens of families of children with special needs. Their son, Yossi Samuels, was born a healthy child in 1977 however, after receiving a faulty DPT vaccination, he was rendered blind, deaf, and hyperactive. He was isolated in his own world without a method of communication. Based on their personal experience with the day-to-day challenges of raising a family and the constant need to care for a child with special needs, they decided to establish SHALVA in 1990.
The first center was established in a private apartment in the Har Nof neighborhood in Jerusalem and catered to a few dozen local children. As a greater need emerged, the organization bought an additional facility on an adjacent street and began expanding its programs; the building was later called ”Beit Nachshon” in memory of Nachshon Wachsman who was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in 1994.[3] Over the years, programs with innovative therapies were developed for infants, and the organization began to support research in various subjects in its field.[4]
Programs developed to care for individuals with disabilities
Me and My Mommy
“Me and My Mommy is an early intervention program for infants with special needs from birth, which provides therapies to advance their physical and social development. The program also conducts a parallel support program for parents and provides them with the tools for coping with their new situation.
In recent years, several studies have been conducted in the context of the “Me and My Mommy” program under the guidance of Professor Malka Margalit (of the School of Education at Tel-Aviv university),[5] for the purpose of better understanding the needs of infants with special needs and their families, improving related therapies, and the desire to incorporate these findings in Israel’s social services systems.
Rehabilitative Day Care Center
The program was established in 2003 as an extension of the “Me and My Mommy” program, in order to create therapy consistency, based on the recognized importance of early intervention as a significant contributor for the toddler’s future development. The day care center is operated by special educators for every age and stage of development, as well as a paramedical staff of therapists who conduct a variety of personal and group therapies. As part of a flagship therapeutic philosophy that incorporates family involvement in the rehabilitative process, the parents of the children are integrated into the therapies, and once every two weeks they are invited for a morning of therapy activities, through which they learn about different therapies and develop their abilities to continue providing their children with optimal care at home.
After School Activity Center
Every afternoon, hundreds of children and teens with multiple disabilities arrive at SHALVA’s centers to participate in a variety of therapeutic activities, such as: hydrotherapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy, media therapy, dance therapy, multi-sensory therapy (Snoezelen), music therapy, animal therapy, drama therapy, and art therapy. An individual learning plan of personal and group objectives is constructed for every participant in order to empower his/her personal potential for social inclusion as a valued and contributing citizen.
Respite Program
The Respite program operates every day of the week, and allows SHALVA’s children a regular, weekly sleep-over at SHALVA’s residential quarters, and a monthly weekend retreat. Every child knows in advance which day of the week is his overnight stay, who will be his/her roommates, and the staff that will be present to assist him/her with every need. The purpose of the program is to enable families of children with special needs to conduct a normative life-style.
Inclusive Early Childhood Center
The Inclusive Early Childhood classrooms are operated by a staff of special educators alongside a paramedical staff who conduct a variety of personal and group therapies. The children are also escorted by a staff social worker. The program also includes a community inclusion program, through which the children are integrated into a preschool in their local communities once a week, where they are able to reap the benefits of inclusion in a normative social setting.
Summer Camps
- ”Day camp”- Every summer, over the course of eight weeks, SHALVA operates a day camp, seven days a week from morning until evening. During the summer vacation, when educational frameworks are not in session, there is a significant lack of structured activities appropriate for children receiving special education.
- ”Sleep-away Camp”- Every summer, the organization operates an eight-day sleep-away camp, at an off-site resort, which provides the children with an opportunity to develop important independence skills. At the same time, the families of the children are able to experience a summer vacation without having to worry about their child with disabilities.
Graduate Social Club
The Graduate Social Club is an extended program for female young adults who previously attended the After School Activity Center; for the purpose of providing social-emotional support and empowering their abilities as young women, to escort their independent living. These young women, ages 21–36, typically live with their families or in assisted living facilities. The attending young women are characterized as having minor mental retardation, Down syndrome, and socio-emotional issues.
The SHALVA National Center
In 2008 the construction of the SHALVA National Center began,[6] neighboring the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. The center is expected to open its doors in January 2016. The center is designed to provide services for thousands of individuals with disabilities in Israel and to be an international center for research and study in the field of disabilities.
References
- ↑ "Israeli Corporations Authority". Israeli Corporations Authority. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
- ↑ "Never stop dreaming". The Canadian Jewish News. May 20, 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
- ↑ Friedson, Felice (March 18, 2014). "Esther Wachsman, Mother of slain soldier presents Gilad Shalit with Spirit of Hope Award". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ↑ Siegel-Itzkovich, Judy (March 3, 2012). "Israel joins validation of test to detect Down syndrome". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ↑ "בדיקת הקשר בין אווירה משפחתית, קוהרנטיות ותקווה הורית להשתתפותם של ילדים ומתבגרים עם פיגור שכלי בגילי 21-10" (PDF). http://www.kshalem.org.il. ד"ר אורית ברט ד"ר נאוה רצון, פרופ' מלכה מרגלית. Retrieved 30 January 2015. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "Realizing a challenging dream". The Jerusalem Post. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2015.