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Beit Issie Shapiro - Join our Cause 

 Welcome to Beit Issie Shapiro

We are happy to share with you news of our recent activities and hope you will find these interesting. Please click on the links for extended articles.

OFFICIAL OPENING OF BEIT ISSIE SHAPIRO'S EXPANDED BUILDING

After some three years of planning, raising money and building, we finally put the finishing touches to our new facilities and with great pride invited donors, parents, volunteers, friends and dignitaries, to share our joy at the official launching. It was an incredible affair – the realization of a dream in which our young children would be housed in a building that was roomy, aesthetic and suited to their needs, parents would enjoy pleasant waiting areas and everything would be easily accessible to all. We were very proud that our Minister of Welfare, Mr. Itzchak Herzog honored the event, joined by Mr. Nahum Hofri (the Mayor of Ra'anana), Ms. Esther Dominisini (CEO, Bituach Leumi), Eli Dadon (Chairman, Keren Shalem), Sasha Weiss Trump, Rabbi Yisrael Lau (Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv) and Rabbi Firrer. Read more...

..."As far as I am concerned, Beit Issie Shapiro isn’t just another organization. It is an organization that is spearheading a revolution. It is an organization whose top priority is progress and an organization which, with relatively limited resources and a supreme effort and lots of giving and partnership with all the parties that are prepared to take part in this effort, you see the amazing things that are taking shape right before our eyes, things that didn’t exist a generation ago..." 

Extracts from Minister of Welfare and Social Services Itzchak Hertzog's speech. 
Read More...

                                                      

       Guests of Honor (L-R) Ms. Esther Dominisini, Mr. Nahum Hofri, Mr. Itzchak Herzog & Naomi Stuchiner  

The building was officially opened by Mayor Nahum Hofri, Neighborhood Chairman Gabi Hasan, Executive Director Jean Judes, Chief Rabbi Lau & President, CEO Int Naomi Stuchiner

"You have taught us and you continue to teach us the true meaning of equality, the true meaning of social justice.  And we are learning.  Our vision and decision to turn the city of Raanana into a city accessible to all populations was also due mainly to you..."
Extract from Mayor Nahum Hofri's speech.  Read More...

CONGRATULATIONS !!

Michele Shapiro (Director of the Multi-Sensory Center at Beit Issie Shapiro), was selected as an example of excellence in occupational therapy by Renee Taylor, of the University of Illinois, Chicago, in her book "The International Relationship, Occupational Therapy and Use of Self." The book includes numerous pictures of Michele and describes what makes her work unique and some lessons therapists from all over the world can learn from Beit Issie Shapiro.

LEARNING UNDER KASSAM ROCKET ATTACK IN SDEROT

Course for professionals working with people with special needs, in trauma from continuing rocket attacks.

At a time when therapists in the Sderot area are desperate to find new ways to reduce anxiety among its residents with special needs, a new course on using controlled multi-sensory input offers solutions. The response to the course given at the Sapir center, often during rocket bombardements, has been exceptional. Participants have included occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and psychologists who specialize in trauma. We are very grateful to our staff, Michele Shapiro, Mona Julius, Shefi Mashiah, and Gail Suskin, who have continued to travel to the area despite the frightening situation.

HYDROTHERAPY CLASSES ALSO CONTINUE DESPITE THE ROCKET ATTACKS

Tuvia Stuchiner and his team of courageous hydrotherapists have also continued to teach in Sderot during emergency alerts and rocket fire rockets. The students are extremely grateful that the Beit Issie Shapiro team has not given up on them and keeps coming to the south despite the danger to themselves.

APPLICATION OF CALMING 'SNOEZELEN' MULTI-SENSORY THERAPIES IN DENTAL TREATMENT (reducing sedation)

Our research team showed that applying the multi-sensory (Snoezelen) approach to the dental clinic and adapting its environment has significant and very positive effects in calming the patients, thus greatly reducing the need for sedation.  Read more...

Rachel and Haim Avidan (parents of Yehezkel, in Beit Issie Shapiro) share their personal experience.

Testimonies of 2 clients' experiences in the Controlled Multi-Sensory Treatment Room

FIRST COURSE IN CONTROLLED MULTI-SENSORY THERAPY IN ARABIC

A first course in Arabic on controlled multi-sensory therapy was recently conducted in Haifa in conjunction with Ma'on Lev Hakadosh. Twelve professionals were trained by Arabic-speaking lecturers. We were happy to hear about the discussion among the speakers regarding what the most suitable Arabic translation of certain professional terms should be. The trainees included physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and hearing therapists who treat children and adults with intellectual disabilities who live in the north. In addition, twenty employees from the Aaron De Lowe Early Childhood Education Center in Ra'anana and the Sindian Early Intervention Center in Kalansua recently participated in a course on controlled multi-sensory integration and are now part of our bank of therapists.

CHANGE IN ARAB SOCIETY'S ATTITUDE TOWARD PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

The president of the Shari'a Appeals Court in Jerusalem, Kadi Dr. Ahmad Natur, and the judge of the Shari'a court in Jaffa, Kadi Abd Alhakim Samara, were guests at Beit Issie Shapiro in mid-January. Their visit was another important step in increasing the support of our activities in the eyes of key figures in the Arab communities in the southern triangle region.

The guests were impressed by Beit Issie Shapiro's professionalism and important vision. They indicated that they would approach Muslim religious figures to increase awareness of the need to accept children with disabilities within Arab society. They also promised to publicize the message that people with disabilities must be given equal rights in mosques.

Beit Issie Shapiro also hosted a large group of Muslim religious leaders in a course at the Trump Institute, aimed at teaching participants how to promote and further the standing and acceptance of people with disabilities within the Arab community.

BEIT ISSIE SHAPIRO LEADS THE FIGHT TO BRING ATTENTION TO MUCH NEEDED REFORM IN THE TREATMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DUAL DIAGNOSIS

For four years Beit Issie Shapiro has been working to improve the treatment of people with intellectual disabilities who also have psychological, emotional and behavioral disorders (known as 'dual diagnosis'). Sadly, in Israel, mental health profesionals do not have the necessary knowledge to treat this population, a fact which results in immense suffering to the people themselves, to their parents and to their caregivers and therapists. Read more...


GRANDPARENTS' GROUP IN THE DE LOWE CENTER

A group of grandparents with grandchildren at the Aaron De Lowe Early Childhood Education Center has been meeting actively for nine years - meeting once every three weeks.  Read more...

ADVOCACY ACHIEVEMENTS

Beit Issie Shapiro initiated and continues to coordinate the Rehabilitative Daycare Centers Forum, which advocates for the rights of children with special needs and their families in Israel. The group includes more than 60 representatives from various organizations, parents' groups, and advocacy organizations.  Read more...

BEIT ISSIE SHAPIRO MOURNS THE LOSS OF DR LARRY TAFT 

It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of a dear friend and colleague, Dr. Lawrence Taft.  Dr. Taft was an expert in the field of pediatrics and specialised in the care of children with developmental disabilities.  He served as chairman of the Beit Issie Shapiro Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) and was a longtime friend. Tribute to Dr. Taft

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