Comments on: Why is This Year Different? http://www.blisstree.com/articles/why-is-this-year-different/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:58:58 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jill Cornfield http://www.blisstree.com/articles/why-is-this-year-different/comment-page-1/#comment-565342 Jill Cornfield Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:28:14 +0000 http://www.blisstree.com/autismvox/?p=3982#comment-565342 Erin, Happy holidays to you too, and good luck with your preparations. I hope your seder goes well. I'm happy you have a rabbi and your son is in Hebrew school. We tried something called Matan, which is an organization that provides Jewish education for kids with special needs, but as is often the case "special needs" winds up being a VERY broad scale. Alex really needed one-on-one help. We asked if Ned could tag along and help him; they wound up charging us for Ned, too, which was kind of a drag. I still think it is a great program, though. Someone sent me an email contact for Chabad for Alex, so I will definitely try that. I take it year by year. Last year wasn't so successful; this year I hope Alex will be better prepared and more involved. Best wishes, Jill Erin, Happy holidays to you too, and good luck with your preparations. I hope your seder goes well. I’m happy you have a rabbi and your son is in Hebrew school. We tried something called Matan, which is an organization that provides Jewish education for kids with special needs, but as is often the case “special needs” winds up being a VERY broad scale. Alex really needed one-on-one help. We asked if Ned could tag along and help him; they wound up charging us for Ned, too, which was kind of a drag. I still think it is a great program, though.
Someone sent me an email contact for Chabad for Alex, so I will definitely try that.
I take it year by year. Last year wasn’t so successful; this year I hope Alex will be better prepared and more involved.
Best wishes,
Jill

]]> By: Erin Henderschedt http://www.blisstree.com/articles/why-is-this-year-different/comment-page-1/#comment-565365 Erin Henderschedt Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:42:41 +0000 http://www.blisstree.com/autismvox/?p=3982#comment-565365 Hi Jill, I just found your blog today and I am sure I will follow it now. My 10 year old also has ASD. It's been a rough road but we are learning to help him deal with his differences. I am also Jewish and noticed your statement about not having a bar mitzvah at age 13 like other kids. After yet another "incident" at Hebrew school this past week, I know I will not be enrolling Jack in Hebrew school when we move this summer but have already contacted the local Chabad house where we will be moving to. The Rabbi there said he is happy to give Jack private lessons to prepare him. I know some other people who have done this. Chabad is an amazing organization and while I am a reform, bordering on conservative, Jew and they are very orthodox, they are warm and welcoming and helpful in every way. So, if you want to work on it with Alex, you could contact them and they will work with you, I am sure. I, too, am preparing for Passover now. Ironically, we are going to the Hebrew school director's house for Seder. After the second incident in as many weeks, I really don't want to spend the evening with the director, but now I don't think I have any choice, we are committed. I can only hope to make it a positive experience for our kids. They will be the only kids there, so it could be a long night. Good luck with your preparations. I love the set you got for Alex. I will be buying one for us. We have the Shabbat one but since we live overseas, it is too late to buy the Passover one for this year. All the best to you and yours, Erin Hi Jill, I just found your blog today and I am sure I will follow it now. My 10 year old also has ASD. It’s been a rough road but we are learning to help him deal with his differences. I am also Jewish and noticed your statement about not having a bar mitzvah at age 13 like other kids. After yet another “incident” at Hebrew school this past week, I know I will not be enrolling Jack in Hebrew school when we move this summer but have already contacted the local Chabad house where we will be moving to. The Rabbi there said he is happy to give Jack private lessons to prepare him. I know some other people who have done this. Chabad is an amazing organization and while I am a reform, bordering on conservative, Jew and they are very orthodox, they are warm and welcoming and helpful in every way. So, if you want to work on it with Alex, you could contact them and they will work with you, I am sure.
I, too, am preparing for Passover now. Ironically, we are going to the Hebrew school director’s house for Seder. After the second incident in as many weeks, I really don’t want to spend the evening with the director, but now I don’t think I have any choice, we are committed. I can only hope to make it a positive experience for our kids. They will be the only kids there, so it could be a long night.
Good luck with your preparations. I love the set you got for Alex. I will be buying one for us. We have the Shabbat one but since we live overseas, it is too late to buy the Passover one for this year.
All the best to you and yours,
Erin

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