Then, there are the additional benefits our government grants us: a significant monthly stipend (which is determined based on the severity of the disability) to help us pay for household help and a permit to bring in a foreign worker for that purpose; a handicapped parking permit and a discount on our car registration; additional paid sick days for me and my wife, beyond what a regular employee is entitled to; and even a government-issued card that entitles us, when we have Menachem in tow, to skip to the front of the line in places like government offices or supermarkets!
While Menachem can’t speak, he is bilingual in his comprehension of English and Hebrew. (A noted difference between the two therapy approaches, as discussed in an earlier article, is that the DIR-floortime model allows for using the two languages in his therapy, as they come up naturally in his environment – i.e. English at home and Hebrew at school – whereas ABA insists on consistency throughout, so that if he is learning Hebrew commands in school, he should hear the same Hebrew at home.)
Since my son was born in Israel, the bilingualism came naturally; for a special needs child making aliyah, the dual language burden, particularly past the natural age of language acquisition, is something that has to be weighed, and the proper approach to introducing the second language should be discussed with a professional.
What other issues does the potential oleh need to be aware of?
Well, for starters, you’ll want to make sure that your child’s diagnosis will be accepted in Israel. When dealing with cognitive disorders like the autism spectrum, definitions can get pretty fuzzy. The DSM-5 has changed the parameters of what’s considered “on the spectrum,” and it’s now harder to get a diagnosis of autism. So it’s important to know what criteria are used in Israel to diagnose your child’s disorder.
Next, check that the medications your child currently takes are covered by the National Health Fund. These medications can get quite expensive – as much as $10 a pill. If they aren’t covered, find out if there are comparable medications that are.
Be aware of the timing of things here. In order to get accepted into a special education program for a given academic year, the child must receive approval from a placement committee, which involves a whole process of evaluations. Find out how early you will need to be here in order to have this taken care of before the start of the school year.
One thing we have found we are missing in the services here is accessibility to alternative and cutting-edge therapies. For example, research is starting to emerge about the connection between stomach-based disorders and autism, but such therapy isn’t readily available here. There are some alternative medications we’ve had to ship from the U.S. because we couldn’t get them here. If you’re not into alternative medicine, then it isn’t such an issue, but this is something to be aware of.
We have had to face the fact that living in Israel with a child like Menachem means we will never be able to go back to the U.S. to visit. Neither of us is able to handle caring for Menachem for a prolonged period on our own while the other is abroad, and we certainly couldn’t bring him on a plane. So our family visits us here instead. This is just one more life reality we’ve had to adjust to while raising our special needs son.
But if we’re going to be tied down to any one location in the world, we are extremely blessed that that place is here in our homeland.