I’d like to tell you about Elia, an adorable 11 year old boy, with Special Needs, who joined our after school program less than a year ago. He is sweet and friendly, but he had a hard time getting used to it at first.
He only agreed to come if his parents promised to take him out early. But all this changed as soon as Elia was chosen to be in charge of the van.
He makes sure the kids are all on the correct vans, is in charge of reminding them not to bother the driver and behave nicely.
And since Elia has such an important role (at the end of the day!), he would never be willing to go home early- even if his parents offered!
It was not by chance that Elia got the “job” he did. A lot of thought goes into which child is given which task.
The needs of each child are addressed- what will make him happy, what will make him feel important, what can he do and so that he will feel that he has an impact on others, and that he is valued for his special skills.
This is the way it is at Ezrat Achim, every boy and girl is given individualized attention.
We often receive requests for advice from a child’s school. They ask us, “What’s your secret? How do you deal with this child … we simply can’t manage with him.”
The answer is that at Ezrat Achim every boy and girl is seen as a whole world and we invest in building a personal plan for each one.
And most importantly, they feel our love!