KOLAINU SUMMER 2018

PATIENTS FROM ALL OVER
COME TO WILLIAMSBURG FOR

DENTAL IMPLANT SURGERY.

WHY WOULD YOU GO ANYWHERE ELSE?

FROM OUR FOUNDER AND CEO

A Message From
Dr. Joshua Weinstein,
Our Founder and CEO:

We are honored to have Dear Friends,
so many wonderful years
filled with growth and Shema Kolainu – Hear Our Voices opened its doors in 1998 when
gratitude. the autism rate was one in 500. Last month, a new report released
by the Center of Disease Control announced the ratio increased to
one in every 59 children. What a tremendous increase over the last
20 years! Autism awareness is now more important than ever as
the rates continue to rise, affecting a large number of children and
families in our midst and around the country. In April, Shema
Kolainu, proudly recognized Autism Awareness Month as a time to
promote awareness, inclusion, and understanding for all. Raising
awareness and sharing autism related news helps continue efforts
towards improving treatments and therapies. On this 20th year,
Shema Kolainu has become a model school where we continue
to incorporate new strategies and up-to-date methods to directly
serve and improve the lives of our individual students and fami-
lies. We are honored to have so many wonderful years filled with
growth and gratitude.

This edition of Kolainu magazine reflects on the future of children
living with spectrum disorders today and the hope for the future. It
highlights a selection of our program events by professionals in the
field, various development features for ASD individuals, and personal
success stories. Thank you for your continued support as we work to-
gether to stand behind our blessed children as they make new strides
along their journey.

Dr. Joshua Weinstein, Ph.D., MBA

Shema Kolainu - Hear Our Voices A Publication of Shema Kolainu - Hear Our Voices
4302 New Utrecht Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11219 School and Center for Children with Autism
T: 718.686.9600 F: 718.686.6161
[email protected] www.shemakolainu.org Kolainu - Our Voice Magazine is published by She-
ma Kolainu - Hear Our Voices. No part of this publi-
Founder & CEO: Dr. Joshua Weinstein, Ph.D., MBA cation may be reproduced without written consent
Program Director: Suri Gruen of Shema Kolainu - Hear Our Voices. Copyright 2018
Educational Director: Gili Rechany, MA, SBL, BCBA, LBA © All rights reserved.

For Media and Production contact Jamie Friederick at: [email protected]
For Advertising Inquiries contact Yael Lewitinn at: [email protected]

Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 3

Table of Contents

6 H ow Teachers Can Help: 9 27

An Autistic Teen’s Departments
Perspective
16 S hema Kolainu Parent
9 B rooklyn Borough President,
A Mother’s Voice
Eric Adams Visits Shema Kolainu
for Autism Awareness Month 17 A Father’s Perspective

10 A Recap of Shema Kolainu Tiger Dreams

School Field Trips 19 Teacher Spotlight

13 A utistic Teen Builds World’s Augmentative and
Alternative Communication
Largest LEGO Titanic Replica for Individuals with ASD

14 Shema Kolainu Annual 24 B ook Review

Legislative Breakfast by Dr. Joshua Weinstein

20 H ear Our Voices Monthly

Workshop Series with
Dr. Deborah Gruber

21 Hear Our Voices Monthly

Workshop Series: Opening
Doors for Employment
Presented by Dr. Stephen Shore

23 Activites Catering to

Developmental
Disabilities

25 C amp SKHOV:

A New School Program

27 End of the Year

Graduation Ceremony

14 www.ShemaKolainu.org

4 Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018

2018 October 10, 2018
ICare4Autism Congressional Hall
National Washington D.C.
Conference
The ICare4Autism Conference
A Workforce Program: joins together speakers and
experts in the field to strengthen
High School the workforce across the United
Apprenticeship for States by increasing employment
Disabilities opportunities for all people with
special abilities in meaningful,
competitive, integrated employment.

For registration and more
information go to:

www.icare4autism.org

How Teachers
Can Help Their
Autistic Students

A High Schooler’s Perspective

By Ethan Hirschberg, Personal Autism Blogger

Ihave been lucky to have such wonderful teachers in my Things That Don’t Help:
life. But even the best teachers make mistakes! Hopeful-
ly sharing my personal experience will help other kids Only Negative Feedback
like me. I feel so overwhelmed when a teacher hands back my work and
it seems like EVERY SINGLE WORD is marked up for mis-
Things That Help: takes. If a paper is that bad, just simply write “come see me.”
Also, teachers- please make sure to write positive comments
One-On-One Teacher Time on papers as well. It’s difficult getting a paper returned with no
I always loved when teachers took time to talk with me alone, positive comments and a bunch of negative comments.
not only during class, but on the playground or during lunch-
time. It helps me feel closer and more understood. Also, I am The Red Pen
always very impressed when teachers have “studied up” and For many years, the standard correction pen for school work
know the goals and accommodations in my IEP, (Individu- has been a red pen. I associate the color red with negativity. If
alized Education Program). Some teachers don’t do this, but a mistake needs to be corrected, that’s fine, but if teachers can
when they do, I feel like they really care. try to use another pen color, it would make a huge difference.
One time my teacher forgot her red pen and my paper was
Concepts Clearly Explained returned with the same amount of mistakes, but I felt much
I like teachers that explain concepts in a way so I do not have better when it was returned to me.
to reread or ask too many questions during a lecture. Shorter
sentences are easier to understand than longer ones. But, if I Singled Out
do need to ask questions, please don’t get annoyed or upset if Finally, I didn’t favor any teachers that called me out and cor-
I ask “too many” questions. Getting my questions answered rected me in front of other students. This was embarrassing
does a lot to lessen my anxiety. and gave me the impression that I wasn’t as good as the other
students. As a student with Autism, it felt like the criticism was
Allow for Breaks directed at me and not at my work.
Another thing that teachers can do to help students with Au-
tism is to allow them to take a break when needed, as long I can’t imagine how hard it must be to be a teacher by yourself
as this privilege is not abused. When I am upset, or having
trouble concentrating, I like to take a quick break to walk to with a room full of many students, especially if some of the
the bathroom, and settle myself back down. This allows me to
get back to learning much faster than being forced to sit in my students have special needs. I really appreciate those teachers
seat when I’m upset!
that take the time to figure out which teaching method works
Schedule Posted Light grey #cccccb
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Ethan Hirschberg is
a teenage blogger,
entrepreneur, and speaker
with high functioning
autism. To read more
personal stories and
connect with him,
go to his website at: www.thejourneythroughautism.com

6 Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 www.ShemaKolainu.org





Brooklyn Borough very year for the month of April, the world recog-
President, Eric Adams nizes Autism Awareness Month. Autism awareness
Visits Shema Kolainu month has been promoted for nearly 50 years and
for Autism Awareness
Month Eis recognized by wearing royal blue along with the
most identified Autism symbol in the world: The
Puzzle Ribbon. As the diagnosis rate just recently climbed to
1 in every 59 children, Autism Spectrum Disorder, known as
ASD, deserves global attention and support.

This year, Shema Kolainu - Hear Our Voices released
a media campaign titled, “Are You Autism Aware?,” which
posted informative, emotive facts and inspirations on social
media outlets. Shema Kolainu stands behind their mission
to hear the voices of children and families, and improve
their quality of life as they strive for independence, pro-
ductivity, and inclusion in their community. By engaging
social media audiences with questions of current ASD facts
and concepts, the goal of promoting understanding and
acceptance is achieved. In support of this awareness cam-
paign, Brooklyn Borough President, Eric L. Adams visited
the school on April 20, 2018.

Here’s the Story:

The Borough President was warmly greeted by Dr. Joshua

Weinstein, SK Founder and CEO, Mr. Ezra Friedlander, CEO

at The Friedlander Group, Mrs. Suri Gruen, the Program Di-

rector and Mrs. Gili Rechany, the Educational Director. Mr.

Adams was guided through the school and was introduced

to the various classrooms, activity areas, and sensory therapy

rooms the model school offers. Mr. Adams was particularly

impressed with the Daily Living Skills Center, where children

are taught to become more independent by learning practical

life skills in an applicable environment. The room is set up to

practice tasks such as laundry, cooking, making the bed, and

even operating as a mock grocery store. Mr. Adams inquired

about the range of potential improvement that takes place

in a child’s duration at the school. Dr. Weinstein responded

by explaining how the school has been very successful over

the years improving the lives of our students by giving them

the tools and providing therapy geared toward their person-

al needs. In fact, many children that have come to Shema

Kolainu that were non-verbal, began speaking or learned to

communicate and connect using AAC (Alternative and Aug-

mented Communication device). See article on page 19 on

AAC. This is made possible through the consistent practice

and learning techniques provided by the school’s dedicated

therapists and teachers. Dr. Weinstein added, “every child has

a range, our goal is to give them a way to communicate”. He

recalled a personal experience of encountering a child strug-

gling to speak, which was the driving force behind initiating

a specialized and intensive speech program.

Mr. Adams was amused to hear children refer to him as

“Mr. Policeman” due to the blue jacket with official city seal

he was wearing. As a special thanks, a piece of artwork cre-

ated by one of the students was framed and presented as a

gift. Adams happily responded,“thank you, I really like it, I’m
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Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 9

A Recap of Shema Kolainu School Field Trips

By Esty Reich, Teacher at Shema Kolainu

10 Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 www.ShemaKolainu.org

ver the school year, the students
at Shema Kolainu enjoyed many
different outings and trips like

Ovisiting Green Meadows Farm,
the Brooklyn Children’s Muse-
um, Staten Island Zoo, parks, and even the ice

cream store! Our trips have given the students

an opportunity to stimulate their imagination

and have a fun learning experience by exploring

a variety of activities.

Some of the highlights of these trips were

visiting the Portia’s Playhouse, a theater where

the students could be a star in their own show.

They dressed up in costumes, chose props, and

different sound effects; it was the perfect setting

for these young actors to shine!

Other exhibits they appreciated were learn-

ing all about bugs and various insects. Students

got to view butterflies, bees, tarantulas, scorpi-

ons, and more. At the building zone, the children

were busy looking to fix anything!  With hazard

vests on, helmets secured, and tools in hand they

started inspecting the space, going up and down

the stairs and examining what needed fixing.

As soon as they entered the game area, they

were filled with excitement as they noticed the

variety of different life size pieces of games such

as checkers, dominos, bowling, and Connect

Four. They quickly found a partner and happily

immersed themselves in playing with each other.

At the zoo it was great to see the excitement

and passion of our students learning and discov-

ering new wildlife. During their visit, the stu-

dents engaged and learned about the differences

among mammals, fish, reptiles, and insects and

were inspired to have a love for nature. There is

nothing better than seeing an actual giraffe in-

stead of learning about it in a book. This first

hand experience helps students visualize and

learn new concepts; like how tall are they? Why

are their necks so long? Let’s try guessing how

many student steps match a giraffe’s stride? They

were also delighted to see goats, sheep, cows, pea-

cocks and so much more! The children particu-

larly enjoyed the bumpy hayride and climbing

on the jungle gym. When we returned to school,

the children were all so creative and drew paint-

ings of their favorite animals. What a great day!

Our trips to the parks are our best experi-

ence by far, a place where they get to run around

and release their energy. The excitement on our

student’s faces as they approached the entrance

was priceless! The children loved running free-

ly as well as climbing, sliding, and playing hide

and seek. To top it off, they journeyed to the ice

cream store across the street where they happily
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Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 11



Autistic Teen Using only Legos, the Norway, then Germany. It traveled to
ship was built with
Builds 56,000 Legos and took New York and finally found a home
World’s 700 hours to complete.
Largest in Tennessee where it now resides in
It began with a simple video ask-
LEGO ing for The Lego Group to help the Titanic museum. But it wasn’t all
Titanic with a project. Brynjar’s family
Replica never expected the video to go smooth sailing. “Before going to Amer-
viral on YouTube. Five years ago,
“It’s about me and Brynjar Karl Biggison, a ten year old ica, we had the ship on a forklift. But the
my story of having from Iceland who is diagnosed with Au-
Autism and my story tism, had a dream to build the world’s forklift lost control and the ship broke.
of building the ship.” largest Titanic replica made entirely out
of Legos. “It all started when I went to We had to make it stronger, so we added
Legoland in Denmark,” he said. “I knew
I wanted to build something big when more structure to the front of the ship.
I saw the scale of models. Growing up,
I was always a fan of steam trains, so If I were to walk on the side, it would
I wanted to build something similar.”
Brynjar was also inspired by steamships just break very easily. So we had to use
and became fascinated by the largest
steamship of it’s time, totalling a length more bricks than ever which came to
of 882 feet, The Titanic.
about 65,000 bricks.”
With the help of Bjarney, Brynjar’s
mother, they made a video and post- Following the publicity, Brynjar
ed it online, hoping to receive LEGO
blocks as a donation. The video caught wrote a book titled My Autistic X Factor.
the attention of a LEGO executive and
Brynjar was surprised to receive 2,000 “It’s about me and my story of having
bricks and future discounts for addi-
tional bricks. It was a wonderful ges- Autism and my story of building the
ture, but he still needed 54,000 bricks
to build the ship. With help from online ship.” He and his mom are planning an-
crowdfunding he received about 2,000
pounds, (the equivalent of $2,722), other book about their travels to many
which they used to purchase the addi-
tional bricks. countries with the ship.” He goes on to

With the assistance of his grand- explain finding his X factor in the book:
father, who played a major role, along
with his family and friends, it took 11 “I have learned that everyone has a
months and a total of 700 hours to
complete the largest Titanic model in special talent or an X factor. That is an-
the world. The impressive replica made
its way across Europe before making other word for something special. That
its maiden voyage to the United States.
From Iceland, it went to Sweden, then something special is what makes us all

unique and is also why no two persons

are the same. I’m sure you have a very

interesting X factor. We all have one. The

question is when will we find it? You may

have found yours already, but if not, you

will definitely find it when you grow up.

It doesn’t matter if we are flawed, we are

all special in our own way.”

So what does the future look like

for Brynjar? “When I saw the Titanic, I

wanted to be a captain. I still do. And if

that doesn’t work, I’m a big soccer fan

and I would want to become a profes-

sional soccer coach.”

You can learn more about Brynjar

and purchase his book by visiting his
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Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 13

Shema Kolainu Annual Legislative Breakfast

Celebrating 20 Years of Service in the Community.

For years this event commemorates notable advocates and politicians in support of autism and special needs initiatives. We are
grateful to have passionate honorees and programs such as the Autism Initiative funded by New York City Council whose contri-
butions make workshops, parent training, and continued progressive care possible. We look forward to hosting this year’s Legisla-
tive Breakfast on Wednesday, July 18th at 9am located at the new Williamsburg Hotel, 96 Wythe Ave in Brooklyn.

L-R: Peter Rebenwurzel, Rabbi
Yitchok Fleischer, Dr. Joshua
Weinstein (then NYC
Councilman) Bil de Blasio,
David Weprin, Ezra Friedlander,
NYS Comptroller Tom DeNapoli,
Menachem Lubinsky

14 Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 L-R Back: NYC Councilmember
Lew Fidler, Dr. Kathleen Cashin
Board of Regents, Assemblyman
Steve Cymbrowitz, Rabbi
Yeruchim Silber- Executive
Director Boro Park JCC, NY
Councilmember Marc Weprin,
NYC Councilmember Brad
Lander, NYC Councilman Dan
Garodnick, NYC Councilmember
David Greenfield, Manhattan
Borough President Scott Stringer,
Dr. Joshua Weinstein – Founder
of Shema Kolainu, NYC Council
Speaker Chris Quinn, Peter Re-
benwurzel VP Shema Kolainu ,
Bronx Borough President Ruben
Diaz, Jr, Menachem Lubinsky
MC – CEO of Lubicom, Rabbi
Michael Miller – CEO JCRC
L-R Sitting: Milton Weinstock –
Board member Shema Kolainu,
Yidel Perlstein Chairman CB
12, Ezra Friedlander CEO – The
Friedlander Group, NYC Council
Finance Chair Domenic M.
Recchia Jr., Former Chairman
CB12 Allan Dubrow

L-R: Ezra Friedlander, Peter
Rebenwurzel, Dr. Joshua
Weinstein, Dr. Merryl H. Tisch,
Abe Biderman, Menachem
Lubinksy, Milton Weinstock,
Abe Eisner, NYC Public
Advocate Letitia James

www.ShemaKolainu.org

L-R: NYC Public Advocate
Letitia James, Dr. Herminia
Palacio, Deputy Mayor of
Health and Human Services,
Peter Rebenwurzel,
Dr. Joshua Weinstein,
Milton Weinstock,
Ezra Friedlander, NYC
Comptroller Scott Stringer,
NYC Councilmember Andrew
Cohen

L-R: Ezra Friedlander,
Councilmember Brad Lander,
NYS Senator Gustavo Rivera,
NYC Councilmember Vincent
Gentile, NYC Public
Advocate Letitia James, NYC
Councilmember Mark Levine,
Bangladeshi Ambassador
to the U.N., H.E. Masud Bin
Momen, Dr. Joshua Weinstein,
NYC Comptroller Scott M.
Stringer, Kalman Yeger, Jennie
Berger, Milton Weinstock,
Menachem Lubinsky, NYS
Assemblymember David
Weprin
L-R: NYS Assemblymember
Dov Hikind, NYS Assembly-
member Steven Cymbrowitz,
NYC Councilmember Mark
Levine, Peter Rebenwurzel,
Dr. Joshua Weinstein,
Ezra Friedlander, NYC
Councilmember David
Greenfield, NYC Coun-
cilmember Andrew Cohen,
Menachem Lubinksy, Milton
Weinstock, Abe Eisner, NYS
Assemblyman David Weprin
NYC Schools Chancellor
Carmen Farina addressing the
participants

Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 15

SHEMA KOLAINU PARENT

A Mother’s Voice

By Michelle Dropkin

“The teachers Ihad the pleasure of visiting my son at his school, Shema Kolainu-Hear Our
and therapists at Voices. The classrooms are equipped with one-way mirror observation win-
Shema Kolainu dows, so I was able to view his interactions without being present in the room. I
are so dedicated, also had the opportunity to observe a session with his Occupational Therapist.
loving, and The teachers and therapists at Shema Kolainu are so dedicated, loving, and
nurturing to nurturing to their students. The teachers do everything to meet their students’ needs. 
their students.”
Meir has verbal delays, and the staff at Shema Kolainu is helping him express his

needs by showing him how to use an Augmentative Communication Device. I’m so

pleased at how much he has been able to express himself by using the tablet to request

things and tell us what he loves! He now asks for apples by using a method on the

tablet device that requires just a couple steps. I was very impressed by watching him

follow certain commands, such as putting things in the garbage. He performed the

same skill at home when I asked him to throw something out.

It was a pleasure to come in and observe. I am looking forward to more visits and
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16 Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 www.ShemaKolainu.org

A FATHER’S PERSPECTIVE

Tiger Dreams

By Mark Tinsley

Daddy, this is the best day ever! Dad-

dy, I love you! Daddy, see that girl? She

is so pretty! I like her and I think she

likes me! She just smiled at me!” And I

would give him a smile and a high five

and then I would be back to the game.

I envisioned an image of watching the

game intently, and out of the corner of

my eye, I would sneak glances at my

boy and feel a surge of warmth as he

would react to the game and all of the

sights and sounds the same way I did.

But this new reality of autism seemed

to steal all of this away from me. A flood

of emotions, despair, guilt, grief, you

name it, I had them all. And instead of

walking into that stadium with my mini

me, I was standing in the living room

on a Thursday night. His condition was

Ihad dreams. Big dreams! I had our new norm, and he was sitting on my
plans and hopes and and…What
happened? Something I had bare- scourges, but we also have something shoulders. He directed me to the corner
ly heard of. Something I never that is just flat awesome: college foot-
thought about. Something that ball. The mighty Clemson Tigers to be of the living room and there he would
was about to change my life and alter my exact. As a huge fan, I planned to stroll
plans forever. into that stadium dressed in orange pull my hair so I wouldn’t move as he
from head to toe, and join the other
Autism. What does that even mean? 80,000 Tiger fans to shriek and shout would stare in fascination at the corner
What is it all about? When will my son for our warriors to victoriously move
be okay? that pig skin across 100 yards of gor- of the room. I don’t know what he was
geous green tarmac. In my dream, I
Before I go any further, let me be wouldn’t be alone when I strolled into seeing in the blank space, but he really
very clear. I love my son. No, I mean I that awe inspiring stadium. Someone
absolutely adore my son and wouldn’t would be right next to me. Someone seemed to enjoy it. He was squealing
trade him for anything in this world! It’s who would be dressed just like me, talk
a deep bond, it’s spiritual, it’s something just like me, laugh just like me, and be and shrieking and banging me on my
I never expected to have with anoth- just as excited. It was going to be my
er human. It’s rare and beautiful, yet it son! He was going to be there with me head as if he was having the time of his
consumes so much of my time, energy, and he would be too excited to talk co-
thoughts, and just everything else. herently and he would be pulling on life, just as I was immersed in unimag-
my shirt for me to stoop down (I’m
I have an amazing wife. Everyone 6’8”) to shout his demands into my inable grief inside.
says that, but I mean my wife is a fighter, ear over the roaring crowd: “Daddy, I
a pursuer, and a believer. She’s relentless want a hotdog, a soda; Daddy, my best Time has marched on, life has moved
and she just doesn’t stop. friend is here; Daddy, I have to go to
the bathroom; Daddy, this is awesome! on and I’ve accepted things as they are. I
I’m from the deep South. We have
our struggles, our issues, our historic love my son, and I am so proud of him.

P.S. We made it to Clemson many

years later. We got to tour the facili-

ties and even meet some of the play-

ers. He may not have gotten from it

what I did, but there was at least one

moment where we had mutual joy. At

the end of our tour, in the new indoor

training facility, someone handed my

boy the ball and he ran it in for a

touchdown.

Some dreams still come true after
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Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 17

Autism on the Rise?
By Dr. Joshua Weinstein, MBA, Ph.D
This theory is supported by the fol- “Is autism a growing
In 1998, when Shema Kolainu lowing facts. In 1994, autism was rede- epidemic or are the
opened its doors as the first Jewish fined. Additionally, the way diagnoses dramatic jumps in
school for children with autism, were reported changed. But a precise
the prevalence rate for autism was methodology for defining and estimat- numbers due to
1 in 500. The latest studies pub- ing prevalence didn’t come until 1996. other factors, better
lished this year by the CDC, Center of Funding for studies of autism preva- reporting, and more
Disease Control, cite the prevalence of lence didn’t happen until 2000. With inclusive criteria?”
autism spectrum disorder as 1 in 59, up better definition, more funding and
from 1 in 68 just a year ago. By all cal- more studies, more children are being disorder, although now better under-
culations, this seems like an epidemic of diagnosed. That makes sense.
massive proportions. stood, still has its mysteries. This in-
Researchers also consider other the-
The new estimate represents a 15% ories to explain the increase in autism cludes why at least four times as many
increase from two years prior and a prevalence. One particularly cogent ex-
150% increase since 2000. Autism spec- planation is that we’re waiting longer boys as girls are diagnosed.
trum disorder, (ASD), a developmental to have children. According to medical
disability, is characterized by an indi- studies, older parents are more likely to Many find it disturbing that the in-
vidual’s social skills, verbal and written have a child with autism. Moreover, due
communication, and repetitive behav- to advances in medicine, more prema- crease in prevalence shows no drop in age
iors. The signs and symptoms of autism ture babies survive. Some studies sug-
become most evident between the ages gest these babies are at higher risk of when autism is identified. Most children
of two and three, but some cases have developing autism.
seen patients diagnosed as early as eigh- are still being diagnosed after the age of
teen months old. Other plausible explanations include
environmental toxins, nutritional chang- four eventhough it can be identified as
Is autism a growing epidemic or are es, interacting factors in the womb, or
the dramatic jumps in numbers due to unknown genetic causes. Experts agree: early as age two. An early diagnosis is
other factors, better reporting, and more we need more research before we can
inclusive criteria? reach a definitive conclusion. critical since early intervention provides

Before you get alarmed about a mas- But in the interim, autism spectrum the greatest prospect to support healthy
sive epidemic, consider the following.
Many scientists and social scientists be- growth, offers better outcomes and
lieve the climbing numbers in autism di- Light grey #cccccb
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black and Hispanic children and there is Prepress Manager Red #ab2548
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This naturally leads to an increase.

Social policies that affect access to
services have also changed. This means
increased funding for treating autism
which may motivate parents of chil-
dren with “special needs” to find ways to
get an autism diagnosis so they can get
funding for treatment. In other words,
autism is not necessarily dramatical-
ly increasing in prevalence. Rather, we
have better and more inclusive criteria
for defining it and more funding for
treatment so those with borderline or
allied conditions look for loopholes.

18 Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 www.ShemaKolainu.org

Augmentative and TEACHER SPOTLIGHT

Alternative Communication
for Individuals with ASD

We are pleased to highlight Shema Kolainu only 7% of our messages are conveyed through actual words.
Speech Therapist, Sara Goldstein M.S.Ed,
CCC-SLP, TSSLD for her excellence and In a technology obsessed culture, we compulsively check our
dedication to the students at our mod-
el school. For the past two years, Sara has smartphones and lose touch with the importance of social
been working to improve the lives of her students and their
families. She is a specialist in the speech therapy field AAC, cues and physical communication. During the presentation,
Augmentative and Alternative Communication, and works
with verbally challenged students on an everyday basis. Her the importance of these nonverbal methods was emphasized
journey into this career path began on a personal level when
her family members started attending speech therapy. She also as the most essential way to exchange information which in-
was a camp counselor and found that she was driven towards
working with kids, focusing her attention and internships to- cludes pointing, body language, or using facial gestures.
wards working with them.
Ms. Goldstein was able to provide many personal exam-
When asked to reflect on her working experience, she con-
fidently states, “any progress no matter how big or small is still ples of her experiences working with children on the spec-
progress. It’s big for the kids and their families. I always try
to see the child as a whole and emphasize any one thing that trum which clearly illustrated the range of need for AAC. As
they can perform. It’s so important to their growth. Kids react
and improve upon positive feedback and it can really be seen the workshop concluded she conducted a group activity using
in their growth. Our main goal here is to help the students be
able to function in their community and get basic needs met.” communication boards. By guiding this hands-on experience,

Sara’s education focused heavily on AAC which was a unique the group practiced an important technique used when a child
aspect of both her undergraduate and graduate schooling. Since
the field is rapidly changing and involves technology, she con- may only be able to say a few words. Participants provided in-
tinues her education with the latest research to determine the
latest and best methods, practices, and even app updates. dividual feedback on how this experience changed their per-

This past March, Sara presented an AAC workshop at spective of restricted communication.
Touro college that was hosted by Shema Kolainu. The event
was well attended by parents of children who have ASD, When asked about the workshop experience Sara was very
speech language pathologists, therapists, teachers, students,
and caregivers. Her presentation focused on unique commu- pleased with having a great turnout and positive feedback from
nication strategies for assisting children when verbal speech
is not possible. attendees. She also mentioned that the nature of the field is very

The introduction outlined evidence-based sources to sup- collaborative. So even though she was presenting the workshop,
port the use of AAC and detailed which individuals may ben-
efit from this type of therapy. She also described how to pro- her involvement was also informative by hearing shared infor-
gram and use AAC tablet devices, such as iPads. These devices
have special programs that allow information to be exchanged mation from parents and professionals that attended.
between nonverbal children and their caregiver. There are spe-
cific functions and visual graphic buttons a child may use to Shema Kolainu- Hear Our Voices, hosts the Free Autism
communicate their needs and wants using these devices which
are extremely helpful. Think: using an emoji that easily and Workshop Series throughout the year. They are a great oppor-
precisely expresses what you’d like to say without using text.
tunity to gain knowledge from some of the best resources in
But for certain individuals, it may be more beneficial to
not use technology at all. Dr. Albert Mehrabian, best known the field of Autism. The NYC Council Autism Initiative Fund-
for his publications on the relative importance of verbal and
nonverbal messages, wrote in his book “Silent Messages” that ing make these events possible and free of charge to the public.

See our website for information on upcoming workshops, past
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Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 19

Hear Our Voices Monthly Workshop Series
with Dr. Deborah Gruber

Effective strategies to Teach Yoga to Children with Autism

Aworkshop on teaching yoga them reach that next step. Dr. Gruber also
to children with Autism was
given by Dr. Deborah Gru- discussed introducing play into activities.
ber MEd, PhD, BCBA-D,
LBA. The auditorium bus- This included imitation games such as
tled with parents, occupational and phys-
ical therapists, teachers, and other pro- “Yogi Says,” (similar to Simon Says), or
fessionals who gathered to learn how to
teach one of the most popular physical songs that encourage moving around the
activities today: yoga. With over 25 years
of professional experience, Dr. Deborah room. The audience got to participate in
Gruber, presented the workshop and kept
the audience engaged with her knowl- an activity by doing a traditional triangle
edge. She discussed the different strat-
egies of teaching yoga poses including pose in pairs. One person acted out the
various types of prompts, (e.g., graduat-
ed guidance), and other components to pose, while the other acted as the teacher
guide physical activities to children with
all ranges of ability. and prompted their partner to make sure

Dr. Gruber demonstrated different the poses were done correctly.
traditional yoga poses and behavior-
al strategies. She noted that it is not all Since the workshop attendees are a
about performing the poses, but there’s
a greater importance in the process of wide range of individuals, the presenta-
learning these physical skills along the
way. For poses with more steps, such as tion was mixed with varied information
the half moon pose, it is broken down
into: feet together, arms up, while bend- to engage all. Dr. Gruber combined a
ing to one side. If a child can only put
their feet together and not raise their technical discussion with general knowl- Dr. Gruber is the president of Lotus
hands up, it is better to focus on helping Behavioral Consulting, LLC and is
edge and basic practices for those out- an adjunct professor at Queens Col-
20 Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 lege. She has been working in the
side of the professional field. Dr. Gruber field of Applied Behavior Analysis
and Special Education for over 25
and the team at Shema Kolainu were years. Her work involves instructing
teachers in the school environment
grateful to see such a large turn out and and parents in the home how to
teach yoga to young children with
positive response from the attendees. developmental delays. She holds a
doctoral degree in Behavioral Psy-
These workshops are hosted on a chology and a Master’s degree in
Education and Special Education.
monthly basis by Shema Kolainu - Hear
www.ShemaKolainu.org
Our Voices at Touro College and are free

and open to the public. They are made

possible by the New York City Council

Autism Initiative who provided the nec-

essary funds for this program. To see a

video from this workshop or to sign up

for a future event, visit: www.skhov.org/
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Hear Our Voices Monthly Workshop Series:
Opening Doors for Employment
Presented by Dr. Stephen Shore

Tips On Promoting Job Success For Those On
The Autism Spectrum

For an adult with autism, finding Dr. Shore says individuals should focus during the presentation as he navigat-
employment can be extremely on finding ways to develop their inter-
difficult. Without proper ad- ests and enthusiasms, utilizing positive ed through his key points mentioning
vocacy, training, and direction, skills instead of remediating weakness-
the autistic unemployment rate es. If someone struggles with multitask- tips and interview rules like the inter-
has been reported as high as 85%. To ing but is really good at something else,
increase awareness and support, Shema don’t put all of the energy into working viewer always needs to sit first. He also
Kolainu - Hear Our Voices hosted a suc- on improving multitasking. He stresses
cessful workshop on employment strat- his point by exclaiming, “let’s find a way suggests, “relationships are everything
egy and job success for individuals on to make a need or a like successful!”
the spectrum. The speaker, Dr. Stephen when finding employment. Getting a
Shore, an assistant professor at Adelphi Identifying interests and non inter-
University and a public figure with au- ests at an early age is important for skill person in power of hiring to like you
tism, presented his personal career ex- development. This interest could poten-
perience with tips for finding secure and tially foreshadow what a child could do is so important.” To end the workshop,
successful employment. The workshop well in their future. An example Dr. Shore
was held at Touro College in Manhattan, gave about himself was that as a teenag- Dr. Shore provided links to organi-
and was attended by parents, therapists, er, he loved repairing bicycles. He talked
and individuals on the autism spectrum. to the bicycle shop manager about his zations that help those on the autism
passion and soon had a job at that store.
One of the main insights from this Throughout college, he handed out flyers spectrum find employment, and an-
presentation from Dr. Shore is that peo- around campus to fix bicycles on cam-
ple need to be employed based on their pus. Although this wasn’t his ultimate ca- swered any remaining questions from
strengths. This concept was emphasized reer path, he made money and improved
throughout the presentation in different his skills based on his interest. the audience.
forms. There are neurological and phys-
iological reasons why some people are Dr. Shore is a charismatic individu- Dr. Shore and his colleague Robert
better at particular subjects than others. al that people naturally feel connected
to. There was a lot of open discussion Naseef developed a free online platform

as a resource for employment called

Neurodiversity in the Workplace Cur-

riculum. To see the free open source

material go here: https://neurodiversity-
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Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 21

Extended Home Care is specially licensed to serve cognitively and
neurologically impaired individuals across the age spectrum in all five
boroughs. We offer in-home support to meet your family member’s

health, developmental and safety needs by providing:

 Skilled Nursing  Occupational Therapy
 Home Health Aides  Speech Therapy
 Physical Therapy  Social Work

Contact: Lana Matsko, RN, VP of BD
360 West 31st Street, Suite 304, New York, NY 10001

Phone: 212-356-4200

Activities
Catering to
Developmental
Disabilities on

the Rise.

Atrip to the theater or museum trip. Depending on the child’s needs, immerse themselves in the sensory ex-
may be exciting for one child, caregivers can then explain the experi-
but for someone with au- ence ahead of time, determining which perience, explore on their own, or nav-
tism, it can be a major chal- features may need to be avoided.
lenge. Since children on the igate interactions with peers in a con-
spectrum depend on routine for comfort, In New York City alone, there are
any deviation from familiar surroundings many museums that offer sensory con- trolled setting.  All around the country,
may cause an enormous amount of anx- science programs and special features like
iety. What may seem like a fun adventure calm dimly lit break areas and weighted immersive theater groups are popping
may result in a negative experience induc- vests. The Transit Museum, the Whitney,
ing unnecessary panic and stress. the Intrepid Museum, and the American up with adaptations of existing shows
Museum of Natural History are just a few
Thankfully, an increasing amount that have developed unique tours and for audiences on the spectrum. Not too
of institutions are making big changes programs designed for families with chil-
to be more accessible for families with dren on the spectrum. They provide spe- far away in Pittsburgh, the Bricolage
children on the spectrum, providing cial group sessions including art-making
them with the same opportunity to activities and sensory-friendly guided Production Company created an en-
have a great experience during their tours. Many times, even a special edu-
visit. These developments may include cation teacher, or a speech-language pa- tirely new production with an autistic
museum early entry days that take out thologist, are among the staff and guides.
the over-stimulation of crowds, modify- audience in mind and is now running
ing exhibits to dim lights and lowering At the Brooklyn Children’s Museum,
sounds, as well as providing pre-visit there is an all inclusive sensory room the performance at the EQT Children’s
materials like maps and exhibit details that provides a welcoming environment
to help prepare a child for a non-routine for children and their peers to explore Festival. Even Broadway is stepping up
their senses. Children of all abilities can
by providing special sensory friendly

performances of their hit musicals, like

The Lion King. These recognized events

and services provide a supportive envi-

ronment, building a sense of communi-

ty for families affected by autism.  

We recommend “Mommy Poppins” as

an excellent resource for children’s activ-

ities in the city area. See www.mommy-

poppins.com for more specialty museum
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Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 23

BOOK REVIEW

The Rarest Blue: The Remarkable Story of an
Ancient Color Lost to History and Rediscovered

By Baruch Sterman with Judy Taubes Sterman

By Dr. Joshua Weinstein “How is Techelet made, or where proved to me that Torah and science
does it originate from? And, are you fa-
Last Sukkos while in Israel, miliar with the meaning of Techelet?” can coincide through time and place
my family proposed a Chol
Hamoed trip to the Techelet This book takes us on an expedi- and that the lost ancient color, rooted
factory, and I said, “seems tion through endless periods of time to
like a real interesting adven- discover the sources of a specific snail in Jewish tradition, was resurfaced and
ture.” When we arrived, I was pleasantly called the murex snails. These snails are
surprised at the presentation, both the the origin for the staining procedures reinstituted to this sacred prayer shawl. I
film and the demonstration by Baruch that creates the precise Tyrian Blue col-
Sterman were really awesome. At the or. This is the blue color that was used will regard my Tallit with more profun-
end of his performance, we met and I for dyeing the tzizit during the Temple
bought his Techelet Tzitzit and I also era that was lost after its destruction. dity, and appreciate the Tyran Blue for
wanted to buy his book, The Rarest
Blue. It is a book he wrote about “Tech- This is incredible; where in natural the tradition it represents.
elet,” a highly prized blue dye, or Tyrian surroundings do you generally discover
Blue, which is used to dye Tzitzit, (the a blue color? Not just regular sky blue or Congratulations and sincere prais-
knotted fringes attached to a Jewish the color of blue seas, but precisely the
prayer shawl). Instead, Baruch gave it Tyrian Blue used in Techelet. This blue es to Baruch Sterman and Judy Taubes
to me as a gift and I, very appreciative, was also used in the High Priest clothes
told him that not only will I read it, but and in the Tabernacle’s draperies. Blue, Sterman for their lovely accomplish-
I would also review it and publish it amazingly, is not an ordinarily color cre-
in our Kolainu magazine. A word is a ated in natural surroundings. ments and commitment to reveal the se-
word, and here is my review:
I was pleased reading about the ex- cret of the ancient information of Tech-
For many eras, blue and purple ploration that was undertaken in order
dyed textiles rated amongst the an- to find the murex snails and the docu- elet and for giving us the opportunity
cient world’s best items, commanding mentation of the dyeing process. It was
many times their weight in gold. Only fascinating to read and also motivating to once more utilize it correctly in our
a small number of people recognized throughout. To me, it was particularly in- Light grey #cccccb
their secrets, cautiously protecting the teresting and exciting to learn the history prayers and traditions. Printer Contact: Light Blue #aad0d7
treasured information and stringent of the Tzitzit, that are attached to the cor- Joram Freudenfels teal #56afba
regulations controlled their manufac- ners of the Tallit, the Jewish prayer shawl, [email protected] light slate #698499
ture and consumption. The Rarest Blue and how Techelet, the scriptural blue dye, Prepress Manager Red #ab2548
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stated all over the Bible. In this elabo- I loved reading page after page filled
rately illustrated book, Baruch Sterman with their lovely writing style, often quite
radiantly describes the remarkable sto- lyrical. The technical composites fitted
ry of this consecrated dye that altered effortlessly with the sacred text con-
the color of history. tained in the flow of the story within the
historic features. This reading adventure

24 Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 www.ShemaKolainu.org

Introducing a New School Program: Camp SKHOV

By Alexa Moses and Hindy Applebaum

Camp SKHOV teachers: Hindy Fuchs, Jenny Lian,
Alexa Moses, and Tzippy Silberman with their students.

With soaring tem- are dedicated to making this summer pride all summer long. We will greet
peratures and sunny one our students will long remember.
skies, it’s summer Every afternoon, a group of special stu- each camp day with a special “Welcome
time at Shema Ko- dents will leave their regular classroom
lainu - Hear Our and attend Camp SKHOV. With the To Camp” song, followed by a series of
Voices. Though our students are still interests of this group of students in
hard at work, learning and growing mind, each week of Camp SKHOV will exercises to ready the body and promote
into the best they can be during a typ- be centered around a different theme. At
ical school day, we wanted to give our a short glace, some of these themes in- muscle strength, coordination, flexibil-
students additional time to enjoy all the clude superhero week, sports week, and
fun that summer has to offer. We are ex- community workers week. These themes ity, and motor skills. Our students will
cited to fully launch “Camp SKHOV,” a will additionally supplement much of
program designed to meet the sensory, the information and skills learned in the build social skills and work together as a
academic, speech, social, fine motor, and classroom. In full camp gear, Camp SK-
gross motor needs through a series of HOV attendees will be able to person- team to complete various activities, such
super fun camp activities. Our speech, alize their own hats, t-shirts, book bags,
occupational therapy, and art therapists and can wear or use these items with as cooking a simple snack. In a safe and

secure environment, they will have the

opportunity to play outside, color, draw,

write with chalk, play hopscotch and

ball tossing games, as well as participate

in water balloon battles, tug-of war, and

other traditional camp activities. We

look forward to building many memo-
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Kolainu - Our Voice • Summer 2018 25



End of the Year Graduation Ceremony

Congratulations Shema Kolainu students of 2018!

Students celebrated with festivities including group songs, performances, crafting, and interactive play. With the many
activities and interactions held during their ceremony, the parents could recognize truly how much their child has learned
and progressed under the care of their teachers and therapists.