What To Do In Baltimore This Week

Check out these great events sponsored by THE ASSOCIATED or ASSOCIATED agencies coming up this week in Baltimore.

Sunday, April 21
Prepare Food for the Hungry
Join area families at the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC and help prepare meals that will be donated to a local women and children’s shelter. Sponsored by Jewish Volunteer Connection, the volunteer project runs 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. For more information and to register, visit jvcbaltimore.org or email Erica Bloom at ebloom@associated.org.

Monday, April 22
Turning Off or Tuning In: Tapping into Student Motivation

Having trouble motivating your child to be successful in school? Worried that your struggling student has tuned out? Dr. Rona Novick, Director of the Fanya Gottesfeld Heller Doctoral Program at the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration at Yeshiva University, will address the role of motivation in student success. She also will provide tips for how educators and parents can work together to motivate and develop successful students.

Sponsored by SHEMESH, “Tuning Off or Tuning In: Tapping into Student Motivation” will be held at the Myerberg Senior Center, 3101 Fallstaff Road. Program begins at 7:00 p.m. For information, contact Gila Haor at 410-843-7588 or to register, go to shemeshbaltimore.org/events.

Wednesday, April 24
Brews & Schmooze: Trivia Night with JT Waldman

Test your knowledge of comic books in a hilarious evening at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, 15 Lloyd Street, when graphic novel artist JT Waldman emcees a Pub trivia night centered on the Museum’s latest exhibit, Zap! Pow! Bam! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938-1950. This comic book creator, best known for his graphic novel, “Megillot Esther,” and his latest collaboration with Harvey Pekar, “Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me,” will be sure to wow visitors during this pop cultural trivia competition.

The event, which runs 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., is free and includes snacks and a cash bar. For information, visit jewishmuseummd.org.

Thursday, April 25
“Melting Away” at the 25th Annual William and Irene Weinberg Family Baltimore Jewish Film Festival
Don’t miss the finale of the Baltimore Jewish Film Festival! Enjoy “Melting Away,” an Israel feature film that portrays parents learning to deal with a transgendered child. Attendees also are invited to a free LGBTQ reception prior to the film. Reception begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Gordon Center for Performing Arts, 3506 Gwynnbrook Avenue.

Film starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person. For information, contact Sara Shvartzman at sshvartzman@jcc.org  or visit baltimorejff.com .

Future Events
Sunday, April 28
PJ on the Town at the Maryland Zoo
Join other young families at the Maryland Zoo for an afternoon of family fun, including a zoo-wide scavenger hunt, craft activity and animal encounters with a Zoo educator. This PJ Library event is sponsored by the Macks Center for Jewish Education (CJE) and Chizuk Amuno Congregation. For more information on an afternoon of fun, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., go to jewishmusuemmd.org.

Wednesday, May 1
Men’s Night Out is Back! Back! Back! ESPN’s Chris Berman, NFL Studio Host and Anchor of “SportsCenter,” is coming to Baltimore for an ASSOCIATED Men’s Night Out. Berman will share behind-the-scenes stories of history’s greatest sports moments, including Cal Ripken Jr.’s record-breaking game, as well as talk about the power of teamwork. Maybe, he’ll even predict another Ravens Super Bowl victory!

Event begins at 7:00 p.m. at the M&T Bank Stadium. Program, which also includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, is $100 to attend, with a $180 minimum gift to THE ASSOCIATED Annual Campaign requested. Register to see Chris Berman at associated.org/mensnight.

Sunday, May 5
Nurture Your Nature at the Pearlstone Center
Tap into the natural world at the Pearlstone Center’s beautiful, tranquil setting at this creative and inspired women-centered afternoon. Make cheese, pickles and more. Donate your handcrafted projects to community organizations. Then, discover hands-on-farming and learn about healthy living.  Sponsored by ASSOCIATED Women, “Nurture Your Nature” begins at 2:00 p.m. For information and to register, contact Carly Frank at cfrank@associated.org

Sunday, June 2
Israel65. Celebrate!
Join our community for a celebration of Israel’s 65th birthday, featuring Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae and alternative rock musician. The day-long celebration also includes interactive activities for all ages, Israeli food and vendors, an innovation exhibit and much more.

Israel65.will be held at the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC. Tickets are now on sale for the Matisyahu concert, which begins at 4:00 p.m. Prices are $25 for adults and $15 for children under 13. To purchase tickets, go to baltimoreisraelcoalition.org.

CHAI Brings Hope and Help to Clients with Disabilities

Through its Senior Home Repair and Housing Benefits Services

By Rona Gross
Home Benefits Coordinator
CHAI: Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc.

Framed in my office here at CHAI is a photograph of three purple crocuses breaking through the snow and ice-covered ground, the first sign of spring and all its potential. This picture is an apt metaphor for the life challenges of CHAI clients with disabilities. Often faced with environments that seem ill-suited for their needs and which present obstacles to realizing their potential, these individuals look to CHAI to assist them in chiseling away at the encroaching challenges and working to create a home environment in which they can flower.

CHAI currently serves individuals with physical disabilities, such as those resulting from progressive neurodegenerative disorders or other illnesses, accident, injury and trauma, as well as those living with blindness or deafness. We are assisting clients struggling with psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, ADHD, and OCD as well as hoarding disorders. We also provide services to families with developmentally disabled adult children, suffering from Asperger’s or other conditions along the autistic spectrum, whose living situation is no longer workable or appropriate. At the present time, about 15 percent of vulnerable Senior Home Repair clients are non-elderly disabled or elderly individuals whose primary presenting problem is their disability as distinct from other age-related changes.

CHAI clients with disabilities usually are grappling with challenges in multiple areas of their lives simultaneously. The problem with which they come to us and which is in the forefront of our work often pertains to the suitability and safety of their home physical environment. At the same time, more often than not, they are attempting to meet these challenges within a context of significant financial constraint and often with cognitive and/or emotional responses that are counterproductive and cause further complications.

We assist individuals with disabilities in a number of ways. Through the SHR program, we provide home repairs, done by our own repairman or outside contractors. We may fix concrete to even out the walkway for a client with an MS-like illness or secure a handrail down to the basement for an individual whose disability includes an unsteady gait. We also provide home repairs unrelated to the disability with the goal of maintaining a home environment which is safe and in good condition.

We facilitate occupational therapy referrals and assist financially and practically in purchasing and installing safety equipment such as grab bars and hand-held showers. When a client’s condition has resulted in their being overwhelmed or confused regarding their bills and paperwork, we consider providing professional organization services. We offer assistive devices to enhance safety, such as reachers. One of our clients can now open her bathroom window using this device from the safety of the floor, rather than climb onto the edge of her bathtub. At times, we assist with appliance purchases, researching products that maximize our client’s access and independent usage.

Secondary to our work on the physical environment, we often need to become involved in some of the financial quandaries of individuals with disabilities. In assessing their eligibility for low income home modification programs, we often find that they have failed to take advantage of other government and private programs for which they may be eligible. At times, we assist them in application completion for these benefits as well.

Finally, we refer our clients with disabilities to the Baltimore Cash Campaign, Jewish Community Services, Ahavas Yisroel and Mesila for in-depth assistance with benefits eligibility, budgeting and related issues as well as financial assistance. At times, I have referred individuals to our Foreclosure Prevention Program, when their disabilities have resulted in their inability to pay their mortgage and the beginning of foreclosure proceedings on their home.

CHAI clients with disabilities – physical, psychiatric, and developmental – face a number of challenges in accessing, maintaining, affording and modifying their home environments to meet their needs. We work as their advocate, in the words of one professional, recognizing the disabilities, but emphasizing the possibilities.

Although the soil in which these clients have been planted often seems cold and unyielding, CHAI’s Senior Home Repair &Modification program strives to cultivate and maintain a safe and accessible haven where our clients can continue to blossom and grow.

Volunteer for Good Neighbor Day April 21 and help seniors and individuals with disabilities maintain their properties>>

Employment Through an ADA Lens

By Mary Blake
Senior Manager, Jewish Community Services Career Services

February is Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990 to prevent discrimination based on disability. Its scope was broad reaching, covering employment, telecommunications, public transportation and other public facilities. It made a big impact on my career as I have spent the last 20 plus years helping people find work. Many of those people also happened to have a disability.

Although the ADA was amended in 2008, the intent remained the same. Many individuals with disabilities had doors opened for them that otherwise might have remained closed. What both employers and potential employees have discovered is how simple some accommodations in the workplace could be.

How many of us wish we were taller to reach the highest shelf at work or stronger to lift the many boxes that get in our way? Maybe we wish we didn’t need to wear glasses to see well, or need to turn up the volume on the phone to hear our messages? At some point in our lives, most of us will need some sort of “accommodation” to make our lives easier and to succeed at work. Imagine how difficult life could be if no lenses or surgery could make your vision clear again.

For many, this is the reality. Yet the desire to be productive, independent, contributing members of society remains strong. Thanks to many organizations such as Jewish Community Services, the Maryland State Department of Rehabilitation Services, Maryland Works and Baltimore Mental Health Systems, just to name a few, many people have reached this goal.

Most may think that organizations like these exist to help the individual with the disability, but they also are there as resources for employers. For example, small and mid-size employers cannot afford a cadre of human resource professionals and lawyers to help interpret the laws and make sense of what is their responsibility in hiring persons with barriers to employment.

The idea of even considering someone who cannot function like the rest of the employees can seem overwhelming and frightening. The reality is you probably already make accommodations and don’t even think about it. How many employees modify their work hours to ensure their children are cared for or that rush hour is more tolerable? Allowing employees to do some or all of their work from home, may benefit the company, saving on overhead costs.

These same accommodations would also work for someone who needs dialysis treatments several times a week or who relies on limited public transportation. In ADA-speak, these would be called “reasonable accommodations” and many of us already make use of them, disability or not.

Another one of my favorite phrases in the ADA is “essential functions of the job,” which basically means the main purpose and duties of the position. For example, an Administrative Assistant’s main duties might be to type correspondence, answer the phones, enter data and take minutes at meetings. But what if the paper in the copier needed filling and the box was too heavy for the person to lift? Would you fire someone who could not do that small, insignificant part of their job? Or, would you just ask a co-worker to help, as many of us do?

You would be amazed at the number of individuals not considered for a job because they cannot do every single task listed on the five-page job description. But at any time any one of us could develop back problems and be in this same position – scary, isn’t it?
There are many resources to help make the process of finding accommodations in the workplace easier and less costly, whether required by the ADA or not.

Here are a few of my favorites:
• JAN – Job Accommodation Network, www.askjan.org: You can search by occupation or industry to find common, cost-effective solutions.
• Making Life Easier, www.makinglifeeasier.com: self-explanatory and who doesn’t want to make life easier?!
• LDonline: touted as the world’s greatest website on learning disabilities and ADHD, http://www.ldonline.org has some great, easy to implement solutions that many employees can use.
• America’s Heroes at Work: www.americasheroesatwork.gov, for our heroic returning troops who often come back from battle the worse for wear.
• And yes, the ADA official government website, http://www.askjan.org, which is not at all intimidating and is full of useful information.
• Jewish Community Services’ Career Services offers many resources for employers.

The Disabilities Discovery Journey

By Stacy Israel
Special Needs Coordinator
Jewish Community Center

A delay or disability does not define your child; it may explain his/her behavior. It may cause fear, it may be hard to accept, but with the right diagnosis you can begin to get the information you need. With the right therapy, technology and support services you can greatly improve your child’s life.

As your child develops and grows, it is critical to remember that each child is different. There is a wide range of what one can consider “healthy” and “typical” in terms of growth and development. You should address your child’s needs, just as you would any physical concerns or any social or communication issues.

Your child’s success is dependent on developing partners who can support you. You bring powerful observation, reinforced by a sense of love and responsibility, while professionals and physicians can monitor and provide expert advice. These partnerships are critical as no one parent can do this all on their own without burning out.

Don’t be afraid to talk to your partner and family about your fears. Be ready to accept that they might feel challenged as well. Not only will every child vary in disability, but every parent, teacher, and caregiver will vary in his or her understanding of the situation.

Talk to you neighbors, local schools, and support groups. Get to know what life is like for other families with a child with a disability, and find places to connect with other families like you. The JCC Baltimore Jewish Abilities Alliance has a Parent to Parent Network that will pair you with a parent in a similar situation.

Be proactive and get all the information you can about your child’s specific condition. Try to link up with organizations that can provide information and resources focused on your child’s disability. There will be many indifferences and red tape along the way; you need to be armed with knowledge.

Most importantly remember that these exciting times will be filled with dreams and challenges, but with love and proper nurturing your child will develop a sense of trust and security.

Get step-by-step information to help you on your child’s journey>>

For more information on the Baltimore Jewish Abilities Alliance or the Baltimore Jewish Community Center’s Special Needs program email Stacy Israel at sisrael@jcc.org or call 410-559-3576.

Classroom Inclusion for Children With Disabilities

By Faye Friedman
Program Director, SHEMESH

The other day I was sitting in a classroom where one student with rather significant disabilities was integrated for an Ivrit (Hebrew) lesson. Here’s what she didn’t do: she didn’t answer any of the teacher’s questions, she didn’t repeat any of the words in Hebrew the teacher was saying and as a matter of fact, I’m not even sure she was watching when the teacher showed a video. For all intents and purposes, it seemed like she wasn’t doing much.

On the other hand, here’s what she did do: she moved when a student said, “I can’t see- you’re blocking me!,” she asked her seatmate for a crayon and said, “Thank you!” when she got one, she watched her peers carefully and colored and cut the pictures on the worksheet just like they did. From a social inclusion perspective, she did a great job!

As an educator, I needed to ask myself, “What is the best use of this student’s time?” Would she have benefitted more from one-on-one instruction? Was the fact that she was responding to her peers more important? In my heart of hearts, I believe the latter to be true.

In the real world — at home and in the community — being able to integrate with others socially is a fundamental skill and need. That’s not to say that academic instruction isn’t equally important. The challenge of providing both in just the right measure is a balancing act that the day school administrators, teachers and parents need to perform on a regular basis, always evaluating what’s best for each individual student, knowing that “one size does NOT fit all.”

In the classroom, inclusion refers to an approach to educating students with special educational needs. It is a term that is often interchanged with mainstreaming or integration but really means something entirely different. Mainstreaming refers to moving students into regular education classrooms only in situations where they are able to keep up without specially designed instruction. Integration provides targeted opportunities for social inclusion during non-academic periods, such as PE or recess, or during select academic periods such as social studies or science.

“Inclusion is the full acceptance of all students and leads to a sense of belonging within the classroom community,” according to the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council. Students can be partially or fully included. Partial inclusion occurs when students are in the regular classroom most of the day or at least half of the day, but may receive specialized services such as reading instruction or speech therapy outside of the classroom, in the resource room or therapy room. Full inclusion occurs when students with special needs are educated alongside students without special needs, as the first and desired option while maintaining appropriate supports and services in the regular classroom.

In the case of full inclusion, the special educator, the speech therapist and the reading specialist all work with the student in the classroom within the context of the core curriculum and general class activities. Sounds great, but not an easy task to say the least! Inclusion is a controversial topic in public education and the subject of a great many debates. Advocates of inclusion believe that it results in better outcomes for all students. The phrase “inclusion delusion” is enough of a clue as to what the other side is thinking.

Given that day schools are not subject to federal guidelines for “inclusion” what does it mean when they consider successful inclusion then? Is it social inclusion? Academic inclusion? A little of both? A lot of both? How do we determine what is best for each child?

February is Jewish Disabilities and Inclusion Awareness (JDAIM) month. We dedicate this blog posting to the 200 plus students to whom SHEMESH provides a continuum of services, ranging from classroom consultation to instruction in a self-contained classroom.

Are you a parent or a teacher of a child with a disability? Let me know what you think about inclusion/integration in the day schools!

Learn more about how SHEMESH can help your student. Go to http://shemeshbaltimore.org/ > >

Join SHEMESH for a facilitated presentation of Rick Lavoie’s video “How Difficult Can This Be?” February 19. Experience what it’s like to be a child with learning disabilities. For information and to RSVP, go to RSVP@Shemeshbaltimore.org

A Work in Progress – Employment for Individuals with Disabilities

By Rachel Delman Turniansky
Coordinator of Special Needs Programs
The Louise D. and Morton J. Macks
Center for Jewish Education

In July of 2010 President Barack Obama signed an executive order calling for the hiring of 100,000 workers with disabilities over five years. A new report from the Government Accountability Office, however, finds that federal agencies are not making enough headway.

“Nearly two years after the executive order was signed, the federal government is not on track to achieve the executive order’s goals,” investigators wrote. The report found that just 20,000 employees with disabilities were hired in 2010 and 2011 in the federal government.

Unemployment in general is significantly higher among individuals with disabilities, at a rate of 12.9 percent as compared to an unemployment rate among individuals without disabilities of 8.1 percent. This is despite the fact that, according to a Harris study, 46 percent of employers reported that people with disabilities actually work harder than non-disabled employees.

Post-high school transition planning for students with identified special needs is a critical process It is important to select programs that are going to offer a means for developing skills for living and working in the community, build competence in activities of daily living and improve academic, pre-vocational, vocational and social skills. There are students in our community who are at this juncture.

Some of these students have been in public special education programs and are transitioning out, or have already transitioned out of the school system. Often the options after public school are not ideal for Jewish individuals. The vocational training programs and workplaces are in secular settings, during times that may directly conflict with Jewish values. In an ideal scenario, these students would be able to learn skills in a community-based program that would strengthen their connection to the Jewish community.

There are also students with special needs who attended Jewish Day schools despite their academic or social challenges.  During their school years, accommodations and modifications may have been made to keep them in a Jewish setting. Transitioning into a typical post-high school higher education setting, whether college, yeshiva or seminary, or into the workforce is often not likely to result in success, due to these ongoing challenges.

The Center for Jewish Education, Jewish Community Services, Menucha and Shemesh are partnering with the Community College of Baltimore County to bring a new program to our community. CCBC offers courses through their Special Populations Services that focus on “academic courses, assistance with life skills and pre-vocational and career training designed for individuals with learning differences and disabilities that impact their education.”

Up until now these offerings have only been available to students in a setting outside the Jewish community – either on one of the Baltimore County campuses or through a contracted agency program.  We felt that if we can adapt what they’re doing in their programs, we can create a program that fits the needs of Jewish students in the Jewish community.

CCBC’s staff is excited to develop programming that will meet the needs of our community and they have indicated that they can and will be very flexible in creating a program for our students. This includes offering courses at a location within the Jewish community, accommodating the Jewish calendar, maintaining sensitivity to Jewish culture and Jewish values, even hiring qualified instructors from within the Jewish community, if desired.

Based on the feedback from the meeting, there seems to be a lot of interest. Right now we are evaluating the feedback and determining where the strongest interest lies. Things are looking very good for starting at least one class in October. If there’s a demand for more than one, we’d be thrilled. We’re hoping that this is the start of this conversation. We want to work together within the community to help address this issue.

If we, as a country, have a vision of a society that values each individual and provides the opportunity for all people to lead full and productive lives, employing individuals with special needs is vital. Everyone should have the opportunity to be productive, earn a living, and feel a sense of personal fulfillment from employment. We need to raise our expectations and understand that abilities outweigh limitations.

Learn how CJE can help with special needs>>

Check out special needs programs in Jewish Baltimore>>

Overcoming Barriers to Employment

By Mary Blake
Senior Manager, Career Services
Jewish Community Services

Searching for a job in this current economic climate is still not easy, but if you have special needs, the job search could feel like climbing Mt. Everest. The unemployment rate in Maryland remains close to seven percent, but the rate is often double if you have any additional challenges.

Finding accurate statistics on the current unemployment rate for persons with special needs is hard since it can be difficult to determine who fits in this category. A person who wears glasses or a hearing aid could be considered disabled, as could someone who uses a wheelchair or has Down Syndrome.

But what about those individuals with invisible disabilities? Mental health issues like depression and anxiety or learning disabilities like dyslexia and attention deficit disorder may not be readily apparent. But it can make finding and keeping a job more challenging.

If you do not have any barriers to employment, you might not realize the additional work it takes for a person with special needs to compete. Many struggle silently and alone which can make matters worse. Depression can affect anyone who remains unemployed and underutilized for too long. For those with obvious challenges such as impaired speech, you can imagine the added anxiety an interview creates.

Others struggle with whether to disclose a disability that is not initially obvious to potential employers. Even though the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted over 22 years ago, many individuals still worry that employers will discriminate against them — and with good reason. There are many unanswered questions about what is an “equal playing field” when it comes to finding the best person to fill a position and what constitutes a “reasonable accommodation.”

If you are a job seeker with special needs, you must focus on your skills and strengths and identify the essential qualifications for the job. Unfortunately, many people who do the pre-screening or initial interviewing at companies do not have a clear understanding of what is most needed to be successful in a particular position. That is why it is important to reach the person who actually supervises the position or makes the final hiring decisions. That supervisor is most concerned about finding someone who can do the job well and independently.

To identify the person in charge, you can search LinkedIn by employer and department and look for managers’ names and job titles. You can also consult a Career Coach, who can help you with that process.

Luckily there are many public and private resources that can be of assistance. In Baltimore these might include local governmental agencies such as:

• Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)
• Unemployment Office (DLLR)

There are also not-for-profit organizations that can assist you:

• Jewish Community Services Career Services
• Maryland Works, Inc.
• Association of Persons in Supported Employment
• Maryland Disability Law Center

Once you contact the organizations you should be prepared with a few key questions. Make sure to take clear notes that you can refer back to later. There is a lot of good information, but it can become overwhelming if you do not stay organized.

This is also true for your job search. A clear plan and organized search can make a big difference in targeting the best employers and jobs for you. There are jobs available and many employers are hiring for multiple positions, so it is important not to give up. If you stay motivated in your job search, your hard work will pay off!

Learn how a JCS Career Coach can help individuals with developmental disabilities define and achieve their career goals>>

For more information, call 410-466-9200.

Growing Up with a Sibling Who Has Special Needs

By Emily Hecht

For twenty-one years I have had a brother with High-Functioning Autism.  Some might say that having a sibling with any type of special need can be difficult, challenging, often times overwhelming, and even frustrating.  However, being a sibling to someone who has a disability can also be exciting, motivational, powerful, and stimulating.   I have experienced situations with my brother where I have felt all of those emotions, sometimes even at the same time.   I firmly believe that I have grown up very differently from other young adults who have not been raised with a sibling with disabilities.   Although I did all of the things that other children my age did, like play sports, participate in drama classes and go to camp, something was always different.

Unlike most boys, my brother hated sports and still does, probably because he could never tolerate physical contact, even a loving hug.  Most girls my age who were interested in sports spent hours playing outside with their older brothers; however, I did not because my brother preferred to stay inside and watch TV or play on the computer.  Most boys did not want to play imaginative games with their little sisters, but since I was interested in drama, I would enter my brother’s sometimes-imaginative world and we would act out scenes from movies or make up skits and scenarios.

Both my brother and I went to camp and for a long time we both went to Camp Milldale, where my brother was in the Inclusion program.  Although it was great that we  were able to go to the same camp, I constantly worried about him.   I worried if kids in his bunk were making fun of him; I worried if his counselors knew where he was.  I worried about everything.   Although not all of these situations were bad, I had very different experiences from other children my age, and they significantly shaped not only my early childhood but the present as well.

I feel as if my parents did an amazing job making sure that I received enough attention, felt comfortable in my own skin, and felt comfortable being open and honest with those around me about my brother.  Although it took some time, and it did not happen overnight, I truly see having a sibling with a disability as a blessing, and nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed by.  But developing these thoughts stems from the compassion and love my parents gave both to me and to my brother, and the individual attention and support I received throughout my childhood and young adulthood.  My parents anticipated how I might react in certain situations with my brother and my peers,  thought about what could be embarrassing or make me stand out, and they tried their hardest to make sure that I was always comfortable and never felt different or isolated from others, despite the constant differences I always experienced.

Growing up with a sibling with special needs has changed my life.  It has motivated me to dedicate my life to children with disabilities as I am currently pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy.  My love for my brother, his abilities and the special things about him that make him unique, as well as all of the children I have met through my pursuits and experiences,  have truly pushed me to devote my energy and passion in my life to children with special needs.

All the Things I Can Do, by Daniel Hecht>>

Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month, by Janet Livingston>>

THE ASSOCIATED for people with special needs>>

All the Things I Can Do

By Daniel Hecht

Sometimes I hear people talking about disabilities as something negative.  I have Autism, so sometimes I have trouble understanding things I read or what people are saying, and it is also hard for me to understand their emotions.  For me my disability means that I might need help doing things, like the laundry, or cooking, or understanding school work.  But mostly I like to focus on all of the things that I CAN do.

I can go to college at the Community College of Baltimore County and take classes in the Single Step program such as Language Arts, Math, Personal Employment and Independent Living.  I can find my way around the campus and buy my lunch or snacks at the cafeteria.  I take the van to school, but last year I took MTA Mobility by myself.  Even though it did not pick me up at my house I would take it from the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC.  I like my teachers and my friends at CCBC.  I get homework and I am able to complete my assignments.

I can work at Mr. Charles Market.  I have worked there since high school.  I wash the dishes and pans, help with the laundry, cut vegetables, take out the garbage, stock the shelves and other things that my bosses, Chef Aharon and Chef Stu, ask me to do.  They explain the directions so that I can understand and they are patient with me.  I also have a job coach, Tony (from Abilities Network) and he helps me with the dishes and other assignments.

I can go to the movies by myself or with my friends.  I don’t drive but my parents and sister give me rides.  I like to do activities with my new friends from the GILD group.  We have fun going out to dinner and spending time at people’s houses.

I can work out with my trainer Denny at the JCC.  I have been working out with Denny for several years every Sunday morning.  He has taught me how to use the machines such as the treadmill and rowing machines.  He has taught me how to jump rope, play basketball, throw and catch a Frisbee and lift weights.

I can travel with my family and by myself.  I have traveled to Israel three times to visit my sisters and to attend their weddings.  My favorite city is Tel Aviv and I like going to the beach. I have flown on an airplane by myself to visit my sister and brother-in-law in Utah.  They took me camping in Yellowstone National Park, which was great.  I hope to go back to Utah to visit them.

I can use the computer, especially Facebook, to send messages to my family and friends.  I also like to watch movies and TV shows on Netflix and on the television and the computer.  I also like to play Wii games such as Dance Dance Revolution, Mario Cart, and Movie Trivia.

There are so many things I can do that I don’t let the things I can’t do or need help to do bother or upset me.

Want to live like Daniel or know someone who could benefit from people like him? Check out the robust services available for people with special needs in Jewish Baltimore.

Knowing When to Lend a Hand

By Wendy Garson, LCSW-C
Service Coordination
Jewish Community Services

Asking for help is something most of us don’t like to do — and something everyone has to do at some point. This is a dilemma particularly for the elderly and those with disabilities.  For those who would like to provide help, we seem to be comfortable offering help to others, but are not always sure how we can best be of help.

Who needs our help?  The challenge is to look beyond the obvious; disabilities are not always immediately evident and age does not always determine need for help.  There are varying degrees of disabilities: a person with low vision may need as much help as a person walking with a cane.  A person who appears to be healthy on the outside may in fact have dementia and need some assistance.

What is the right way to help?
There is truly no small act of kindness.  You have only to ask someone who is unable to drive whom you have just taken to a doctor’s appointment, or a person who is recovering from an illness and cannot cook, to whom you delivered a dinner. The kinds of help that we can provide are limitless. Observe the smiles on residents in a nursing home when they are entertained by a group of children or the appreciation of a homeless man when he is handed a knitted scarf at a shelter.

When is the right time to help? The “right” time to help may or may not be crystal clear, but it never hurts to ask. For some people there is never a right time and the offer to help needs to be made, regardless. Even when we know the time is right, such as during shiva or after the birth of a child, we need to recognize that help is often needed before or after a traditional or obvious time period.  The decision of when someone should help and for how long should be made, whenever possible, between the person providing the help and the person receiving it. If you see a person unable to reach an item on a shelf in the grocery store, you can certainly offer to get it down.  If you hear a person having difficulty hearing directions, should you intervene? So often the hearing impaired just need someone to slow down and speak directly to them.  Let the person verbalize what he or she needs.  Perhaps the best answer is that the right time is when your intuition tells you!

Why are there some people who will never ask for help? For many people, personal pride gets in the way of asking for help even when it is obvious that there is a desperate need for assistance. This can be a problem for both youth and the elderly. Lack of knowledge about community resources is another obstacle. If someone in need doesn’t know where to go or what’s available, it can be difficult for them to phrase the right questions to the right source.  It is amazing how much we take for granted when we have lived in the same town all our life or have learned about our community because of our job. Not everyone is so fortunate.

Finally, what stops some people from offering help?  For many the answer is simply time; for others it may be lack of confidence in their own abilities. Some might answer that they don’t want to upset or embarrass someone, while others might say they have never been asked. The good news is that most people do offer and describe helping someone as one of their favorite things to do.  Isn’t it interesting how easy it is to forget this when we are the person asking for help?