Programs and Services
For a child with severe disabilities, activities such as tying shoes, combing hair and eating with a fork can be a real challenge. But with the right individualized treatment program - one that includes intensive therapy, quality special education and advanced medical and nursing care – those stumbling blocks can be turned into building blocks for a happier, healthier future.
Aleh is at the forefront of providing Israeli children with the high quality programs they need to maximize their potential.
Residential facilities
Medical and Paramedical Care
Special Education School & Vocational Training
Recreational Fun and Social Activities
Outpatient Services
Residential facilities and Assisted-Living Apartments
Offering a warm and homey environment where the children receive the support they require for all daily activity, including eating, bathing, sitting and basic hygiene. Caregiving and volunteer staff for many activities is at a ratio of one caregiver per child.
Assisted-living quarters afford teenagers and young adults the opportunity to experience greater independence and face fresh challenges.
Aleh’s early intervention wings provide a holistic therapeutic environment for severely disabled infants and toddlers at our Jerusalem and Bnei Brak facilities. Identifying a child’s abilities and developing them to the fullest extent at an early age increases their potential for developing beyond their initial prognoses.
Medical and Paramedical Care
Providing professional, round-the-clock medical and emergency care. Clinics are equipped with specialized equipment required by the complex medical conditions of the residents. A doctor, dietician and team of nurses work in each clinic and direct the supportive care-giving staff. Emphasis is placed on preventive treatments to avoid complications and hospitalizations.
Each Aleh facility is affiliated with a hospital in the region. Senior staff and pediatric specialists in Tel Hashomer Hospital, Sha’arei Zedek Hospital, Hadassah Ein Kerem, and Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva work with Aleh to ensure the best medical care for its children.
Aleh is establishing pioneering Hospital Wings for children who are highly dependent and require complex medical care 24 hours a day. This innovative solution will enable children who would otherwise be confined to a hospital bed to continue to attend school, receive therapy and participate in daily activities.
Aleh’s Paramedical Program includes a wide variety of physical and emotional therapies:
* Hydrotherapy– uses the medium of water to enhance motor ability, strengthen muscles and improve movement range, while increasing a child's sense of satisfaction and self-confidence.
* Occupational therapy – helps children develop everyday life skills, with the goal of advancing development and independent functional ability as well as improving the quality of life.
* Physiotherapy – assists in the rehabilitation of movement disorders caused by physical disabilities, accidents or illness, and the enhancement of physical ability.
* Speech therapy – develops and eases all functions related to the muscles of the mouth. These functions include eating, verbal communication and non-verbal communication through the use of a voice output.
* Music therapy – employs the medium of music to reach the spirit of the child. Sometimes this is the only way to “get through” to a child.
* Sensory stimulation – stimulates the senses through the use of equipment, including massage devices, toys that stimulate auditory, visual and tactile input, and various types of brushes and objects with different textures. Specialized rooms including the Snoezelen, Gymboree and Game Room are equipped with multi-sensory devices to encourage further development.
* Art therapy – creative activity that helps the children discover their latent potential and fosters self-expression and self-confidence.
* Animal therapy – develops a sense of responsibility and feelings of compassion through the act of feeding and caring for animals.
* Individualized Therapy Plans – An individualized therapy plan is designed for each child by a multi-disciplinary team including therapists, nutritionists and a general medical staff.
Special Education School & Vocational Training
Certified special education teachers and therapists work with small groups of children. Emphasis is placed on the development of cognitive skills and communication through computer-assisted learning tools. Specialized software programs and computers, equipped with various switches personally fitted to suit each child's abilities, enable the most severely disabled children to develop their capabilities and express their inner feelings. Classes also concentrate on the development of normative social behaviors and awareness of special calendar events and nature.
As our children grow older, they have the opportunity to work in a challenging vocational program that develops their creative skills while integrating occupational therapy goals. The program includes workshops in silk, ceramics, paper-recycling, gift packaging and more.
Some of the items they create are sold in stores and by Aleh supporters to raise funds for Aleh projects and activities, while other items are used to decorate the residents’ rooms. Most importantly, each participant receives a big boost to his or her self-esteem when a project is completed.
Recreational Fun and Social Activities
Afternoon is a special time at all of our facilities. The children enjoy a wide variety of cultural activities, including art and music and puppet sessions; therapeutic sports fun; trips to the local parks, library, and pizza parlor with our team of volunteers; parties; and much more.
Several times during the year, many of our children are treated to exciting trips to some of Israel's most beautiful spots. Aleh children have played in the snow in the Hermon mountains, gone swimming in Lake Kinneret, taken a boat ride in Eilat, and planted trees to celebrate Tu B'Shvat, the Jewish Arbor Day.
Many of these outings have been made possible by the generosity of our amazing volunteers, including soldiers from the Israeli Defense Forces, staff from the Jewish National Fund, students and community members.
Outpatient Services
Aleh shares its knowledge and expertise with the public through its child development clinics located in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and the Negev, which offer a full range of therapeutic treatments to community children.
Aleh also sponsors seminars and workshops on early intervention, developmental delays and home-based therapy techniques. The Information Center at Aleh Negev, which will house a library and conference areas, will perform a similar service upon completion.
