Making all Education Special

We are known as the People of the Book. Much of our religion, culture and observance revolves around texts- we celebrate a Bar Mitzvah when the child reads the Haftorah, Purim by chanting the Megillah and Pesach by reading the Hagaddah. Jews were highly literate well before compulsory education, when most of their neighbors were not.

But what happens when a child has learning differences and disabilities? What if dyslexia or other issues make competency in Hebrew and English, with their different alphabets and directions, a daunting challenge? Must these children be excluded from the joys of Torah, from being first-class Jews? Will their parents have to choose between a Day School education, should they desire it, and the special ed resources offered by public school systems?

In recent years a plethora of programs have developed to support Jewish kids with special educational needs. These visionaries have developed schools, staff trainings, and helped schools incorporate the latest developments in educational psychology and related fields, so that every Jewish child receives his/her birthright of connecting to their heritage. To quote King Solomon, “Educate the child according to his (unique) way, so when he matures he won’t turn from it (his heritage).”

P’TACH- Parents For Torah For All Children was established in 1976 by a group of New York City area parents and professionals who were concerned that Jewish schools did not have the resources to handle their childrens’ learning needs. These children had learning disabilities, but had average or above average intelligence. The erosion of self-esteem as the kids’ unmet needs made them feel “dumb” or “bad” was the norm.

P’TACH stepped forward to advocate for their children and more. They established a pilot program for providing instruction in conjunction with Yeshiva University High School, where learning-disabled children were given special attention and tools, yet mainstreamed with their siblings and peers. Started in 1978 with thirteen children, the program was a great success and created an awareness about the plight of these youth

P’TACH’s pioneering efforts had a ripple effect. There are now P’TACH model programs, affiliate programs and chapters across the U.S., Canada and Israel. Other programs, seminaries and schools have developed from this model, servicing an ever-growing number of children in need. Dr. Judah Weller, Educational Director of P’TACH, is a certified Schools Attuned instructor. This dynamic and comprehensive training course instructs teachers to recognize, understand and manage differences in learning. Sweeping the country and revolutionizing how educators think about children, Schools Attuned was developed by Dr. Mel Levine of the University of North Carolina.

Dr. Weller works with the unique needs of Jewish educators and students to go beyond the “cookie cutter - one size fits all” approach, where the “good, bright” kids are the enthusiastic learners and the “difficult and lazy” ones space out or disrupt. Dr. Levine says, “We plead for the understanding of diversity, for greater flexibility in education and parenting, so that every child can find success in his/her own way.” Dr. Weller has trained over 500 Jewish educators, who report overwhelming improvement in their students’ progress.

Boards of Jewish Education in many cities offer resources, support and training for families and teachers of children with special educational needs. The response to the critical need for experts in this field has been promising. New York City’s BJE has a Council of Jewish Special Education Programs, the Chabad Chinuch Office hosts speakers and seminars in Special Jewish Education, and some Jewish colleges offers special degree and certificate programs. Los Angeles is home to a state of the art school, the Etta Levy Center.

The importance of effective intervention cannot be overstated; it can save a child’s self-esteem and pave the way for a successful future as a Jew and productive member of society.
The story of Josh brings it home. His mother says:
I remember the excitement when my son Josh came home with his beginning reader in kindergarten and began to learn Alef Bais. But by the middle of the year it became apparent that something was wrong.He’d spend 2-3 hours reviewing his reading yet couldn’t remember a thing. His frustration pained us. He wanted to learn so much.
We had him tested by a psychologist, who said he had a mild learning disability, but that he would compensate for it by himself. By the end of Josh’s second year in kindergarten, we had him tutored. He began to learn - very slowly. For the next several years he was tutored by special education professionals. But for every step forward Josh took, the rest of his class took five steps - leaving him way behind.
Eventually our whole family’s routines revolved around Josh. We spent all our spare time helping him with his regular school homework, his tutoring homework, reviewing, etc. There was no coordination between his tutors and his school, so Josh was taught different educational methods at the same time (sight reading, phonics with short vowel sounds, phonics with long vowel sounds) that confused him even more. Josh became frustrated, as we resorted to coaxing, bribery and fighting.

My husband and I became special education experts. We knew the terminology, methodology and techniques, but to little avail. The other children had time to play, ride bikes etc. while Josh had to go to classes and do homework. The situation was getting worse and we were getting distraught until, finally, he enrolled in P'TACH.

In only five-six months, I again saw the beautiful boy he was before his learning difficulties began, a fun-loving, confident, well-rounded child, not just a case.

P'TACH picked up Josh’s badly damaged self-esteem. They gave him work he could do, so that he was no longer afraid to try. They rewarded him so that he was proud of his accomplishments. They subtly gave him harder work, taught him to organize his thoughts, books, work, etc. The innovation, creativity, and excitement there almost makes me regret that my other children don’t need P'TACH.

Today’s exciting developments in education, neurology and psychology show clearly that great minds DO NOT think alike. This understanding, with dedicated efforts of Jewish educators and parents, will continue to break down barriers and ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow and develop to their fullest, in their own special way, so that all education becomes “special.”