Autism Project
Rotarians in Israel and the UK have joined hands to help autistic children.
Two club members, Cllr. Sandra Parnell and Karren Fielding, both have a love for Israel with close family ties there. Karren married in Tel Aviv and lived there for ten years, becoming fluent in speaking Hebrew. Sandra is in close contact with her family living in Israel. Both visit the country whenever possible.
Both Sandra and Karren feel a very strong personal bond to Israel, so on hearing about a new method there of teaching autistic children. they became very enthusiastic to develop this further through Rotary. This technique is specifically designed to reach those locked in by their inability to communicate.
The pair arranged to meet Sandra's grandson, Alon, who runs a centre for teaching the children in Herzliya in Israel. During the visit, Professor Yael Cohen, who owns the school and teaches the autistic children individually, showed a heart-breaking video which presented the tremendous communication problems leading to a huge lack of understanding of the emotions felt by the affected children. The video showed the amazing results achieved by the new technique of self-expression through typing.
In later visits to Israel, Karren visited the Rotary Club in Tel Aviv and subsequently held an early morning meeting at the Tel Aviv Sheraton Hotel with local Rotary Club leaders presenting this concept to her, before flying back to the UK.
On another visit Sandra met with four mothers in the city of Holon who told her their heart-wrenching stories. She also visited the Rotary Club of Haifa Rotary and presented the idea to them.
The Tel Aviv and Haifa Rotary Clubs were both very enthusiastic to take things further, and while continuation during these difficult times has been with meetings initiated on zoom between the UK and Israel, work has begun with teachers of autistic children.
A presentation, about the project can be presented to anyone interested. The goal is to build a treatment centre which will include the teaching method, developing it and supporting research in this field in Israel and the UK and eventually across other countries internationally.
For more information please contact Sandra by Email: sparnell513@gmail.com,
Karren Fielding by Email: karrenfielding@icloud.com
Or the club secretary: secretary@studio-elstreeandborehamwoodrotary.org.uk
