Jewish and Special Needs : Exploring the Possibilities During Every Decade of Life for Creative Families and Congregations

If you are a parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle, rabbi, cantor, teacher, counselor, volunteer, or friend who cares about an individual who has special needs or a disability, this first-of-its-kind book can provide you with numerous innovative ways to improve things now and in the future. In ten short, easy-to-implement chapters, you will discover:

-how to empower your loved one to build friendships and activities that will make each week more soul-satisfying.

-how to co-create Jewish holiday celebrations, accessible services, and fun events that work beautifully for your particular loved one.

-a variety of less stressful ways to plan a Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah or B'Mitzvah that is do-able, inspiring, and profound.

-how to find reliable support people and financial options to give you respite care and quality time for the other parts of your life.

-how to deal with the dilemmas of navigating daily life after age eighteen when there is no longer the structure of school.

Len Felder, PhD is a licensed psychologist and bestselling author whose 17 previous books on Jewish spirituality, family dilemmas, and personal growth have sold over 1 million copies and were translated into 15 languages.He has appeared on more than 150 radio and television programs, including The Today Show on NBC, CBS Morning Show, Oprah Winfrey, CNN, National Public Radio, Canada AM, and BBC London.Len and his wife Linda Schorin are the parents of a young adult who has special needs and they have been finding creative allies, new methods, and inclusion possibilities for their daughter for many years. Len has also been invited to speak and lead discussions. nationwide on "Creative Ways to Empower Your Child Who Has Special Needs or a Disability."Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Len graduated with High Honors from Kenyon College in Ohio and worked as the Director of Research for Doubleday Publishing in New York before completing his PhD and becoming a licensed psychologist and author in Los Angeles.He has been involved in many volunteer and non-profit organizations and was awarded the Distinguished Merit Citation of the National Conference of Christians and Jews for his leadership in developing dialogue programs for teens and adults on how to overcome racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, and religious tensions.Len and Linda also helped their daughter Aloni work each week with a supportive mentor to create several short films about her life as someone who has special needs and is LGBTQ+. One of the short films was selected by 19 film festivals worldwide and won awards in Canada, England, France, and the United States.