Young Jews with Asperger's

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http://www.jewishledger.com/articles/2007/01/23/news/news06.txt

Young Jews with Asperger's

Published: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 7:08 PM EST

By Dina Kraft

CAESAREA, Israel (JTA) -- The group made its way across the rocky

beaches and archaeological ruins of Caesarea, searching for ancient

pottery shards and drinking in every word of the city's fabled

history along the way.

These 17 young American Jews were not typical birthright israel

participants. They were the first-ever group with Asperger's

syndrome -- a neurobiological disorder that is considered the highest

functioning type of autism.

" I feel so connected here, not so much to the religion, but to the

history and people, " said Barken, 26, of San Diego, adding

that his condition prevented him from attending Hebrew school.

The trip taught Barken about more than Israel.

" I really feel like I have learned a lot about myself and how to

interact with people better, " he said, speaking of the new

friendships he forged on the trip and his delight that he could make

it through such a long plane journey.

People with Asperger's may have trouble relating to others and

picking up on basic social cues. They can

have obsessive behaviors and fear changes in routine. The condition

sometimes is characterized by above-average intelligence often

coupled with focused passions for subjects such as map reading or

collecting.

" Things can springboard for us, so you need to have counselors that

understand us, " Barken said. " Ours were patient and so nice. "

Birthright provides free 10-day trips for Jews between the ages of 18

to 26 who have never visited Israel on an organized tour. Its groups

usually have two staff members for every 40 participants, but the

Asperger's group of 17 traveled with five staffers. Most of the

counselors had backgrounds in special education and helped the

participants with otherwise seemingly basic tasks of packing

suitcases and getting to breakfast on time.

Bringing the group to Israel was a massive logistical and planning

challenge, said Rose Sharon, a special education teacher from Chicago

who spearheaded the project.

For several summers Sharon has worked with campers with Asperger's

syndrome at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin as part of a special education

group. Several former and current campers were on this trip to

Israel, which was organized through birthright in conjunction with

Koach, the Conservative movement's college outreach program.

Sharon designed the schedule to ensure it would be both inspiring and

suit the participants' needs for routine. For example, the outings

began at the same time every day. Also, participants were handed

copies of the daily schedule so they knew what to expect.

Sharon also knew what to avoid, such as events like the " Mega-event "

where 3,000 birthright participants gathered in Jerusalem for a mass

rally of sorts with political speakers and rock bands. She knew the

noise and stimulation would be too much for those with Asperger's.

After touring Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial, Sharon found

space for the group to decompress and express their feelings in

words, pictures or symbols.