American Friends of ALYN Hospital, Inc.

SHACHAR’s unique educational framework is for children 6 months to early 20’s whose disabilities and serious medical complications make it impossible for them to be integrated into their community schools. Our center provides an outstanding education while also meeting these special children’s rehabilitation, medical and socialization needs. SHACHAR houses a pre-school for those up to 3-years-old and a kindergarten-special education school for children ages 3 to 21. The children currently enrolled are in classrooms with an average of five children and at least three adults (i.e. teacher, therapist, aid and/or trained volunteers). SHACHAR provides a personalized rehabilitation/medical program developed for each child. The educational programs are created after consultations with the child’s local school and the Israeli Department of Education. Beyond meeting educational goals, each child receives medical and nursing care and para-medical treatments. Doctors and nurses are centrally located in the school and all have access to the many ALYN specialists. The all-day environment makes it possible for each child to benefit from myriad therapies (music, art, speech, physical, occupational, animal, cooking and hydrotherapy) while socializing with their peers.
It is important to note that the concept of mainstreaming children with complex disabilities and who use powered wheelchairs, respirators, alternative communication devices, etc., but are cognitively at the same level as their peers, is at an early stage in Israel. Tremendous efforts are being made by the staff of SHACHAR (and by ALYN Hospital as a whole) to, on the one hand, prepare the children for being mainstreamed, and, on the other hand to advocate both at the community level and at the government level for creating the conditions in the mainstream schools that will allow these children to thrive.
In May 2016, SHACHAR was awarded a prize from the Office of Educational Administration for the City of Jerusalem. Peggy Cidor of the Jerusalem Post wrote, "In a ceremony that traditionally concludes Education Week events, the Education Prize has been awarded this year to the ALYN Orthopedic Hospital and Rehabilitation Center's school for disabled children and youth. The hospital and school are key elements of one of the most advanced rehabilitation centers in the country for the disabled, providing care in the most progressive and innovative ways. The prize was awarded for the school's achievements in implementing a multicultural teaching approach." Jerusalem Post, 20 May 2016, page 24.

ALYN’s clinics operate as multidisciplinary clinics, specialty clinics or outpatient therapy treatments addressing needs of children with congenital or acquired challenges. Diagnoses range from fairly simple problems to rare diseases. Medical and para-medical staff work together to provide the full range of treatment. The clinics are run by experienced, senior physicians. Clinic follow-up is long term, from diagnosis, through intensive inpatient and outpatient treatment periods and continues with client in the community.

Multidisciplinary Clinics include:
Neuromuscular Clinic (Duchene, Becker, SMA)
Respiratory Rehabilitation Clinic
Spina Bifida and Spinal Cord Injury Clinic
Acquired Brain Injury Clinic
Cerebral Palsy (CP) Clinic
Pediatric Feeding Disorders Clinic

The newly renovated, 5,400 sq ft Innovation Space at ALYN is a one-stop shop for assistive technology entrepreneurship and brings together, for the first time under one roof, all of the elements required for innovation in this field: a physical work space with a state-of-the-art laboratory for prototyping and initial manufacturing, access to Israel's leading experts in pediatric rehabilitation, partnership surrounding clinical trials, and the opportunity for product testing with target audiences by interacting with the children at ALYN in a controlled and safe environment.

The Innovation Space is comprised of two programs that are responsible for introducing innovative solutions: PELE and ALYNnovation.

PELE is case-driven and focuses on finding personalized solutions, tailored to a particular child (or their family) who has made a specific request. The solutions focus on allowing the child to act independently in day-to-day activities.

ALYNnovation is geared toward entrepreneurs and inventors who are developing assistive technology products and solutions for children on a global scale. The technologies developed advance the pediatric rehabilitation field. Their products and solutions are aimed at the international market.