EMAG/NE

THE MAGIC OF MOVIES & MORE

calmly and is rarely violent; and his
language has continued to develop,
which means he isn't iearly as frus-
trated because he can express him-
self."
The public has become more aware
of the disorder. When the Loefflers
said, "He's autistic:' when Zev acted up
as a little boy, they heard, "I wish my

Resources

• The Abilities Center in Walled
Lake provides many therapy oppor-
tunities for children with disabili-
ties. Call (248) 926-0909.

• The Judson Center in Royal Oak
offers programs for both adults
and children diagnosed with
autism. Call (248) 837-2110, Also
ask about Everyday Miracles:an
autism support group for parents,
with branches around the world.

• On the Web: www.thearc.org . Go
to Family Resource Guide at the
bottom and click on your state.
This will give you access to a
report (you will need to download
this) on everything you could possi-
bly want to know about getting
help for persons with disabilities,
from family support groups to gov-
ernment aid.

• This past summer, the Livingston,
N.J., Hineni School for Jewish chil-
dren with autism had its first grad-
uating class. The school, held with-
in the facility of the Kushner
Hebrew Academy, a Modern
Orthodox Jewish day school, was
founded in 2002. The student pop-
ulation is 11, with children ages 3-12.
Tuition is $65,000 a year, though
most families receive some finan-
cial help from the school district.
For information call (973) 597-
0770.

• Camp Ramah Darom, in Clayton,
Ga., is home to Camp Yofi, the only
Jewish day camp for autistic chil-
dren. The five-day camp, located in
the Blue Ridge Mountains, has all
the fare of a typical summer pro-
gram, with arts and crafts, boating,
challah making and sing-alongs for
autistic children, though specifical-
ly geared to those with short atten-
tion spans.

NOVI

son was artistic, too."
Then the film Rain Man came out,
which meant more familiarity, though
the Loefflers spent a lot of time
explaining why not everyone with
autism is a genius with numbers. •
And thanks to the medications, Zev

44425 WEST 12 MILE ROAD (12 MILE @ NOVI ROAD)

O P IEN

The Power Of Love on page 20

While children enjoy camp activi-
ties, parents can attend workshops
on such topics as how to plan a bar
mitzvah for an autistic child. The
first Camp Yofi was held last sum-
mer, with another set for 2006.

late on

ejT9j$tIvLA$ EVF,

"We are hoping to create a commu-
nity of families who face similar
challenges," says Rabbi Loren
Sykes, executive director of Ramah
Darom, which is affiliated with the
Conservative movement, and the
founder of Camp Yofi (Hebrew for
"pleasant" or "beautiful").

Camp Yofi is open to all Jewish
families, of all affiliations, through-
out the country. For information,
contact Camp Ramah Darom at
6075 Roswell Road #410, Atlanta,
GA 30328, phone (404) 531-0801.
Or visit the camp on the Web at
www.ramandarom.org . Click on
"Camp Ramah Darom" on the
upper left of the home page; then,
on the right of the next page, look
under "Kudos and News" and click
on "Camp Yofi." You can then
download an application and
brochure.

• Asperger's Syndrome is a milder
form of autism that has been diag-
nosed in an increasing number of
children. For information, go to
www.autistic-aspergers.com .

• The Autism Society of America
may be contacted at (800) 328-
8476 or www.autism-society.org .

THE MAGIC OF /AVMS & MORE

and early on

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• The Autism Society of Michigan:
call (800) 223-6722 or visit
www.autism-mi.org .

• The Autism Society of America-
Oakland County Chapter: call (248)
393-3131 or visit
www.asaoakland.org .

— Compiled by Elizabeth Applebaum,

contributing editor

1

VALID AT EMAGINE NOVI DECEMBER 24 & DECEMBER 25 ONLY.

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December 15 a 2005

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