I Health & Fitness WELLNESS Learning Life WSU study shows special needs kids learn best in a Lifetown-like setting. Francine Wunder Special to the Jewish News A study recently completed by Dr. Shlomo Sawilowsky, a Wayne State University statistician and assistant dean of the College of Education, provides the first scientific evidence that Lifetown, a program of the Friendship Circle in West Bloomfield, is cur- rently the most effective mechanism available for providing life skills to children with special Dr. Sawilowsky needs. "Lifetown is the opposite of the one-size-fits-all inclu- sion model, which is generally accepted by the academic community as the pre- vailing wisdom for how best to educate children with special needs:' Sawilowsky said. "This study directly challenges that widely held belief." Lifetown, the brainchild of Rabbi and Mrs. Levi Shemtov of the Lubavitch Foundation of Michigan, helps special needs children learn academic and social skills to function in the real world. The "town" is a near-perfect simulation of a traditional community environment, complete with a hair salon, bank, drug- store, movie theater and more. It allows a child to experiment with realistic situ- ations where social risks are mitigated and controlled. Researchers observed actual behaviors and monitored if students from ran- domly selected schools were able to rep- licate previously taught skills. Research showed virtually no recidivism and, in some cases, a doubling and quadrupling of skill repetition from one Lifetown visit to the next. According to Sawilowsky, traditional schools typically rely on community- based interventions or field trips to teach social interaction in different settings. Although those interventions can be effective, the researchers found that the innovative Lifetown environment pro- vided increased learning outcomes and the ability of children to retain the skills they had learned. Sawilowsky recounted the story of an autistic child who became hysterical at a local movie theater. Given the social unacceptability of this behavior, his par- ents were determined not to repeat the experience. Through Lifetown, however, the child became acclimated to the the- ater, and movies became one of his favor- is pleased to announce the expansion of her practice to include cosmetic procedures. She will be offering Botox, Restylane and other dermal fillers. MILLENNIUM MEDICAL GROUP 28625 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 213 • Southfield (248) 354-9666 B4 March 12 • 2009 :IN ite social activities. "Lifetown gives special needs children the ability to express their identity and make choices:' Sawilowsky said. "It is the gift of self-determination for children who can aspire to a higher quality of life." According to Sawilowsky, this research provides support for replicating Lifetown facilities in other locations throughout the world, such as the facility in Ohio currently under construction. "There is not a commercial pilot out there who did not learn by simulating what it is like to fly:' he said. "Lifetown gives children a chance to feel what it's like to soa Cr ) in much the same way." ❑ Francine Wunder is director of corporate/ public affairs at Wayne State University, Detroit. Jews And Organic Farming The free program "Supporting Local Organic Farming: It's A Jewish Environmental Issue" will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at Congregation Beth Ahm. The event is co-sponsored by Beth Ahm's Tikkun Olam Social Action Committee and the Michigan Coalition for the Environment and Jewish Life. Guest speaker Michelle Lutz of Maple Creek Farm of Yale, Mich., will offer exper- tise on organic growing, the health and welfare of organically grown food and how people dan participate in purchasing organically grown fruits and vegetables directly from the farmer. Lutz is a certified organic farmer in St. Clair County. Beth Ahm is located at 5075 W. Maple Road in West Bloomfield. For information on this event, call the synagogue office at (248) 851-6880. OU Passover Guide New York — The annual Orthodox Union Guide to Passover has information about the latest Passover products and Jewish law guidelines. The guide can be accessed on the OU Web site, www.oupassover.org. To order individual copies for $3 each, contact Roberta Levine at roberta@ou.org or (212) 613-8125.