American Friends of Beit Issie Shapiro held its 9th Annual West Coast Gala “A Celebration of Inclusion†which took place at Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel on Sunday, November 6, 2011 to celebrate the launch of a special National Institute of Health funded collaborative research between BIS and the University of Southern California, Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry and the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles – University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.
Beit Issie Shapiro (BIS), Israel’s leading organization in th
e development and provision of innovative therapies and services for children with disabilities and plays a leading role in promoting the inclusion of people with special needs in society. The organization has a measurable impact on 30,000 people annually. Through its international affiliations, community education and training programs, its impact also reaches professionals in the United States and other countries around the world.
One of the best examples of BIS’s innovative, state-of-the-art therapies, is the Snoezelan, the multi-sensory room that uses light, music, vibrations and other sensory tools t
o help children with special needs. BIS has integrated the Snoezelan into its dental clinic in order to lower the anxiety of our clients who come to the clinic and then set upon researching the benefit of this with Hebrew University.
BIS is the only organization in Israel that conducts international conferences in the field of disabilities. Its conferences take place every four years, and represent unique opportunities for professionals, researchers, policy makers, people with disabilities and parents to meet with colleagues from all over the world and be exposed to the latest knowledge and research in the field of disabilities. Through this conference, a professional relationship formed, and the partnership with USC and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles was formed.
For more information on BIS: http://www.beitissie.org.il/Eng/?CategoryID=275
