At the Laniado Medical Center in Netanya, with the participation of the ALUT organization, the first children’s emergency department in Israel (“miyun ha-eladim”), adapted for children with autism spectrum disorders and other disabilities, was opened.
According to the news service of Channel 14 ITV, the initiators of the project expect to introduce this model in other hospitals in Israel in the future.
Until now, visiting the emergency department often became a serious ordeal for such children and their families. Noise, bright lights, large numbers of people, unexpected touches and lack of special conditions often complicated the provision of medical care.
The new project involves not only the creation of an adapted environment, but also a change in the approach to providing assistance. Medical staff have received special training in autism, trauma, communication and recognizing signs of stress in children. The unit features a sensory room, sensory regulation and distraction tools, and digital tools to help prepare families for their hospital visits.
The pilot project for a reception unit for children with ASD will be accompanied by a study, conducted jointly with Tel Aviv University, to evaluate the impact of the new model on the quality of care and the experience of patients, their parents and medical staff.
ALUT emphasizes that the key element of the new model is the active participation of parents in the process of providing assistance, since they are the ones who know better than others the characteristics of their child, ways of communicating with him and factors that help reduce stress levels.