Aliyah with ADHD-yes or no?

mandksima

Mon, Sep 03 2012, 12:32 am

They even have whole schools for it without the tuition costs that you're used to. For if/when he might need- there are a few meds that are not available here but most of the main ones are and they are subsidized by the health fund. I can only answer for myself but 2 of my kids have it and get everything they need here. That would NEVER be a reason not to come for us, if anything all of the kids' education, emotional and physical needs have gotten filled here so much easier and cheaper than in the States. I do know that NY has some really good programs but if you are from there, you wouldn't be used to it and then what we have here would seem even better.

I am not in the charedi school system. I can't vouch for that. my kids are in a mamad torani school on a yishuv that cares for its students very much. It could be that we have received better treatment because of that and in a big city you could have different results, maybe better if more resources or choices, maybe worse if there is little warmth and your kid is just a number. There are so many professionals you could take to here that can tell you a lot.

amother

Mon, Sep 03 2012, 7:16 am

The answer to this question is very individual, and also probably depends what group you are looking to integrate into. We consider ourselves "Chareidi", albeit the American version. We made Aliyah when my son with ADHD was 8, which is quite a bit older then yours. He had been doing absolutely great in NY. He was on medication, and received speech, OT, and counseling through the NYC DOE, but other than that he was in a completely regular yeshiva class and basically receiving straight "A"s on everything (he does not have any other concurring conditions which many kids with ADHD have, so there are no real learning issues once the ADHD is controlled). Everyone (including his NY psychiatrist) told us that the ADHD should not be a factor in our Aliyah decision -- so we came.

We just finished our second year here in Israel. Now, I don't have regrets per se, and BH overall our Aliyah has gone well. But the ADHD was/ is a HUGE issue, and that son is having a particularly hard time. The school we choose was a Chareidi school but one with a big American parent body and known to be somewhat flexible. They were very good about trying to work with him, but bottom line is the school had no resources available to help (compared to the yeshiva in NY who had tons of therapist, etc. in the building). Assuming your child does not require a full special ed environment, EVERYTHING must be paid for privately once your kid reaches 9 -- therapies are no longer covered. We started out with the Kuppah psychiatrist and were given a 15 minute appointment where he basically picked out a medication/ dosage and said goodbye. (The med he was on in the U.S. is not available here -- the private psychiatrist who we eventually went to said that all the ADHD meds that are less than 15 years old are not available here!) After many months of struggling in school, social issues, and getting into trouble, we finally went to a private psychiatrist who recommended a different medication which BH seemed to be much better for him and made a big difference. I wish we would have realized earlier to go privately!!

Bottom line -- ADHD definitely affects a child's ability to acclimate, particularly in terms of picking up the language and integrating socially. The medication options here are much more limited (and may be very expensive, depending on what insurance you had in the U.S. We paid a $30 copay for a 3 months supply of Focalin, we now pay over 200 nis a month for Concerta, even after the Kuppah discount). Be prepared to be very on top of things, and possibly pay a lot of money out of pocket for support services. We currently are paying out of pocket for the private psychiatrist, counseling (with a great therapist but it took us months on his waiting list before we finally got a time slot), social skills groups (these issues in the U.S. were being worked on by his speech therapist and OT), tutoring, and a "mentor". If your child needs a special ed school there definitely are many more cheaper options here -- but if your child has "only" ADHD, and you want him in a mainstreamed school in the Chareidi system, you are pretty much on your own after the age 9. I'm not saying it can't be done -- there are tons of kids here with ADHD who thrive. But moving here is different that starting out here, and it is very important to be aware of what you will be dealing with.

amother

Sat, Sep 08 2012, 11:43 pm

OP here. To the previous amother, thank you, thank you, thank you! (Thanks to the 1st 2 responders also!). I did not want to mention it in the original post bec I wanted to hear info about various types of educational systems, but yes, we are chareidi and our son would be in a school similar to the one you describe (though NOT in rbs.) I really appreciate that you took the time to post your experience in great detail because it was very helpful! If anyone has any other info, specifically what help might be available in a chinuch atzmai school, it would be most appreciated. Right now, concerns about this child are one of the biggest things holding us back from aliyah so personal experiences (positive or negative) are helpful.