Keren-Or Inc.

Keren Or is an extraordinary school and treatment program for children aged 3-21 who are blind or visually impaired and have complex disabilities. Every student has an individually-tailored program that combines cognitive stimulation and social enrichment with a wide range of therapies. We aim to give each child the tools to interact with his/her surroundings, and communicate with those who love them; and we aim to give parents the support they need to raise their children at home, and provide them with the highest possible quality of life. More than 90% of Keren Or’s children have been diagnosed with cortical visual impairment. CVI is a type of visual impairment which results from damage to the visual centers of the brain, so the eyes are able to see, but the brain is not able to interpret what is being seen. Due to the brain’s plasticity, with the right visual stimulation and environmental inputs, new neural pathways can be created and a child’s vision can be dramatically improved. At Keren Or, we provide cutting-edge vision therapy that can actually improve our children’s ability to see! Our School Our unique, special educational school is the only school under Jewish auspices in the world that caters specifically to children with visual impairments and complex disabilities. Our experienced special educators, expert therapists, and nurses are specially trained to help our students reach their full potentials; and our 1:2 staff:student ratio ensures that every child receives the individual attention and personal care that they require. The school operates 6 days per week, 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., year-round, and provides for the children’s daily academic, social, therapeutic, physical and medical needs. Our After-School Program After a busy day of learning and developing, our after-school program provides a warm, safe, nurturing, enriching, fun environment until 6:30 p.m. each day. After school hours, students enjoy music, pet, nature and gardening therapies, time in the multi-sensory snoezelen room, the Gymboree, and one-on-one activities with our Israeli and international volunteers. Our loving staff feed students an after-school snack and a hot dinner, and our full-time nursing staff administer afternoon and evening medications. Our Therapies Every student at Keren Or has a personalized therapeutic program which includes physical, speech, occupational, music and hydro therapies. Students with CVI also receive vision therapy that improves their ability to see and communicate. Our therapies are designed to improve the quality of life of our children and families, with an emphasis on orientation, mobility, communication and daily functioning. We work to enhance each child’s ability to communicate, either verbally or through alternative methods such as Ipads, signing, adaptive switches, tactile symbols and eye-gaze technology. Our world-class hydrotherapy center boasts a large pool, electronic lifts, and accessible locker rooms. In our heated pool, miracles occur! Circulation and respiration improve, and tight muscles relax, enabling students to expand their range of motion. Many students take their first steps or vocalize their first sounds during hydrotherapy sessions! Our Family Services At Keren Or, we recognize that caring for a child with complex disabilities has an impact on the entire family unit. We seek to ease our parents’ challenges and strengthen the relationship between the child and his/her parents and siblings. Our licensed social worker, educational and clinical staff offer support groups and individual therapy for parents, information regarding rights and entitlements, assistance applying for government and private funding sources for specialized equipment for the home, help accessing routine and emergency respite care, informational evenings about developmental issues, a mobile dental clinic for children with disabilities, on-site evaluations, a tactile library where families can check out 3D books to enjoy at home, an annual Hanukah party for the whole family, and much more. In order to provide our families with maximum support, we also offer camps and extended hours during vacation periods including Jewish holidays and summer vacation.