The Baker Center for the Study of Development Disorders in Infants and Young Children -- Programs for Exceptional Children and Their Families

General Information:

Exceptional children and their families are given special treatment at Bar-Ilan's Edward I. and Fannie Baker Center for the Study of Development Disorders in Infants and Young Children. At the Center, children with developmental disabilities, such as autisim, Down's syndrome, or communication problems, are taught how to enhance their ability to learn. This is achieved through unique programs involving projects in reading, mathematics, computers and music, that were designed by the Center's director, Prof. Pnina S. Klein.

MISC Program

Special Programs

Research Projects

Referrals

MISC Program:

Prof. Klein created the MISC (More Intelligent and Sensitive Child) program. MISC is designed for children with developmental disabilities, children from low-income families and gifted children. MISC provides an intervention program individually tailored to each child, based on analysis of videotaped parent-child interactions. Research has demonstrated that enhancing the quality of parental mediation vastly improves the child's cognitive performance, as well as social and emotional behavior.

In Israel, MISC is taught to staff of the Health Ministry's infant care clinics. But it has become popular around the world too, since the program requires no special equipment and can be adapted to any culture. In Sri Lanka, MISC was initiated by UNICEF (to which Prof. Klein is a consultant) and continues under the aegis of Save the Children. In Norway, Indonesia and Ethiopia, universities are sponsoring the program. Sweden uses it for training staff at daycare centers, while at the University of South Florida MISC is part of a special program for minority children.

Special Programs:

There a number of programs offered at the Center, all run by trained therapists. In one project, math, reading, computer and music teachers work with Down's syndrome children to help them develop skills in these areas. The aim is to provide senso-motory enrichment and improve emotional and cognitive development. The Center also runs parents' support groups, both for couples and for mothers of exceptional children. There are support groups for siblings of exceptional children, designed to help children deal with communication problems of their Down's syndrome, autistic or cerebral palsied sibling. Although most of the programs are held at the Baker Center, a number are run at special education schools and private homes.

Research Projects:

All programs at the Baker Center are academically supervised. At the same time, there are a number of research projects in progress involving the study of exceptional infants and children. One such study is examining the causal link (if any) between the level of Down's syndrome children's communication skills and their relationships with their mothers. The Ministry of Education helps fund some of the guidance the Center provides to schools.

Referrals:

Families are referred to the Center through the Health Ministry's infant care clinics ("Tipat Halav") or through organizations that deal with children who have developmental disabilities.

For more information about the Baker Center and its programs, please phone, write, fax or e-mail the above contact.