Seeach Sod firmly believes that each special needs student should have the same opportunities, at their own level, as children without disabilities. We accomplish this in many different avenues including, but not limited to, our students spiritual and social opportunities.

In implementing this mission, for the first time ever, Seeach Sod staff developed an Interactive Siddur (prayer book) mainly for our first grade students. The siddur gives these children the opportunity to feel equal to their siblings in regards to their individual ownership of a siddur, as well as being a part of the accustomed “Mesibat Siddur” party.

The siddur was designed for verbal and non-verbal students alike, using 3 ways of communication on each page. Each interactive page includes text, sounds of the words in addition to pictures. The pictures are images the children are familiar with and recognize, including some pictures used from the world renowned PECS system. As the students flip each page, each Tefillah speaks out to them making the experience of davening exciting and achievable!

Each siddur is personalized and custom made for each student's specific capabilities and verbal use. The students are only given pages of tefilot that they truly can communicate; so not to set them up for failure of not being able to use the siddur to its fullest.

This past year, the students practiced each day with a giant siddur (similar to their personal siddurs which were not yet acquired), as they became comfortable to its words, sounds and pictures. This of course led to the finale of receiving their own personal Interactive Siddurs, which by now they have become fully familiar and comfortable with.

The students that received these siddurs are boys and girls, ages 6-8, with moderate to complex disabilities, including non-verbal students who only use alternative forms of communication and students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

A tremendous thanks and acknowledgement is due to Mrs. Shula Hoss, speech therapist at Seeach Sod, as her development of this special siddur has come to fruition.

For more information about the  Siddur Party click here>>