Having a child with autism must be very challenging, if not downright stressful. Over the past few years, Beit Issie Shapiro (BIS) has been channeling the innovative wonders of Israel into finding solutions for autistic kids and others. This triumph deserves a bigger audience.

I happened to attend a talk given in Swiss Cottage London by Jean Judes, the Executive Director, of BIS. She highlighted the most fascinating of case studies in their efforts to bring children with extreme special needs back into Israeli society. In brief, the stories focused on reaching out to children, many of whom are still at a pre school age, but are unable to communicate with the outside world.

The key part of these efforts is the use of an Ipad. It appears that there is something in screen technology that allows the infant to ‘discover themselves’. In return, the staff at BIS have discovered that some of these kids are incredibly intelligent and fun loving. In one instance, it was learnt that the toddler understood English fully, and not just Hebrew. (The parents used to speak to each other in English when they did not want the child to understand)!

Israel is known as the ‘start up nation’. Not far from BIS are the large Israeli facilities of both Google and Apple. Both have assigned teams to work with BIS staff to create new services for such children.

Judes deliberately stressed in her talk that the children are cared for in their native language, Hebrew. The one exception are those in the Arab sector – Muslim, Christian or otherwise. This is particularly true in the Kalansua Family Advancement Center for early intervention.

BIS now has partnerships with similar centres as wells as governments and academic institutions in tens of countries, including China. Their work has been presented at UNICEF . This is as much an Israeli export as the high-tech services or its agricultural produce.

This knowledge – these changes – are just another aspect of Israeli innovation. They are enabling tens of thousands of children internationally to take their place in society.