Association for Children at Risk

The Association for Children at Risk (Hebrew: העמותה לילדים בסיכון) is an Israeli non-profit organization headquartered in Tel Aviv. It was established in 1990 to address the lack of adequate responses for children with autism in Israel, and for most of its history operated under the name Association for Children at Risk. In 2022 the organization underwent a rebranding and adopted the name Oti – Israeli Association for Autism (אותי - עמותה ישראלית לאוטיזם), reflecting its focused mission on autism care. The association provides therapeutic and support services for children and families in their communities. Its work spans early childhood autism intervention and treatment for children and adolescents on the autism spectrum up to age 18. It has been credited with formulating a "health-promoting treatment basket" (סל טיפולים בריאותי מקדם, known by the acronym טב"מ) that the state provides to children on the autism spectrum from early childhood through age 7. The organization also operates health treatments of up to three hours per week for children aged 7–18 during afternoon hours within school classrooms. As of 2023, approximately 1,000 children across Israel were integrated into the association's health treatment programs. The association describes itself as a professional address for young people and adults with autism and their families, working to protect their rights, promote excellence, provide professional therapeutic services in an adapted and accessible manner, train therapists, and study and implement therapeutic methods while making current theoretical and clinical knowledge accessible to children and families. Its staff includes professionals from speech therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, expression and creativity, psychology, social work, behavior analysis, medicine, and specialized therapeutic approaches such as DIR, ESDM, and social skills training. As of 2018, the CEO of the association was attorney Tzipi Nagel-Edelstein and the chairperson was Alona Bar-On. The organization reported 10 members and 2,225 employees at that time. It remains active in Israel's autism care and advocacy landscape.

The Association for Children at Risk was founded in 1990 in Israel under the name העמותה לילדים בסיכון (Association for Children at Risk). Its establishment was prompted by the lack of adequate responses for children with autism in Israel. The organization set out to treat and assist at-risk children and their families within their communities. Over the years, the association developed a model of community-based therapeutic care. It formulated a "health-promoting treatment basket" (סל טיפולים בריאותי מקדם, or טב"מ) that the state provides to children on the autism spectrum from early childhood through age 7. It also operates health treatments of up to three hours per week for children aged 7–18 during afternoon hours inside school classrooms. As of 2023, approximately 1,000 children across the country were integrated into the association's health treatment programs. In 2022, the organization changed its name as part of a rebranding process, becoming Oti – Israeli Association for Autism (אותי - עמותה ישראלית לאוטיזם). The new name reflects a sharper focus on autism care, including early childhood autism intervention and treatment for children and adolescents on the autism spectrum up to age 18. The association describes itself as a professional address for young people and adults with autism and their families, working to protect their rights, promote excellence, provide professional therapeutic services in an adapted and accessible manner, train therapists, and study and implement therapeutic methods while making current theoretical and clinical knowledge accessible to children and families. As of 2018, the CEO of the association was attorney Tzipi Nagel-Edelstein and the chairperson was Alona Bar-On. At that time the organization reported 10 members and 2,225 employees drawn from therapeutic professions including speech therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, expression and creativity, psychology, social work, behavior analysis, medicine, and specialized therapeutic approaches such as DIR, ESDM, and social skills training.

• 2023

  Approximately 1,000 children across Israel are integrated into the association's health treatment programs.

• 2022

  Organization rebrands and changes its name to Oti – Israeli Association for Autism.

• 2018

  Tzipi Nagel-Edelstein serves as CEO and Alona Bar-On as chairperson; organization reports 10 members and 2,225 employees.

• 1990

  Association founded in Israel as the Association for Children at Risk (העמותה לילדים בסיכון).

Non-profit professional address for children, youth, and families affected by autism in Israel, combining direct therapy, rights advocacy, therapist training, and knowledge dissemination.

• Health-promoting treatment basket (טב"מ)

  A basket of health treatments that the state provides to children on the autism spectrum from early childhood through age 7, formulated by the association.

• In-school health treatments

  Up to 3 hours per week of health treatments for children aged 7–18 during afternoon hours inside school classrooms.

• Early childhood autism intervention

  Therapeutic intervention for young children on the autism spectrum.

• Therapist training

  Training of therapists in specialized therapeutic methods.

1. 1Association for Children at Risk - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2אותי - עמותה ישראלית לאוטיזם - Hebrew Wikipediahe.wikipedia.org