Autistic youths in innovative employment program visit Supreme Court

A group of Israeli youths on the autistic spectrum made a special trip to the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on Tuesday and met with Supreme Court President Justice Esther Hayut. 

The program was sponsored by ALUT - The Israeli Society for Autistic Children in conjunction with Bar-Ilan University, which runs an employment center for people with developmental disabilities.

Among the questions asked of Hayut was whether or not she likes wearing the judge's robe. She answered, "sometimes it's a little hot," but explained it was important to dress in the traditional robe for keeping with official procedures. 

Another participant asked which famous woman the Supreme Court president liked the best. Hayut answer that Rona Ramon, the late wife of astronaut Ilan Ramn and mother of pilot Assaf Ramon, was her personal inspiration.

One young man presented Hayut with a painting he created.

Autism can cause lack of normal communication skills although other talents such as art are more pronounced. In past generations, little was known about the condition and the knowledge that certain people could be on a spectrum rather then simply having a one-size-fits-all disability has been researched in recent years.

Among the excited young adults at the Supreme Court building in Jerusalem was Shai Itzik and 28-year-old on the medium-functioning continuum. His mother Malki Itzik is a member of the board of directors of Alut and helped facilitate the program to find meaningful employment for her son and others like him.

Today, Shai and 15 other participants work and study at Bar Ilan University in various departments such as the logistics warehouse, human resources, the legal department, the library and restaurant.