Hello, I’m Sarah Crystal and im 11 years old. For my Bat-mitzvah project I am doing a fundraiser for autistic people. Autism is a “neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior.” Unfortunatly, their are over 200,000 diagnoses  a year. I recently went on a trip to Israel and visited Eden Ohalei Yaacov,

 a friend’s center for autistic adults that really inspired me. This center is a home where they live full time. Being able to meet them really opened my eyes. There is also another program, in Palo Alto, called the Friendship Circle .

It offers different programs for special needs children including enriching events and camps for these kids. Special needs kids “can be suffering from any of a wide range of physical disabilities, medical conditions, intellectual difficulties, or emotional problems, including deafness, blindness, dyslexia, learning difficulties, and behavioural problems.” This money that I am hoping to raise, will be equally split and donated to these two programs. I would like to reach my goal by the end of September (2016). Autism is very complicated, but just try closing your eyes and plugging your ears while making a little humm with your mouth. This is what autistic people feel like, they are enclosed in their own world. The purpose of these programs I am donating to, is to help them and improve their lives. Each and every donation will be greatly appreciated and make a difference.

*only 50% of your donation will be tax deductable