Blind Six-Year-Old in Beersheba Seeks Classroom Assistant for First Grade Integration

Neve Sivar, a six-year-old boy from Beersheba who was born blind, is preparing to start first grade but faces a significant challenge: his parents have been unable to find a suitable classroom assistant to support him for over two months. Neve completed kindergarten in a regular integrated setting, supported by an assistant who is now unavailable for the upcoming school year. His mother, Meital, explained that while Neve is fully independent in mobility, the assistant’s role is crucial for social integration, helping him understand and navigate social cues and interactions that he cannot see due to his blindness.

Meital detailed that Neve struggles with nonverbal communication and social situations, such as understanding why a teacher reprimands another child when he cannot see the behavior that caused it. Although Neve receives academic support from a vision-support teacher focusing on literacy, the assistant’s role is to facilitate his social inclusion. Despite extensive efforts since May, the family has faced two main obstacles: assistants unwilling or unable to commute to their neighborhood in Beersheba’s Park area, and the requirement for the assistant to work six days a week, which many candidates find difficult.

Recently, Neve and his parents released a viral video in which Neve personally appeals for an assistant to accompany him in first grade, promising a fun school year. Meital expressed gratitude for the supportive responses but emphasized that they have yet to find a suitable assistant. She noted that Neve, now older and more aware, was eager to participate in the video once he understood its purpose. The family continues their search as the new school year approaches, hoping to secure the vital support Neve needs to thrive socially and academically.