Blog

What was your first job? A foundational memory for many of us. My Grandpa Howie remembers his first job – as a messenger working for United Jewish Appeal during the Six-Day War; he learned that [...]

There are three main schools of thought around how we can support people on the Autism Spectrum. One, “curism” dictates that Autism is a disease or serious illness that should be removed and [...]

Recently, the disability community, the Jewish community, the United States and the world suffered a devastating loss when we learned that Judy Heumann Z”L, the “mother of the disability rights [...]

For many Autistic people, there is one form of sensory input that is calming, focusing or perhaps invigorating. For me, this is water.   I had not spent a lot of time thinking about the [...]

Recently, I took part in two events that pushed me outside of my comfort zone, and I think truly represent the culmination of my transition to High School. On May 6th, I took a huge step when I [...]

This spring I traveled to Israel with my grade. I want to share with you my experience and what I learned about myself. My first trip to Israel was in 2016 with my grandfather, cousin, and a [...]

Following an incident in school, Rafi (age 15) posted his thoughts on Facebook. Rafi has granted permission to Matan to reprint this post. I’d like to talk about something I have noticed when it [...]

Like any freshman, my first few months of high school have been both exciting and stressful. My friendships have grown stronger, my classes are in full swing and I have begun many extracurricular [...]

My name is Rafi. I’m 14 and a freshman at the Leffell School in Westchester, New York. As a teenager on the Autistic spectrum, I view and experience the world differently than other people. I [...]

Editor’s Note: This beautiful reflection on Yom Kippur was written prior to the horrific Hamas terrorist attacks. It was scheduled to be shared this week. Mental health considerations are [...]

Daily Introspection Through a Mood Tracker I have never been able to successfully be a “diary person”. I know lots of people who have detailed records of their lives in their diaries. They are [...]

As a highschooler in an affluent Chicago suburb, I always viewed college as my end goal. I saw every grade I received as either a point towards or against my college acceptance. The academic [...]

Content Warning: Violence I live in Highland Park, Illinois. The name of my town might ring a bell to you. I would hope this is because of its thriving Jewish community, cameos in John Hughes [...]

It is no secret that the Covid-19 Pandemic has taken a dramatic toll on the collective mental health of the world. Society experienced (and continues to experience) feelings of isolation, fear [...]

Teenagers are not told “do what makes you happy” nearly enough. We are forced to focus on academic achievement, getting into college and finding a spot on the competitive social hierarchy of high [...]

Content Warning: Su*cide and  depression  It is 8:00 on Saturday morning. I carefully button my wool jacket and pull on my skirt over my tights. At 9:00 I walk into the large elegant sanctuary of [...]

Not Every Day Is a Good Day And That’s Okay   I think people today, especially teens, are easily misled by society to think that everyday needs to be “social media” ready, filled with [...]

This is a quality towards which many strive, but often fall short. I think it is even more complicated for those of us who also are fighting hard to manage other challenges. It is easy to [...]

Making friends can be hard, especially when you are different either mentally or physically. I am lucky to have had the same two best friends since I was in kindergarten. Most peoples’ [...]

A few years ago, my sister was walking with my mom and they saw a parked police car. My sister became visibly nervous. When my mom asked why, my sister explained that she was worried. What would [...]

Creating a self-identity is very complicated, particularly when you have a disability. How do you embrace and own your disability without letting your disability define you? I seem to be [...]

When you are diagnosed with a disability, you might at first feel embarrassed. Or, you might feel like you have to hide that disability – that is how I felt at first. But, over time, I learned [...]

In the span of just a few months, I have finished my gap year, moved back in with my family, and begun my first “big girl” job. All the while, the summer has given me time to reflect on my “gap [...]

I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at 8 years old. Throughout my life, ADHD has impacted my life in different ways, but it was always most notable in the classroom. [...]