Supporting Maxim and his family

Posted on By Sarah.SGF

Every family that comes to the Deaf Club we sponsor in St Petersburg has its own story, and that is not always straightforward. This was the case for Maxim (on the pink rocker) and his parents. His parents really struggled to accept his diagnosis, and visited several centres for a second opinion.

After his hearing was checked for a second time at the Early Intervention Institute, the family was invited to join the Deaf Club. Here, Maxim’s parents were encouraged to use the hearing aids Maxim had been fitted with. Maxim is a lovely boy, but he is hyper-active. At the Club we are able to show his parents how to attract his attention to the toys, or to other people, including to the sounds around him.

The family’s are just starting out on their path. They have recently discovered that Maxim has a genetic condition. Fortunately, our colleagues are able to support them as they adjust to the news. They will be able to speak to a psychologist with experience of working with parents of children with disabilities. They will also be encouraged to appreciate Maxim’s strengths at the weekly club sessions and will be able to see older deaf children who are flourishing. Without this support it would be difficult for some parents to see past the diagnosis, which in a society where disability is stigmatised, feels like bad news. We wish them all well.

Support not sedatives for autistic boy

Posted on By Sarah.SGF

Nina is 29 and she has an infectious smile and loves talking about her family. We’re chatting in one of the offices at The Wish’s Centre in Calarasi, which her son Liviu attends. He’s here too, a bit wary of strangers, though he sneaks a few glances at us.  Since he obviously doesn’t like having his photo taken, it is Nina you can see here. 

Liviu and Nina’s experiences expose just how little understanding there is about how to support autistic people in Moldova.  Thank goodness Nina found The Wish, where Liviu could get the support he needed.

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Vova is thriving with Sunny Corner

Posted on By Sarah.SGF

St Gregory’s is proud to sponsor Sunny Corner, a charity based in rural Moldova. They provide an accepting community that helps people with learning disabilities or autism to socialise and develop their skills. Vova (Vladimir), 43, is pictured with a violin. He lives with his mother, a pensioner. Vova is a talented artist who plays instruments, dances, and draws. He is neat and meticulous. 

Vova attended a regular school, but ‘deviations’ appeared in the 9th grade, and he was later diagnosed with autism. This diagnosis was made at a mental hospital Kodru, in Chisinau, when Vova was 14-15 years old. Due to his progressive condition, Vova left school after the 9th grade and was forced to stay at home, which hindered his further development of communication. Vova had been depressed for a long time, and it was very difficult to help him overcome it. 

Lyudmila Shishkina worked in the “Planet of Care” program before “Sunny Corner.” During that time, Vova was involved in sewing, carpentry, and drew a lot. Gradually, the black color in his drawings was replaced by bright colors, as she describes it.  Nowadays, Vova actively participates in “Sunny Corner’s” activities. 

80 Moldovan families receive food parcels

Posted on By Sarah.SGF

St Gregory’s supports Rain Kids, a charity in Chişinău, Moldova, providing therapy for children with developmental disabilities. Disability often goes hand in hand with poverty in Moldova, not least because one parent often has to give up work to care full time. With inflation of 8.8%, making ends meet this year has become particularly difficult.

With St Gregory’s funding, Rain Kids has stepped in to provide food parcels for 80 of their families. Food parcels include essentials like rice, buckwheat, wheat and corn flour, canned fish, sunflower oil and more. There are also some treats—wafers, buns, and biscuits—to bring a little joy to the kids. Domestic cleaning products are included, helping families create a healthier space for their children. The thank you letters from parents show just how much this has meant to them.

Continue reading 80 Moldovan families receive food parcels

Kirill can’t stop smiling

Posted on By Sarah.SGF

The first thing you probably noticed about this photo is Kirill’s smile. He loves being with people, but since he left school he had spent most of his time at home with very little company. The reason is that Kirill has autism and learning difficulties and cannot speak. Fortunately, he is able to attend activities at Communication Space, the charity centre in Moscow that we sponsor. Now he starts smiling as soon as he gets on the bus to go to a session at the Centre.

When Kirill was at school, his teachers had tried to introduce him to the PECS symbolic language, but without success. They concluded that he wasn’t able to tell one symbol from another.

At Communication Space he didn’t seem interested in the pictures to start with, but gradually he learned to recognise the symbols for food, games and other activities. If he got upset, his teachers would introduce the symbol for that emotion, and so he increased his vocabulary.

Continue reading Kirill can’t stop smiling

Charity Ball in Chişinău

Posted on By Sarah.SGF

Our very active partners at Sunny Corner in Moldova are putting together another wonderful event to promote inclusion for people with learning disabilities.

On June 8th, they’re hosting a charity ball at the Chișinău Arena. The venue is fully adapted for people with disabilities, and Sunny Corner has invited more than 120 participants, including people with special needs and their peers aged 8 to 45, as well as parents, carers, teachers, and more from across Moldova, Ukraine, and Romania.

Participants’ performances will be accompanied by the State Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Moldova. Local and national authorities will be attending too. Additionally, for the first time, an auction will be held to raise funds for their “Dream Manor,” which provides training programmes to enhance the quality of life for individuals with special needs.

St. Gregory’s is proud to be contributing to this memorable event.

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Autism Acceptance Month

Posted on By Sarah.SGF

April is World Autism Acceptance Month. In the UK we have made a shift from the usual awareness month to an acceptance month, and that is important. Of course autistic people around the world want other people to be aware of autism, but they also want to be accepted as part of the community, and as who they are.

However, in many parts of the world a great deal of work still needs to be done on awareness and the most basic rights for autistic people. In Eastern Europe, autism is still a new diagnosis and support within the community can be very patchy. In Moldova autistic children are often not able to attend school. There is little or no understanding of their needs, so if they do attend they find school very tough. We work with two organisations that are filling the gap, providing therapy and education for children who would otherwise be unsupported. They can also advocate for children with local schools so that they can attend, albeit sometimes part-time or with their mother acting as an unpaid classroom assistant.

In Russia we work with Communication Space to raise awareness of alternative communication methods that can work with non-verbal autistic children and young people. Those who attend their own centre are a wonderful advert for this approach. They are learning to express their wishes, to follow instructions, and to communicate out in the world, in shops and cafes. Online training sessions spread the approach to parents and professionals across the Russian-speaking world. Alongside this practical work, Communication Space also runs counselling sessions for parents. For them, acceptance is the first step towards a more positive outlook on life.

We hope that these small steps towards greater awareness, understanding and support will in time lead to greater acceptance in the communities we work in and beyond.

A window on Communication Space’s work with non-verbal, autistic adults

Posted on By Sarah.SGF

When you come across someone who is non-verbal, their life may seem to be shrouded in mystery, their thoughts and feelings inaccessible. Unless you know someone well who is non-verbal, the chances are that you feel rather daunted by interacting with them. Without help to bridge this gap, people who are unable to speak can become incredibly isolated. Fortunately, techniques do exist for enabling people we once thought could not communicate, to express their wishes, make choices and connect with others. Our colleagues at Communication Space are introducing these techniques to the Russian-speaking world. This beautiful video that they have made gives a fantastic insight into their work.

A note for non-Russian-speakers. Open the video in You Tube, open the settings, select subtitles. Turn subtitles on by selecting Russian. You can then go back into subtitles and select auto translate to get auto-generated English subtitles.

Călărași project in Moldova helps Samuel

Posted on By Sarah.SGF

Thanks to generous donations from our supporters, we have been able to employ a speech therapist to provide vital support to children with special needs in the Călărași region of Moldova.  Samuel is one of the children who we have been able to help.  Seeing him thriving and making progress, we are very grateful to everyone who helps us keep these services going.

Read more: Călărași project in Moldova helps Samuel

Our colleagues from the Wish centre tell us:

Samuel, a 9-year-old boy with Down syndrome, from Calarasi, is absolutely full of energy and curiosity. He is a cheerful, affectionate and curious child. He loves horses and could spend hours looking at pictures of them or listening to stories about horse adventures. We can see that he has leadership skills: he communicates with the other students with gestures or sounds, and he wants to be understood and appreciated. During games, he likes to be listened to, and when he feels that someone is paying attention to him, he gets even more excited. 

Due to his disability, Samuel experiences challenges in communication and social interaction. To develop his skills, he needs speech therapy, educational activities and behavioral support, which fortunately we have been able to provide for him since 2020.  In 2022, he started school in the 1st grade, which represented an important step in his development. At the center and at school, he learns to communicate more effectively, express his emotions, needs, preferences and interact with other children. 

Samuel’s progress is visible: he has learned to use more words and gestures to express his wishes, he is more attentive and involved in activities. His family is proud of him and supports him every step of the way.  The teacher and specialists from the “Wish” center are impressed by his effort and desire to learn. His fellow students have learned that Samuel is a special child and very kind.  They all get on very well with him.  

How Timofei is thriving thanks to our Deaf Club

Posted on By Sarah.SGF

In St Petersburg, we support a Club for pre-school children with impaired hearing and their parents. Timofei is nearly three and has been a member of the Club with his mama for a few months. He is one of several club members who have additional needs as well as being deaf. Fortunately, because the Club is part of the Early Intervention Institute in St Petersburg, his family has been able to access support from an Occupational Therapist, which has very quickly made a huge difference.

Continue reading How Timofei is thriving thanks to our Deaf Club