What’s the problem?

More and more disabled children in Russia are growing up in families rather than institutions, which is fantastic. However, many parents struggle to access specialist help, information or disabled living aids that can help their children lead satisfying lives. This is particularly the case for families whose children have complex, multiple disabilities.

We are focussing our help on children and young people whose disabilities make verbal communication difficult or impossible.   Being unable to communicate creates problems of its own: frustration, behaviour problems and total dependence. Families can experience poverty as a result as parents have to become full-time carers.  Children or young people are at risk of ending up in institutions.

How do we help?

St Gregory’s has been working Communication Space, a pioneering organisation in Moscow to develop methods of working with children and young people who are unable to speak. Many will be on the autistic spectrum, many also have learning difficulties or other disabilities.  We are particularly keen to raise awareness of how Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) can be used to help these children.

Communication Space:

  • offers direct support to children and families, giving personalised help to 20 children and young people between them.
  • develops low-cost and Russian-language aids that can assist with communication and independent living.  This will make them accessible at last to the families that need them.
  • runs extensive education programmes so that families and professionals across Russia can learn the latest techniques to help those with disabilities communicate, play and become as independent as possible.
  • offers a counselling service for 106 parents, helping them come to terms with their child’s disability, and to manage their own needs alongside those of their child.

This fantastic video from Communication Space brings their person-centred approach come to life.

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.