Innovation Center: Into the 21st Century with 21 Chromosomes "Shining"
Happy Together. Supporting Child-Parent Relationships.
Main values
Geography: Nizhny Novgorod Oblast
CSS contribution, rubles
Total budget, rubles
Implementation period, months
Project idea
The primary objective of the "Happy Together" initiative is to establish a supportive environment where parents of children with special health needs can access high-quality psychological assistance from both professionals and fellow parents, as well as foster stronger family bonds.
The project will engage a minimum of 100 parents (or legal guardians) and at least 50 children with developmental disabilities, aged 0 to 14, residing in Nizhny Novgorod and the surrounding region. The families will be supported by a team of specialists including a psychologist, defectologists, a speech therapist, and volunteers.
Following the initial stage of diagnostics and familiarization, participants will progress to the main phase, which consists of 12 group sessions. These sessions will be conducted weekly and will last 2.5 to 3 hours each.
Participants will be assigned to various psycho-pedagogical support groups, each with a distinct focus:
Guided Dialogue: A psychological support group for families with children aged 0 to 14 - enhancing child-parent relationships. The program is founded on the Norwegian ICDP (International Child Development Programme) approach.
The Early Bird program is designed for families raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It aims to enhance parents' understanding of autism, equip them with effective strategies, and initiate the development of communication and growth processes for their child with this diagnosis.
Child-Parent Bonding in the First Year: Enhancing parental sensitivity and competence in child-rearing during the initial year of life.
"Mom + Baby" Group: Enhancing sensitivity and parental skills in nurturing and developing toddlers in their second and third years, preparing them for kindergarten.
To ensure that psychological and pedagogical support services are accessible to families in their local areas, 20 specialists will undergo training across various districts of Nizhny Novgorod and Nizhny Novgorod Region. We will organize systematic, personalized lessons to introduce non-speaking children to alternative and augmentative communication, and we will procure the necessary technical resources and materials for this purpose.
Relevance
When a child is born having special health needs, the family often faces its challenges alone. It is crucial for parents to seek support from others facing similar challenges, to share information and experiences, and to obtain assistance from specialists experienced in working with children with special health needs.
According to the Ministry of Labor, there is an annual increase in the number of children with disabilities in Russia. In 2020, the number reached 670,000, an increase of nearly 20,000 from the previous year. Of these, 27% are children born with congenital anomalies, and 10% are premature babies. Surveys of parents with children who have Down syndrome indicate that a mere 10% received psychological support in the maternity hospital upon receiving the diagnosis, while the remainder encountered negative attitudes and aversion toward their child with a disability.
To enable families to manage such situations effectively, group psychological sessions for parents of children with special health needs are widely implemented in global practice, particularly during the early stages. During this period, it is quite typical for parents to concentrate on medical care. Certainly, this is significant; however, it overlooks the psychological adjustment period between mother and child. The foundation for a secure attachment, which is essential for the development of healthy child-parent relationships, has not been established.
Families with children who are growing up without the ability to speak, a barrier to child-parent communication, require special attention. The introduction of alternative communication methods provides the child with the opportunity to be understood and to become an integral part of society.
Social effect
Enhancing the social integration of children with special needs and improving access to quality psychological support for families having children with special health needs in Nizhny Novgorod and Nizhny Novgorod Region
KPI
KPI
Project Results
All scheduled activities have been successfully completed.
From September 2021 to May 2022, two psychological support groups for parents, two "Mom+Baby" groups, and two groups for families with children in their first year of life were conducted.
Training sessions were conducted for parents of preschool children with autism. The training sessions were conducted in a hybrid format, enabling families from distant communities to save both time and money on travel. Families gained insight into the unique aspects of development and upbringing of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), understood the root causes of challenging behaviors, and acquired practical strategies to support their child.
Children who did not utilize verbal communication participated in individual sessions focused on alternative and augmentative communication methods. The incidence of undesirable behaviors, such as tantrums and aggression, in children has decreased as they have learned to articulate their requests using cards. Three children have developed their own unique form of speech, much to the delight of their parents and specialists.
Each parent received support from professionals and other parents.
In December, eleven specialists from Nizhny Novgorod and the surrounding region completed training at the Early Intervention Institute in St. Petersburg. They participated in two programs: "Formation of Safe Child-Parent Relationships: Guided Dialogue Group Intervention" and "Systemic Support for Young Children with ASD."
A specialized group for preschool children with special health needs, who are unable to attend regular kindergarten, has been established at the Urensky District Comprehensive Social Service Center. The playroom was outfitted with furniture and developmental toys. Experts consulted with eleven families whose children were unable to attend kindergarten. An interdisciplinary team of specialists, including a psychologist, speech therapist, speech pathologist, defectologist, and physical therapist/developmental pediatrician, provided parents with guidance on child development and health concerns. They also provided recommendations for the children's continued development.
Project progress after CSS funding
Following the conclusion of the funding period, the organizers plan to sustain the project with the financial support of the Nizhny Novgorod regional public organization for people with disabilities, the "Shining” Innovation Center: Stepping into the 21st Century with 21 Chromosomes," which served as the venue for the classes.
