Charity Foundation «Anton’s right here»
Resource Centre «Anton’s right here»
Main values
Geography: Leningrad Oblast, Saint Petersburg
CSS contribution, rubles
Total budget, rubles
Implementation period, months
Project idea
This is the first systemic project in Saint Petersburg to support children with ASD. Its primary goal is to bring together highly qualified specialists in the fields of medicine, psychology, education, and social support to provide accessible, effective, and comprehensive assistance to children with autism aged from 8 months to 18 years.
The project combines modern, scientifically grounded approaches for the socialization of individuals with ASD and highly sought-after educational programs for specialists. Proposes ways to create conditions for timely early diagnosis of autism and the provision of qualified support from various specialists.
To this end, efforts are made to implement monthly cycles for pediatricians, where they are trained in modern screening methods for identifying ASD risk factors. During these cycles, interagency interaction algorithms are also implemented to provide timely medical and social support.
Additionally, during the implementation of the project, a series of training events is conducted for psychiatrists and neurologists to familiarize them with modern diagnostic tools and strategies for assisting people with autism.
Thanks to all these actions, a comfortable and smooth integration of children with ASD into the preschool and school education system is possible. It is also an opportunity to create a routing system for such individuals by educating their immediate environment.
Relevance
The development of the autism spectrum is one of the most common developmental disorders of children in the modern world.
According to WHO data, every 166th child has some form of ASD. According to the letter from the Ministry of Health dated May 8, 2013, every 100th child is diagnosed with autism. According to the latest data from Rosstat for 2020, 897.2 thousand such children live in St. Petersburg, while, according to the letter from the Ministry of Health dated January 18, 2021, only 566 children with ASD are registered.
Such a discrepancy in figures makes the issue of autism “invisible” and insignificant across all of Russia. In all regions, there is a catastrophic shortage of specialists and developments for the early diagnosis of autism.
It is necessary to organize systematic, comprehensive, professional, and qualified assistance and support for children with ASD. Otherwise, thousands of children in Saint Petersburg alone, not to mention other regions, lose the opportunity to integrate into society and live a normal life. Under the current circumstances, they face a high risk of ending up in a psycho-neurological institution.
According to a large-scale sociological study aimed at an objective assessment of the situation of families with ASD in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, the main problems have been identified as follows:
- The lack of programs for “early intervention”, which has an extremely negative impact on the child's future prospects;
- Lack of specialists' coordination;
- Lack of harmonization in methods and practices;
- Lack of access to timely information about effective algorithms in the field of supporting children with ASD;
- The unpreparedness of the mass education system for the full integration of children with autism.
Due to the lack of timely assistance, such individuals experience a sharp worsening of symptoms, which leads to a decline in the quality of life for the entire family and prevents the person, in adolescence and adulthood, from becoming a fully integrated member of society.
It is also important to provide qualified support to the parents of such children in addressing legal and psychological issues, as well as to train them to communicate safely and effectively with their own autistic child.
Such assistance has become especially relevant after the pandemic, when many parents lost their jobs, leading to a decline in the financial standard of living, and consequently, in the socio-psychological well-being.
Social effect
Facilitating the development of early autism diagnosis in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region.
KPI
KPI
Project Results
Children with ASD aged 1 to 18 years have gained access to comprehensive, timely, and effective support aimed at their adaptation in society.
Families with toddlers aged 1 to 6 years and teenagers aged 10 and older received practical methods and tools to provide support to their children at a higher level.
Specialists in the field of support have also undergone training, which will help them integrate children with ASD into the education system much more effectively.
It became possible to create a comfortable environment for such children in general education and special needs kindergartens and schools through the specialized training of teachers and educators.
Doctors of various specialties (pediatricians, neurologists, psychiatrists, speech therapists, etc.) have acquired advanced knowledge and modern diagnostic tools to provide timely and high-quality assistance to children with ASD.
Project progress after CSS funding
The budget for the children's program accounts for at least 15% of the total budget of the “Anton is Right Here” Foundation for the years 2021/2022. Part of the budget (related to administrative expenses) has already been covered thanks to one of the Foundation's partners. It is also planned to actively use crowdfunding platforms and increase the share of recurring donors to ensure greater financial sustainability of the project.
