Under our Family Centre Project, we continue to work with children with severe and multiple disturbances of psychophysical development. The classes are held free of charge for families in the form of home visits. In January 2017, we conducted 135 free correctional and developmental classes for twelve children in the following areas:
- Adapted physical education – 23 hours;
- Speech pathology – 64 hours;
- Art Therapy – 48 hours
Here is one of the happy stories:
Alexandra Kisileva: eleven years old
Diagnosed with: cerebral palsy, retinopathy of 5th degree (blindness), developmental delay, developmental speech delay, symptomatic epilepsy)
She has been studying for seven years in the Diema’s Dream Family Center. Thanks to the work of the speech pathologist, art-teacher and specialists on physical rehabilitation, Sasha shows improvement in the overall development and formation of social and everyday skills.
Sasha has a basic concept of the parts of her own body (she can point out hands, feet, head, back, ears) and the skill of balance maintenance such as being seated on a chair without hands with side, forward and back inclinations of the body. Sasha positively reacts to the interaction with an adult, expresses willingness and unwillingness to carry out suggested tasks, and shows an active interest in motor activities and games.
Along with the successful formation of basic alternative communications, she increases her speech with a set of involuntary sounds, applies new sound complexes and uses the word “mom” in an appropriate situation.
Her auditory detection is developing – she is learning to distinguish quiet and loud sounds and when choosing from two boxes, finds an item according to its sound (keys, package, paper, spoons, etc.)
Another important new skill is independent eating. Sasha has learned how to hold a spoon, bring it to her mouth then remove the food from the spoon. For a person with a vision disorder, this is a great success!
From a letter by Sasha’s mother:
“When we first came to the center, Sasha could only lie on her back, she cried constantly, and could not talk. In the result of the work with the specialists from the Diema’s Dream Family Center, Sasha returned to normal psycho-emotional condition (she adequately perceives what is happening around her, distinguishes people by ear, performs my requests, controls her emotions).
Sasha became very mobile (she learned to turn over, sit down, move on all fours, get off the bed, and can actively work with both hands). Her speech became more emotional. If before she did not utter a sound, now during the lessons my daughter constantly learns new sounds and words. And most importantly: where before Sasha was afraid to talk, now she has a need for speech. Sasha is very accustomed to her teachers, she always looks forward to them and is very happy when they come! Classes with the specialists from the Diema’s Dream Family Center are the only opportunity to study, because these specialists are confident in her abilities and not afraid to work with our children.”
Thanks to the correctional and developmental work of the specialists, the maximum potential of each child is attained, and the problem of social isolation of families is solved; parents see different methods and options for their children and then participate in the process of social rehabilitation, following the recommendations of specialists at home, which improves the quality of life of the family.
Diema’s Dream collects funds to continue classes at home. You can support the Family Center Project by making donation in the way which is most convenient to you. If interested, click here: https://ddfrussia.ru/en/sdelat-pozhertvovanie/