Increase the skills of Moldovan autism therapists

In our last report we told you how Anna Cislaru, our centre co-ordinator, had taken training in PECS visual communication system and passed her learning onto our staff.  Now we are really beginning to see the benefits for the children who come to us for therapy.  Several children have begun to use visual supports to make requests, choose preferred activities, and approach specialists on their own initiative. For some children, PECS became the first real step toward independently expressing a need and communicating more clearly with adults.

The implementation of the method also contributed to improvements in the children’s behavior. When a child has a clear tool for communication, the level of frustration decreases and the need to express discomfort through crying, screaming, or refusal is reduced. The children became more cooperative during activities, accepted transitions more easily, and became more actively involved in the therapeutic process.

The training also improved collaboration with parents. Specialists can now explain to families more clearly how to use visual supports at home, during daily activities: at meals, during play, on walks, while preparing for sleep, or during transition moments. In this way, the skills developed at the center can be reinforced in the child’s natural environment.

Feedback from our parents show what a difference the training has made to their family life: 

Sandu’s parent, age 7: “After my child began working with visual supports, I noticed that he became calmer and less frustrated. Before, he used to cry when he could not show us what he wanted, but now he can choose a picture and communicate his need more clearly. For us as a family, this progress is very important because we feel that we understand him better.”

Daniel’s parent, age 5: “I noticed that my son began asking more often for his favorite things and participating more actively in activities. Using cards helped him become more independent and communicate without becoming upset immediately. We have also started using the same principles at home, and this helps us have more calm and cooperation in our daily routine.”

We are very grateful to all the donors who have made this staff training possible.

We were delighted recently to be able to show a small group of St Gregory's supporters around our centre recently.  We are very grateful to Diane who shares her impressions with you of both our centre and Sunny Corner, a community for adults with learning difficulty that is also supported by St Gregory's Foundation. 

Links:

• Our supporter Diane McKie talks about her visit to Rain Kids