Serving special needs children in Belarus

When it comes to caring for children, especially children with special needs, the love of God knows no bounds. Veteran special educator Nancy Wilson and her daughter-in-law, Shasta,

were able to experience this phenomenon first hand during a recent visit to Belarus in early August. Joining up with EGM Director Igor Fridrikh, the team traveled to various sites in Minsk and Mohilev to meet with local educational, advocacy and medical groups to share information about working with children with disabilities; specifically children with autism.

Autism awareness is just beginning to take root in Eastern Europe and many children with autism in Belarus are just now receiving a diagnosis and much-needed intervention. Local resource and intervention centers were eager to take in Nancy’s knowledge and information on supporting and teaching children with autism; many of the curriculum and instruction programs widely in use in the United States are not available in the Russian language. Parents and service workers were also interested to see the various visual aids and tools Nancy uses in her classroom including individual picture-based schedules, sequenced task cards, and “fidget” toys for sensory stimulation.

Church volunteers were especially interested to hear how children with autism can be included in church services and Sunday school classes. By using many of the techniques employed in her own classroom, Nancy was able to show volunteers the benefit of using pictures, sensory games and alternative activities in order to involve children in group learning and show them the love of God.

Both Nancy and Shasta were overwhelmed and honored by the response from local agencies. It’s likely that additional visits will be scheduled for the future!