Ilsur Metshin: “The main result is that special children are prepared for school”

(KZN.RU, October 11, Alsu Safina). This year, two kindergartens of the combined type of the Sovetsky district of Kazan №109 and №159 opened groups of compensating orientation for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with complex defects. The first of them is attended by 10 children since September. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, learned about the work in such groups during a visit to kindergarten №109. The Mayor noted it is important that children with autism can learn to communicate and adapt in society.

Two groups of 5 people in this kindergarten began to function from September 1. They were opened by the charity foundation “V Tvoyu Polzu” (Rus. “In your favor”) together with the Kazan Department of Education. Previously in the group premises was redecorated. “The resource group is provided with modern equipment that helps in relaxation, promotes the development of communication skills”, said Oskar Prokopiev, the chairman of the supervisory board of the charity foundation. Darina Tabakova, the head of the foundation, noted that the kindergarten was chosen according to several criteria. The rooms where the children are occupied were on the first floor. In addition, it was important that the two groups could fit in one block, each of them should have a common room and a recreation area. A grant from the President of the Russian Federation for the development of civil society was sent to prepare one of the groups.

Before the opening of resource groups, 10 kindergarten teachers completed a course on applied behavioral analysis (ABA-therapy).

Anna Ustinovskaya, the curator of the charity fund “V Tvoyu Polzu”, told the head of the city about how the classes are held with children. The age of children who attend resource groups is from 3 to 6 years. When enrolled in kindergarten, each child was tested using a special technique that allows assessing the development of skills of a child with ASD. The training and educational processes are built with this in mind. For example, one of the children does not speak, someone does not understand speech well. In this case, classes are held in different formats, and children are united not by age, but by the level of skills’ development.

Each child has a tutor who helps the child understand the task and accomplish it. Gradually, the tutor is less involved in this process so that the child develops self-sufficiency.

One of the features of children with ASD is that they cannot sit in one place for a long time. “Therefore, we change activity every three minutes. Such a pace is needed so that they do not have frustration and undesirable behavior”, explained Anna Ustinovskaya.

The program of the two groups is the same. There are academic classes, dynamic pauses. Thus, while in one group the children were engaged with tutors at the table, in the other one, the children were dancing. The curator said that such social activity as dance is difficult for these children. “Music is a sensory element, to which they are sensitive. They have to see each other, teachers, it is a difficult task for them”.

Two professional defectologists and a neuropsychologist are engaged with children along with the tutors.

The Mayor also visited the sensory discharge and relaxation room. All children with autism have sensory deficits. According to the curator, children love pools with balls, to crawl through the tunnel. In fact, this room is designed to balance the psychological and physiological state of the child, to prepare him for academic studies.

Over time, children are introduced into the normal group. During the visit of the Mayor, there was a lesson in the gym, where a boy with ASD trained with children from common groups. A tutor who is standing in front of the boy and repeats the movements of the main teacher helps him to study. After some time, the tutor will shift and direct the child’s attention to the main teacher.

Adaptation of children from resource groups to the rest of the kindergarten pupils also takes place while walking in the fresh air.

Anna Ustinovskaya noted that since the start of classes, the time spent by children in groups has also increased.

In general, according to the curator, the main task is to develop communication skills in children with ASD. “Often they don’t know how to ask, how to explain that they don’t want something, it provokes undesirable behavior”, noted A. Ustinovskaya. During classes, children learn to communicate, interact with another person, transmit and receive information. In addition, the sensitivity of children to noise, a large number of people, and the regime is reduced. “The main goal is to transfer the child to a common group. This is preparation for an ordinary school”, she said. A. Ustinovskaya added that learning communication skills should be started at a younger age in order to have a better effect in the case of children with autism.

“The main result is that children are prepared for school, adapted to stay with other children”, said I. Metshin.

The Mayor was told that the need for such groups is large. At the same time, work with children with ASD and the use of all these technologies are most developed in the Voronezh Oblast, Moscow, Belgorod Oblast, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk.

Since 2016, 9 groups for children with ASD have been opened in Kazan, attended by 45 children. The teachers pass advanced training at the Institute for the Development of Education.

In addition, resource classes are functioning in 5 educational organizations of Kazan. From September 1, 2017, 17 children with autism spectrum disorder began training in these classes.

Andrey Yakovlev, the first deputy head of the Sovetsky district’s administration, Ilnar Khidiyatov, the head of the Department of Education, and others also attended the event.