Early Childhood development and preparing for school for children with special needs from the country through intensive week packages

Due to the continuation of the epidemiological situation in the country, the project activities have been temporarily suspended for security reasons for the health of the children, parents and the team. The services according to the project will be provided when the situation in Bulgaria allows that. 

“Friends of Bulgaria” Association will start work this year for intensive weekly therapy at Karin dom for families of children with special needs.

Aim of the project:

The program will aim to provide professional services for children (aged 3-8) across the country who have developmental delays, atypical behavior, or social and emotional difficulties. The main goals is to provide equal access to quality therapeutic services for families across the country. Packages will provide a 5-day individualized intensive therapeutic program that will take place in Karin dom. Project will provide support to families from vulnerable social groups – low-income families; single parents; foster families; families living in areas where there is a lack of any kind of social services. Through the services provided parents will feel more self-confident and able to find the adequate therapy methods and approaches and most important – to apply them properly at home where the natural environment of the children is.

Project activities

The program will include observations, intensive therapy and work with the family. In addition, Karin dom specialists will design an individual detailed therapeutic program to do at home. Depending on every particular case, the listed below specialists will work with the family: pediatrician, physiotherapist, psychologist, speech therapist and social worker. Specialists will decide how and when to include the child in the therapy.

Specific therapies:

• Therapeutic – rehabilitation work
• Individual work with speech therapist
• Individual psycho-pedagogical work
• Trampoline therapy
• Sensory integration
• ABA therapy
• Communication groups
• Music therapy
• Toy library
• Health care

Work with parents:

• Consultations with social worker
• Individual consultation with psychologist
• Parental support groups
• Trainings focused on foster care families (other families from vulnerable groups will be also free to participate).

Friends of Bulgaria Association is an organization very interested in the development of foster care in Bulgaria. Due to the fact that the organization has been supporting Karin Dom for two consecutive years in providing services for foster families, this year “Friends of Bulgaria” will also fund 5 trainings for foster families to be held in Karin Dom.

Results:

By mutual efforts, we will support 14 children and families from all regions of the country and will motivate parents to develop their potential. Our specialists’ priority is every child, regardless of its deficiencies, to be included in the educational system, which starts in the early preschool age. The program will support the involvement of children in kindergartens and schools, which is crucial for their success in the education system.

The main advantage of this program will be that therapy happens in front of the parents and with their participation – the family-oriented approach will be applied. Parents will see that their children despite the difficulties have the skills to deal with so many things and will become advocates for their children and their right to be educated with peers. By early support, families will become more self-esteemed and confident that their children will cope with school challenges, will be accepted and will develop their capacity, as they deserve.

Parents who have already used the program service share that it helped them feel more motivated and calm because they understand the need and the importance of doing regular exercises and sessions with the child in home environment. This lead to improved quality of life of the children with special needs and increase their chances to go to school and live more independently.

The home program with guidelines that specialists will prepare for the family to do will help parents to understand and satisfy the everyday needs of the child both in home environment and outside. These guidelines will also help an extended family circle of relatives and friends to be informed about the condition, the needs and the ways to overcome challenges together.