Teaching 6 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Dear our Donors!

I am so happy to share with you about what can my partners and I do to make all children feel part of our class.

Working together is a big part of our philosophy that values each child as a member of our class. Working cooperatively helps everyone feel part of the class. Our main goal is to model how to be a friend and how friends can act toward each other.

Consistency and structure is the best way for children with autism. It's a nice reminder that children with autism become very upset and frustrated when adults are inconsistent with them and when routines or schedules are disrupted. All our children can participate in some way playing and learning together.

I would like to share with you about our daily activities. For example, kinetic sand play is a fun group activity, and children can develop their sensory experience. Our children love books and reading time, and they share their experience with each other. It's not easy to be focused, however they just keep trying. All therapists help them in it.

I think that communication is the most important social skill of all, and our professional team teaches children how to ask for what they want or need verbally by using signs, gestures, words, combinations, and sentences.

I am sure that our pictures can give you ideas and positive thoughts about our learning style, fun activities, predictable daily routines, some opportunities to practice new and old skills, developing child's social skills, and helping every child to reach their educational goals.

Therapists and parents are thinking positively to continue to work together helping everyone feel part of our wonderful class.  

I would like to say our Donors the warmest words for their valuable support of our program.

Sincerely,

Tetyana Varenychenko, M.Ed,

Project Leader

I am a mother of 4 year old twins with special needs. My children needed early intervention services, and we worked with several specialists since being diagnosed with developmental delays. I became very frustrated because there was a serious language barrier for my children, since we mostly speak Russian in the house. They were not progressing with the therapists we had , and it wasn't clear if that was the case because of intellectual disabilities, or because of the language barrier. In fact, my children regressed significantly during that year, and it was quite depressing.

I finally found the Pennsylvania Diversity Children's Organization after searching for a Russian speaking speech therapist / Early Intervention program for over a year. My children have been coming to see the bi/trilingual specialists since October 2013, and they have blossomed. The progress has been amazing, and it's all thanks to the wonderful people at PENNDCO. There is a large Russian and Ukrainian-speaking community in the northeast Philadelphia area, and PENNDCO is the only organization available to provide services to kids with speech problems, physical disabilities, developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, etc. in need of early intervention in the language they can understand and respond to. I know this, because besides being a special needs mom, I am also a pediatric nurse practitioner serving this population. Now I am able to refer my patients to this wonderful place that has made such a difference in our lives, and I can be sure they will get the help they need here.