Over two days, January 24-25, the Lesya Ukrainka Volyn State University hosted the international scientific and practical conference "Modern Approaches to Integration and Socialization of Children with Special Needs." This is already the second event dedicated to the problems of socialization of children with congenital defects organized by the Faculty of Psychology.
Psychologists and doctors from various regions of Ukraine, as well as scholars from neighboring countries Poland and Belarus, took part in the conference. The program included plenary and sectional sessions and a round table. Presentations were also held on the work of special children's institution No. 28 for deaf and hard-of-hearing children (Lutsk) and the educational-rehabilitation center (Secondary School No. 8).
At the plenary session, the results of research conducted in Ukraine over the past six years by the Ukrainian-American Center for the Prevention of Congenital Developmental Defects were presented. Neonatologist Tetiana Vihovska of the Volyn Regional Children's Territorial Medical Association, who coordinates the Program's work, reported that according to monitoring results, the number of children with congenital defects in Ukraine has increased 4-fold. Unfortunately, today there are only a handful of specialists in the world who can professionally help children with disabilities and the families into which they are born. Therefore, the Ukrainian-American Program created "Omni-Centers for Children," first in Volyn and later in Rivne and Khmelnytskyi oblasts, which help such families. Tetiana Volodymyrivna noted that world practice shows the possibility of significantly reducing cases of children being born with defects. To achieve this, a number of measures must be taken at the state level, which require significant funds.
Scholars from Brest State University named after A.S. Pushkin reported high achievements in the rehabilitation of children diagnosed with cerebral palsy. According to Iryna Valitova, head of the Department of Developmental Psychology at this university, in early rehabilitation centers in Brest, where infants from 3 to 6 months are admitted, doctors almost completely restore the physical health of sick children, which demonstrates the necessity of early intervention.
The conference also disclosed data on the number of rehabilitation centers for children with disabilities in Ukraine. Thus, last year there were only 40 of them, and by the beginning of 2006 about 100 such institutions had already been officially registered. The increase in treatment and rehabilitation facilities is of course gratifying, as it shows society's attention to people who need help, but on the other hand it is alarming. After all, one should not forget about the possibility of preventing illness by taking certain measures, as is done in other countries.
Antonina MITLOSH