Early intervention

When Ivan’s mother Elena says to her 2-year-old son: "Let's go to Alina's," he smiles and hurries to get ready. Elena is referring to Alina Nichkasova, psychologist at an Early Intervention Center (EIC) in Minsk, Belarus. The Center has been in operation for more than 20 years, providing critical support to children with developmental disabilities at the earliest opportunity, to help prevent more severe disabilities.

Latest data show that more than 34,000 children in Belarus have disabilities, accounting for 1.8 per cent of the country’s children. To help reach more families and children with developmental disabilities and those at risk of developmental delays, more Early Intervention Centers for children from 0 to 3 years old have been established in healthcare organizations across Belarus. The Centers have been developed under the guidance of the Ministry of Health and with technical assistance from UNICEF.

Specialists at the Centers provide free assistance to families on various aspects of child development. Psychologists and social workers at the Centers conduct child development assessments and develop individualized assistance plans for children and family support. The support children and their families receive helps them overcome early-life difficulties, lead fulfilling and active lives, and integrate into education. Additionally, Center staff provide psychological support to parents facing unexpected life circumstances. Typically, the team comprises doctors, educators, and psychologists.

"Bravo! Well done! Excellent!" can be heard from the office where psychologist Alina works with Ivan. Ivan is drawing rain clouds on a large board, cheered on by Alina's playful songs and rhymes. Again, the praises: "super! beautiful! smart". Their interaction is heartwarming, a reminder of the importance of such simple yet crucial affirmations from adults to children.

"We visit several centers," Ivan's mother, Elena, whispers, not to disrupt the session's magic. "He wants to come here to the Centre. When I say, 'Let's go to Alina's,' Ivan immediately smiles and gets dressed."

Ivan has developmental delays, affecting his speech and motor skills. He started visiting the Center with his parents a year ago. "He didn't sit up at six months. Started walking at one and a half years but didn't start talking. Therefore, I started looking for consultation services. We came for a consultation and got involved in the program.”

“I can see his progress in many aspects. He's now matching colors, assembling puzzles. He loves playing on the tablet - showing animals. He learned to draw here. He started talking a bit - 'mom,' 'grandma,' 'Vika,' 'phew' when he's tired. His speech began improving about two weeks ago."

Families can approach the EIC upon referral by doctors, educators, or independently if there are concerns about their child's development.

After the initial reception and developmental assessment, the team of specialists decides with the family whether the child and family need assistance from the Center. If assistance is required, they determine in which forms would be most beneficial, ranging from individual sessions, group sessions, monthly consultations, remote support.

"We provide home recommendations," explains Ekaterina Aksuchenko, Head of the EIC. "Our main goal is the child's development in a natural environment. We never tell parents to spend 15 minutes a day and teach them this or that. We help parents use life situations for development: feeding, playing, bathing, walking. We always discuss the program and what we will do in it. Without parental involvement, the work would be much less effective."

Today, there are 42 EICs operating in Belarus. In 2022, the Centers supported 10,870 children for the first time, in addition to those continuing their visits, and in the first six months of 2023, 7,512 children received support.

In addition to the Centers, UNICEF works with partners to establish early comprehensive assistance points based in kindergartens. These points are part of the Centers for Correctional and Developmental Education. Currently, pilot points are operating in 14 preschools, with plans to scale up across the country.