Five children have started to speak — in Mykolaiv, the first results of the work carried out by the Levchyk centre for children with autism have been summarised
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- Alina KvitkoReporter
The Levchyk Spectrum Hub is staffed by speech and language therapists, neuropsychologists and physiotherapists. Photo: NikVestiIn Mykolaiv, the free Levchyk Spectrum Hub, which helps children with autism spectrum disorders, has supported around 70 children in just over half a year of operation. Speech therapists, neuropsychologists, physiotherapists, educators and other specialists work with the children here, and an individual development programme is drawn up for each child. Despite this, demand for such services remains high — there are currently around 40 children on the waiting list.
The centre’s work and the initial results of its activities were presented during an Open Day, according to NikVesti.
According to Olha Hliuza, head of the children’s support programme at the Future for Ukraine Foundation, the centre’s guiding principle is an individual approach to each child.
«Autism is a condition where no two children are alike. That’s why we have a specialist who carries out an initial assessment and determines what stage of development the child is at: whether they need to focus more on physical activities, emotional well-being, or developing social and daily living skills. A separate three-month programme is drawn up for each child. This is then reviewed and, if necessary, adjusted. We currently have around 40 children in the group. Some children are on a one-year course, whilst others are on a six-month one. In total, there are currently around 70 children on the city’s waiting list,» she explained.
After the first three months, specialists assess the results, and retesting is carried out after six months. If a child continues their education, a new programme is drawn up for them. Depending on the family’s needs, children can attend up to five sessions a week.
«If a child is physically able to attend five times a week and this suits the family, that’s great. But we understand that parents work, and every family has its own circumstances, so we tailor the timetable individually,» says Olha Hliuza.
Olha Hliuza, head of the children’s support programme at the Future for Ukraine Foundation. Photo: NikVestiAs well as speech therapy, physiotherapy and neuropsychological sessions, the centre offers art and music therapy. At the same time, Levchyk emphasises that success depends not only on the work of the specialists, but also on parental involvement. Every Friday, online meetings are organised for them with the centre’s methodologist.
«We work not only with the child, but also with their family. Once a week, parents join an online session where we discuss specific topics: aggression, skills development and adapting at home. Parents ask their questions and receive advice on how to continue the work after sessions at the centre,» explained the head of the department.
According to Olha Hliuza, although the centre has been operating for less than a year, the first noticeable results are already evident. She recalls one of the families who have been attending the centre since it opened.
«Today I spoke to the mother of a boy who joined us back in the autumn. At that time, he wasn’t speaking at all. Now he understands spoken language and can already say a few words. For this family, that’s a huge achievement,» she said.
Overall, according to Olha Hliuza, five children have started speaking during this time.
«But far more children have learnt to interact with one another, work in small groups and carry out joint tasks. For children with autism spectrum disorders, this is also a huge step forward. We can’t just place a new child in a group straight away. They have to ease into it gradually, step by step,» she noted.
The demand for free services remains far greater than the centre’s capacity.
«We currently have around 40 children on the waiting list. We also know that, in total, there are approximately 70 children with this diagnosis on the city’s waiting list,» added Olha Hliuza.
The Levchyk Spectrum Hub, a free support centre for children with autism, operates in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVestiFirst Deputy Mayor Vitalii Lukov noted that the Levchyk Spectrum Hub has become an important addition to the city’s existing support system for children with autism spectrum disorders. According to him, a municipal rehabilitation centre is already operating in Mykolaiv, but its capacity is insufficient.
«In Mykolaiv, as elsewhere in the world, around 1 per cent of the population consists of children who need this kind of support. We understand that this amounts to around 400 children. Our municipal centre has been operating for a long time, but its capacity was insufficient. When Levchyk proposed opening another such centre, which would provide roughly the same level of services—covering almost half of the city’s total need—that was a positive development,» he said.
Currently, according to Vitalii Lukov, the city can only provide services to around 70 children at any one time using public funds — 40 attend the centre near the emergency hospital, and a further 30 in the Korabelnyi district.
«Our aim is to ensure that everyone can access this service. It is not enough simply to say that it exists. It must be accessible to every family that needs it,» he noted.
According to Vitalii Lukov, the city is already covering the costs of maintaining the centre’s premises and paying for utilities.
«Levchyk came with its own funding, materials and methodologies. We provide the premises and utility bills. This allows us to expand the support system without the significant costs of setting up a centre from scratch,» he explained.
The Levchyk Spectrum Hub, a free support centre for children with autism, is operating in Mykolaiv. Photo:NikVestiThe Levchyk Spectrum Hub, a free support centre for children with autism, is operating in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti
The Levchyk Spectrum Hub, a free support centre for children with autism, is operating in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVestiIn future, the city authorities plan to open similar centres in other districts of Mykolaiv.
«We haven’t ruled out the Namyv, Pivnichnyi and other neighbourhoods. Such centres should be as close to the people as possible. Just as we are creating a network of public service centres or spaces for veterans, we want to do the same with services for children with special needs,» said Vitalii Lukov.
Erin McKee, Chief Executive of the Nova Ukraine Foundation, explained that the decision to open the Levchyk Spectrum Hub in Mykolaiv specifically was linked to the large number of families who had moved there from the Kherson region following the outbreak of full-scale war.
«We saw that many families with young children had moved to Mykolaiv, and they needed a safe place and support. That is precisely why we decided to set up this centre together with trusted partners,» she said.
According to her, one of the strongest arguments for launching the project was the story of one particular family.
«One family told us they were forced to choose between paying for their autistic child’s education or buying food for their other child. No family should ever have to face such a choice,» emphasised Erin McKee.
Erin McKee, Chief Executive of the Nova Ukraine Foundation. Photo: NikVestiShe added that the model successfully implemented in Mykolaiv could be scaled up in other regions of Ukraine.
«We very much hope that this centre will serve as a model for other communities. Charities can help launch such projects, but the involvement of local authorities and the community is critical to their development,» she noted.
According to Erin McKee, negotiations are already underway to open a similar centre in Kharkiv, which is planned to be set up in the premises of an underground school.
The Levchyk Spectrum Hub, a free support centre for children with autism, is operating in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti
The Levchyk Spectrum Hub, a free support centre for children with autism, is operating in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti
The Levchyk Spectrum Hub, a free support centre for children with autism, is operating in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti
The Levchyk Spectrum Hub, a free support centre for children with autism, is operating in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti
The Levchyk Spectrum Hub, a free support centre for children with autism, is operating in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti
The Levchyk Spectrum Hub, a free support centre for children with autism, is operating in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti
The Levchyk Spectrum Hub, a free support centre for children with autism, is operating in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti
The Levchyk Spectrum Hub, a free support centre for children with autism, is operating in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVesti
The Levchyk Spectrum Hub, a free support centre for children with autism, is operating in Mykolaiv. Photo: NikVestiSee also the article by NikVesti: «How the LEVCHYK rehabilitation centre operates in Mykolaiv».
This material was produced within the REACH – Media Partnerships for Accountability and Trust project, implemented by International Media Support (IMS) and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The content reflects the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Danish government. Denmark’s support strengthens civil society and independent media in Ukraine, including in Mykolaiv.