Kids Autism Games

Today, approximately every 50th child is born with the diagnosis of “autism disorder”. Worldview and outlook of such people can impress, their mind is able to make nonstandard decisions and unpredictable discoveries, which is often inaccessible for those who think within so-called norms.

In 2016, “Sport for peace” and “A child with a future” funds developed a project “Kids Autism Games” on the basis of NSC Olympic. The first small test group included 20 children, where weekly sport activities for children with autism were implemented. For several years of work, the project has involved many families and created a space of free communication, a specific platform where a child stays in a micro community of both ordinary and children with autististic disorder. The project organizes together with coaches and pedagogues look constantly for specific keys for each child and try to help them find what is interesting and facilitates their development with the help of sports, music, dances, singing and other activities. For the period of 4 years, above 450 children and their families have taken part in the project.

Before the outbreak of the pandemic, the kids always trained at NSC Olympisky (Kyiv), ran at city children’s marathons, visited football matches of Dynamo team, took part in chamber music concerts, visited monthly culinary courses and enjoyed many other activities. Thus, body, hearing, taste and touching were involved in different ways. They came out into crowded and uncomfortable places for them to get accustomed to, to feel more confident and try to get used to the standard rhythm of life.

At the same time, the project's organizers constantly carried out an informational campaign in the city to tell society about such children and their peculiarities of life. Such bilateral contact neglects the boards of misunderstanding and gives reasons for acceptance. Besides, together with Kyiv Metro and other partners, the organizers hold an even-project “Do not touch”, where they dispel the myths about the anti-social world perception of children with autism. In December 2021, the event was among the top 100 Kyiv projects.

The activity of Kids Autism Games is aimed at forming a complex inclusive urban space, influencing the development of a child with autism and the surrounding society with the help of sport, culture, and art, overcoming fears, breaking stereotypes, reducing the gap of misunderstanding and bringing confidence to the families. Now, when Kids Autism Games has experience in many years of practical work, the next step will be to multiply the project in other cities of Ukraine, namely:

• to implement the program of inclusive sports education for teachers of initial and high schools in 3 regions of Ukraine (West, East and South)
• to create Kids Autism Games centers in 4 cities (Lviv, Kherson, Dnipro, Mariupol)