Rostok Child Development Center

According to world statistics nearly one child in 68 is diagnosed with autism. Kazakhstan falls in this category as well. As per the data of the Republican Statistical Bureau there are more than 1,500 children with this diagnosis, despite the fact that the number of specialists dealing with special children is drastically low.

ABA center Rostok has been educating autistic children  from 2 to 14 years old for 5 years. Our center participates in the project “Autism. Correctional”, in the framework of the project of the center “Our sunny world”, Moscow, Russia.

Rostok is one of the first organizations in Kazakhstan dealing with the rehabilitation of children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disorders.

Several methods with proven effectiveness are being practised in the course of education of special children such as Evidence Based Practice and ABA(Applied behavior analysis). We use also methods of alternative communication (РECS, gestures, art therapy).

The Center has organized many trainings for parents and specialists: “What is ABA?”; “Correction of undesirable behavior in children with developmental peculiarities based on a functional approach”; “Use of auxiliary and alternative communication systems to stimulate speech behavior”; and “Development of communication skills and speech interaction in children with autism”. These courses were conducted by experts of MA BCBA: Yulia Ertz, Natalia Malinova, and Maria Rogachova. Specialists of “Our Sunshine World” Center, Moscow, conducted a training “Stream of Speech from Non-Speaking Children” by Tatyana Gruzinova, Moscow, and a seminar was held on developing the speech of autistic children: “Conditional Discrimination”.

ABA Center “Rostok” has organized the only on-site course in Russia and Kazakhstan for the training of highly professional specialists of the ВСВА level. The author is Yulia Ertz, MA ВСВА, and in 2017 the Center entered a contract with Zukhra Kamar, MA BCBA, Canada, for organizing and conducting on-line ABA courses in the territory of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Also ABA Center “Rostok” was approved by the International Commission of ВСВА with a practical database of on-line courses.

Since the Center started, over 100 children from different cities of Kazakhstan have undergone rehabilitation. The Center specialists regularly conduct training for parents in basic skills of ABA so that they can apply these techniques at home.

This summer for the first time in Kazakhstan, the “Intensive” program was realized, where 20 children received each 8 hours of ABA therapy daily at a time. The lessons were conducted under supervision of Olga Meleshkevich, MA ВСВА, USA. The results were excellent.

We have also organized a club – “Over a cup of tea” – where the psychologists of the center provide qualified assistance to families in terms of accepting the diagnosis of autism, and organization of the life of a family having a special child. For the same purpose we invited Mr. Keith Loring, a UK-certified art therapist and clinical supervisor and head of the international art therapeutical organization “Ragamuffin project”.

In addition to training of specialists, the Center also provides trainings and consultations to the parents of children with autism. The specialists of the Center perform a preliminary assessment of the children’s skills and develop an ABA program. Application of ABA programs is carried out under the supervision of certified specialists Yulia Ertz MA ВСВА (Israel) and Olga Meleshkevich (MA ВСВА, USA)

However, due to limited resources, the Center cannot provide assistance to all children in need.

Due to the fact that there are practically no centers operating in the other regions of Kazakhstan, Rostok center established its branch in Atyrau, Western Kazakhstan.

The Rostok Center Needs Help

We do not have our own premises.

Because of the unstable situation with the foreign currency in the country, the rental cost of the premises is very high, which results in higher payments for the services of ABA therapy

There is a limited number of ABA specialists in Kazakhstan

The number of people who can afford payment for these courses is very small. Parents cannot pay for the training because one of the parents should work and the other one has to take care of the child. Teachers of narrow specialties cannot afford development of vocational competence /training, because of their relatively low salaries.

Improvement of the teaching environment. Equipment:

  • Soft (padded) floor
  • Equipment for a sensory room
  • Swing
  • Web site

What are the daily requirements of the Rostok Center

Financial assistance is required for the parents of children in the Rostok center for payment of training of their children.

Success Stories

72

Zhamakina Nastya: 5 years and 4 months old, diagnosis “Early childhood autism”

Her parents applied to the Rostok center, when Nastya was 3.5 years old. The girl did not understand speech,   almost could not speak at all, there was no any vocalization, and eye-to–eye  contact, self-service skills were not developed, stereotype movements were present (waiving hands, clapping hands), there were such undesirable behaviors as hysterics, crying, falling on the floor, aggression.

The current level of development:

Two years of daily trainings with duration of 20 hours per week gave a remarkable result. Currently Nastya can pay attention on people, she can talk, answer questions, she can freely apply to adults and children with requests, invite children to play, she began to understand the speech addressed to her, carry out complex requests, she can withstand an eye contact, and her self-service skills have been also improved. She can put on clothes without any help, she can eat herself, use the toilet, and shower. But the most important thing is that today Nastya attends a normal kindergarten together with her peers. And we have launched a program tailored for her preparation to school in Rostok center.

Letters from Parents 

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the great contribution to education of our children.

Many years of your fruitful work in the Rostok center has added to your prestige in the pedagogical community. In this area, you are known as a highly qualified specialist, an initiative and responsible leader, an experienced and talented teacher”.

Let me express my gratitude for your professionalism and dedication to the noble job, your great work and patience” ~ Samal , Mother of Abdurakhim.

“Please accept our gratitude to the ABA Center Rostok for the services provided in education of our children.

We are grateful for highly professional approach and high-quality presentation of the material, as well as for the constant readiness to help”. ~Arai, Mother of Sagynysh

“The first center in Kazakhstan which really teaches, helps and supports our children” ~ Amirzhan Esekenov, Father of Abdurakhim with ASD 7 y.o.

“Special acknowledgements to the ABA Center Rostok for the incredible results – within 2 weeks of intensive trainings the children learnt basic communication skills and self-service skills” ~ Guldana Kaldubayeva, Mother of three special kids

About our Tutors

Almaty Center

  • Zhanat Boikhanovna Akhmetova – ABA specialist (three modules), child psychologist, has 40 years of experience in preschool education. She passed a training seminar on alternative communication with cards PECS (Tel-Aviv, Israel). A series of trainings on teaching to basic skills and correction of undesirable behavior (Moscow, Russia). Has been trained under the guidance of the behavioral analyst Yulia Ertz. The founder of the Rostok center, Almaty
  • Zaure Telimisova – a leading specialist of the center, a student of the 4-th on-site course on the ВСВА, passed trainings on “functional behavior analysis” (speaker Maria Bulva, MA ВСВА, Moscow), she passed trainings “correction of unwanted behavior in children with autism” – Yulia Ertz, MA ВСВА. Has passed the Practice   “Running speech in non-speaking children, from zero to phrasal speech”, author Tatyana Gruzinova, Moscow, training “Conditional discriminations”, author of the training is Olga Mileshkevich MA, ВСВА. Mom of two children diagnosed with autism.
  • David Zinger – is a leading ABA specialist of Rostok center. Has completed two on-site courses ВСВА. Has completed courses on modern methods of correction of undesirable behavior in special children and teenagers on the basis of functional approach. He has passed the training “Conditional discrimination”, the author of the training is Olga Meleshkevich MA, ВСВА Nelyubina, Diana – is a specialist in correction techniques, psychologist (St. Petersburg University), completed the first on-site ВСВА course, completed the practical course “Stream of speech in non-speaking children, from zero to phrasal speech,” author is Tatyana Gruzinova Moscow, training “Conditional Discrimination” by Olga Meleshkevich, MA, ВСВА, USA.
  • Dinara Jumabaeva – speech pathologist, a specialist of the center, completed the first on-site course on ВСВА, passed courses on “Modern methods of correction of undesirable behavior in children with autism”, passed trainings “method of individual blocks”, and training “Conditional discrimination”.
  • Maya Burkitova – speech therapist, a specialist of the center, completed the first on-site course  ВСВА, took courses on “modern methods of undesirable behavior of children with autism”, trainings “method of individual blocks”, training “Conditional discrimination”, passed the practical training “ From zero to a phrasal speech”, author Tatyana Gruzinova, Moscow, training center “Sulomot “, Israel.
  • Viktor Fedorovich Guranda –  People’s Artist of Russia, art therapist, has experience in visual/fine arts activity, and worked with autistic adults in Kamchatka

Atyrau Center:

  • Lyazzat Utebaeva – 20 years of experience in pedagogical activity, she completed 3 modules for specialists, and the first on-site BCBA course, had series of trainings on basic skills and correction of undesirable behavior (Moscow, Saratov, Russia). Has been trained under the guidance of the behavioral analyst Yulia Ertz. She is director of the Rostock Center in Atyrau
  • Beygalieva Gulshara – art therapist, successfully completed the first on-site BCBA course.
  • Kulyash Kelesova – ABA therapist, has completed ABA on-line courses,
  • Nazgul Bisarimova – psychologist, ABA therapist, completed two on-site courses ВСВА.
  • Rosa Abitayeva – speech therapist.
  • Saltanat Ismagulova – tutor
  • Ayagoz Auotova – rehabilitation specialist
  • Gulbanu Suleimenova – speech pathologist
  • Ekaterina Minyakova – acupuncture specialist
  • Elena Petrova – musical director

All specialists have undergone preliminary training “ABA therapy- Basic principles of education” under the supervision of Assel Shakhova, behavioral specialist, Moscow.