Helping children with special needs to integrate into society
The National Centre for Special Olympics of Turkmenistan (NCSOT) - the public, charitable organisation which is engaged in rehabilitation of people with a syndrome of Down and invalids with infringement of intelligence by means of their familiarising with physical training and sports. The centre unites adult people, children and their parents. NCSOT exists and develops thanks to sponsors and volunteers-volunteers.
- Special members of NCSOT include people with the syndrome of Down and invalids with intellectual disabilities of various category and different age groups of Ashgabat and regions of Turkmenistan, - General Director of the National Centre for Special Olympics of Turkmenistan Tofik Iskanderov says. I consider that all people have any deviations from norm, but our kids - members of NCSOT, they are simply especial and gifted. For them all of us will always organise and carry out various actions, both in festive and usual days.
Disabled sportsmen of National Centre for Special Olympics of Turkmenistan take part in the Special Olympics World Summer and Winter Games, the European championships and Eurasia, in competitions of the International federation of sports for persons with Down’s syndrome and other international competitions, and often receive medals and occupy prize-winning places.
- There are more than 12 winter and summer sports, including callisthenics in which our children train, - continues Tofik Iskanderov. - Our latest achievement is participation of a NCSOT delegation in the Special Olympics World Summer Games in the United Arab Emirates in 2019. In those games Turkmen sportsmen took part in 7 sports and won 8 medals: 4 gold (3 medals in callisthenics and 1 medal in tennis), 2 silver (callisthenics and badminton) and 2 bronze medals (callisthenics and tennis). Certainly, we are proud of each achievement of our Olympians.
- A volunteer I became not casually, - the trainer in callisthenics Yelena Anatolevna Fomenko admits. - I very much love children and like to talk to them. The most important thing in our work - it is necessary to love them and to talk with them how you would talk with your child. For the long term of my work I have had heard much different stories. When parents learn that they have a child with any deviations, they do not understand how to live further. With fear in their soul having passed a school of newly made mum, parents receive the first skills of care of children. It happens that many even hesitate of the diagnosis, and then, already after a while, find forces that they will cope with difficulties, to bring up and develop their child.
- To help children with special needs to find themselves, to become opened for the world and society, we choose a special complex of exercises including both development of motility, and general development. Results only please parents, because if in the first lesson children carry out all exercises with mums and fathers, already in the fourth-fifth – they make them quite independently, - Yelena Anatolevna added.
Each stage of competitions reveals the most capable children who further, despite intellectual disability, can fulfil ranks of professionals.
They are children with special needs who more than others need care, love and support of parents and adult people surrounding them. Kids with Down’s syndrome are called "solar" because they are affable, sociable and trustful, they sincerely reach for people and always openly smile. I would advise not to hesitate to express to their parents love, pride of kids and not to be afraid of difficulties. After all, Down’s syndrome - it doesn't matter and not a grief. This is happiness! I think that if in a family there was born a child with Down’s syndrome, parents need to get still more children. Such children should grow with brothers and sisters. And those who goes in for sports, I would advise not to throw it, to train regularly and to develop not only physically, but also spiritually, - Yelena Fomenko concluded her word.
For those who want to support the National Centre for Special Olympics of Turkmenistan we specify the settlement account of NCSOT at "Turkmenistan" State Commercial Bank in Ashgabat:
23205934150600900078000
MFO 390101506, tax code 101201002733
Mahri Yagmurova
