To Table of Contents chance for broader opportunities , more education and greater freedoms .
Unfortunately , the Euromaidan was brutally crushed at the start of 2014 and resulted in a bloody massacre now known as the Revolution of Dignity . Russia ’ s annexation of Crimea and invasions of the Donbas regions followed . Since that time , Ukraine has been continuously engaged in an ongoing battle with Russia , as its people continue to strive for all the democratic values we cherish in the West .
When I first arrived in Ukraine in 2011 , a center in Lviv hosted one of my lectures for professionals on the diagnosis of autism . Desperate parents from neighboring regions pooled resources and hired a bus to travel to Lviv so that they could ask questions about their own children in their native language . Over the past week , that same lecture hall that was filled to capacity then is yet again filled to capacity . But this time it is a triage shelter for refugee families . Unfortunately , the children with autism who normally attend sessions at the center — which had become a leader in providing support , raising awareness and providing early intervention using evidence-based practices — are now being asked to stay home to accommodate children with a variety of physical and intellectual disabilities .
As I think about that image , my heart is broken , and I am incredibly angry . Since 2014 , new government policies implemented across Ukraine encouraged inclusion and education of children with disabilities . Autism awareness events had become common in major cities and were widely promoted on Ukrainian social media . Training for professionals had increased significantly . But all of this was the result of Ukraine ’ s closer tie with the West in recent years , and Ukraine ’ s clear and active commitment to reforms in health care , education and social policy . It was the direct result of a movement away from old Soviet standards .
Come 2022 . Progress thwarted .
Yes , this is a war , but it is not Ukraine ’ s war . It is Russia ’ s war against Ukraine .
And it goes far beyond territory or borders . This is war against Ukraine ’ s democratic ideals , against the desire for progress , against the opportunity for change . And it is a crime against Ukraine ’ s children . This is evident in the fact that Russian forces are targeting orphanages , schools and children ’ s hospitals .
This barbaric act is a crime against children who have every right to go to school and the parents who fought so hard to get them there . It is a crime against the teachers and psychologists who have strengthened connections with the West so that they might learn new methodologies and evidence-based practices . And it is a moral injustice that some professionals are now being forced to make the most difficult choices — grappling with the decision of whether they will support children with autism or help traumatized soldiers and civilians on the front lines .
In the United States , we greatly value the will of the individual and self-determination . We are inspired by stories that demonstrate courage in the face of hardship , and we celebrate those who persevere . Although some of us may be equally inspired and disheartened by what we see in Ukraine , I fear for what will happen to those who have historically been overlooked .
Already there is concern that humanitarian assistance is not reaching the most vulnerable . In response , the European Council of Autistic People and Autism Europe put out a joint statement calling for humanitarian protection of Ukrainians with autism . Already there are concerns about how children with autism might be adjusting in these unstructured and terrifying circumstances . There is also worry about who will care for the vulnerable if their caregivers are killed . And what about children and adults with autism who are able to escape the war but are misplaced and