To Table of Contents
My hope for Ukranians with autism
By Chrystina Dolyniuk Associate Professor , Rider University
To think that what we are witnessing now in Ukraine is far removed from the world of autism would be a huge mistake . I was fortunate to travel to Ukraine twice to conduct research , train specialists and give lectures about autism . I am fluent in Ukrainian and worked directly with families and professionals who provide services to children with autism . On both occasions , in 2011 and 2014 , I was there at pivotal moments in history and heard parents and professionals tell me firsthand that they cannot go back to how things used to be .
During Ukraine ’ s Soviet past , children with all types of disabilities , including those with autism , were either institutionalized or abandoned in orphanages . After Ukraine gained independence in 1991 , it was still common for children on