Tigran is two years old. When we first met him, he barely made eye contact, didn’t point to objects, and felt too shy to take a toy from someone’s hand. His mother sensed that something was happening, but she couldn’t understand what — and she was terrified of hearing the word autism.

During their consultation, our speech therapist, Maryna Parkhomenko, simply observed Tigran: how he played, how he reacted to familiar situations, how he sought support from adults. Very soon it became clear: he hears, he responds, he wants connection — he just expresses it differently.

“We built our sessions around what Tigran enjoys: toy cars, books, active games. That’s how he developed a pointing gesture — not because he ‘had to,’ but because he wanted to show something to an adult and share his excitement,” Maryna explains.

Today, Tigran smiles more often, proudly shows off his collection of cars, examines pictures with interest, and searches for characters in his books.

When a child lacks a sense of basic safety, their speech development often suffers. Full-scale war only intensifies these challenges and increases stress for the entire family. Unfortunately, not every kindergarten or school has a speech therapist, so it’s vital for parents to know what signs to watch for and where to seek help.

Our Early Intervention team in Irpin works with children from birth to four years old, helping families recognize early developmental differences and gently address them. Once a family comes to our center, the team and parents create a family plan — outlining their concerns, goals, and the support they want to receive. These plans usually last around six months, but many parents notice the first positive changes after just two or three sessions.

Early intervention is designed for families raising children from 0 to 4 years. If you have concerns about your child’s development, have a diagnosis, or simply feel you need additional support, you can reach out for help. You don’t need to live directly in Irpin: the foundation provides transportation, and specialists travel to nearby communities — such as Nemishaieve, Kotsiubynske, Bucha, and Hostomel.

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We are grateful to the Government of the Netherlands (represented by the Ambassador of the Netherlands) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands for supporting a space where children receive the chance to grow — and parents regain peace of mind and confidence in tomorrow.