Позитивные изменения. Том 3, № 3 (2023). Positive changes. Volume 3, Issue 3 (2023) - Редакция журнала «Позитивные изменения»

winner of the “Start Differently” inclusivity-related social projects program operated by Rosbank and Impact Hub Moscow in 2022.

FUNDS RAISED IN 2022

Profit from services provided (approximately RUB 33 million).

WHAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR

• Completed digitization of administrative processes, identifying key performance indicators to assess the performance;

• Established financial accounting procedures (separate financial statements for the two branches; started income and expense tracking, etc.);

• Successfully implemented a CRM system covering all critical processes (project initiated in 2022 and completed in 2023);

• Established a strategic partnership with a university, with an online department opened at the Institute of Organizational and Clinical Psychology in Moscow;

• Started development of a customer service framework. As part of this process, introduced regular surveys and interviews with parents and professionals at all levels of service delivery. Appointed a dedicated specialist to process data and offer solutions to emerging challenges. Monthly parental surveys are now facilitated by our “Caring Bot” on the Telegram messaging platform.

DIRECT RESULTS FOR 2022

Corrective sessions held for 615 children, including those with ASD.

329 one-off services provided (consultations and diagnostic sessions).

20+ educational lectures organized for parents, educators, and other professionals.

A dedicated team of more than 30 specialists working with children at the Center.

SOCIAL EFFECTS ACHIEVED IN 2022

The Center collects comprehensive performance records for each child. These showcase some remarkable outcomes, including enabling speech development in non-verbal boys and girls, behavior correction in many children, diversifying their dietary preferences, and facilitating potty training. Some children have successfully transitioned to kindergarten and regular schools.

“I remember the case from my practice, where a boy could only request three items. After just two months of sessions, his request count had surpassed 300. It is an exceptional outcome, but this child had a reasonably solid baseline understanding of speech, and he exhibited no undesirable behaviors. Another boy arrived at our Center at the age of three. He kept banging his head against the wall, avoided eye contact, disregarded people, kept darting around the room, and exhibited stimming behaviors (repetitive movements, sounds, actions — ed. note). Today, this boy goes to a public school, studying with regular children in a regular class. While he still retains some behavioral idiosyncrasies, he actively engages with other kids and keeps up with the school curriculum. Keep in mind, though, that not all children with autism achieve such remarkable results. In this particular boy’s case, it took several years of hard work. He spent four years at our Center, attending all kinds of sessions, including ABA therapy, neuropsychological correction, and speech therapy. Ultimately, it was the tremendous commitment and effort invested by the boy’s parents and his grandmother that played pivotal role in his progress,” Anna Nikitina recounts.

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY MODEL

Profit from services provided to individuals (sales of subscriptions and one-off consultations) and legal entities (lectures and workshops for the university).

IMPACT ASSESSMENT METHODS

The Center systematically tracks key performance indicators, including the number of subscriptions sold, additional sessions and consultations provided, lectures and seminars held, and participation in outreach events.

Keeping records, charts, precisely recording goals and outcomes is a crucial aspect of ABA therapy. This is why the Center generates monthly and quarterly reports to monitor progress. “Let’s say a child comes to us for the first time. The first thing we do is we conduct the testing. We talk to the parents, to discover which skills the child has and which ones are missing, what we should be working on. Sometimes the testing process takes three sessions, and in some cases it may span an entire month. During this time, we run tests and we work with the child. We create an individualized program, establish goals, and set the timeline for achieving these goals. The parents review the progress report with a specialist every three months, and together they make informed decisions about the way forward based on the progress achieved so far,” Anna Nikitina explains.

For children with autism, making requests can be a challenging skill. The Center’s specialists make sure they measure the number of requests made before therapy and compare it to the number after three months of intervention. Then they set new goals based on the progress. If the child lacks the ability to make pointing gestures, one of the objectives could be for the child to use pointing gestures (pointing with a finger) to make requests at least 20 times a day after one month.

The organization has devised a Theory of Change. The Center’s overarching goal is to transform the lives of over 5,000 individuals within a 5-year timeframe by enhancing the accessibility of rehabilitation services for children with ASD. This strategic goal requires establishing three additional centers over the next five years. The expansion is expected to yield several significant outcomes:

• a 30 % reduction in the cost of sessions, making them more affordable

• the ability to provide assistance to over 500 children concurrently

• more free lectures and workshops for parents, educators, and healthcare professionals.

Ultimately, these initiatives are projected to bring forth a qualitative improvement in the lives of more than 5,000 people, including children with ASD and their families. More than 2,000 children are expected to continue their education in kindergartens and schools as a result of successful therapy and increased overall awareness. Consequently, there should be a reduction in the number of children who require invasive interventions due to the limited knowledge of specialists in related fields.

Примечания

1

Сайт проекта: https://3mission.ru/.

2

Рязанцева, Н. В., Борель, А. Э. & Пащенко, Ф. С. (2020). Отчет о научно-исследовательской работе. Вуз как think tank региона. Режим доступа: https://clck.ru/35eMpe. (дата доступа: 11.09.2023).

3

Leader ID. (2023). О сети Точек кипения. Режим доступа: https://leader-id.ru/places/. (дата доступа: 11.09.2023).