Who we are

• Providing comprehensive support and assistance to families with autistic children and protection of their rights.
• Raising public awareness and education about autism.
• Establishing sustainable and effective communication between all parties interested autism.
• Introduction and adaptation of the best international practices and experiences related on autism in Ukraine.
• Ukraine’s entry into the TOP 10 autism-friendly countries.

1. Providing access to comprehensive professional information about autism, as well as world best practices.
2. Providing systematic support and assistance to autistic people of all ages.
3. Protection of the rights and freedoms of autistic children in Ukraine.
4. Improving public awareness and acceptance, parent education, professional skills and knowledge.
5. Organization and support communication platforms about autism without geographical and age restrictions.
6. Formation of the Ukrainian legal field as an important component of autism-friendly environment.
7. Formation and maintenance of active and effective communications between public organizations, participants, authorities and educational institutions.

This is absolutely a life story that began in the fall of 2008 the very day when the Sergiyenko family learned from Israeli experts, that their two-year-old son Misha is special and has autism. It may be hard to believe today but neither in Ukraine nor elsewhere in the post-Soviet countries no one knew what autism was and what to do with such a diagnosis. No panic was already an achievement. At the age of 18 kids were all tagged with ‘schizophrenia’.

… When Misha was a year and a half old his parents began to understand something was wrong with the child. They began to ask questions to various doctors, but doctors only reassured them:  in time everything would be fine, it would pass, no worries. Parents did not calm down when the boy was about two years, they went for a consultation in Israel.

“He played for an hour in the doctor’s office and we heard: ‘’He does not look into your eyes. Did not notice mom and dad came out, did not want to show hands’’. A neurologist quickly told us the signs or rather their totality by which to establish diagnosis. -Inna says. – And then we were told that he is unlikely ever to went to a regular school’’. And the parents decided to fight for their son fate.

Then Inna came up with the idea of ​​creating an organization that could provide

opportunities for children with autism in Ukraine to receive comprehensive care and, after all, a chance for a normal and full social life.

In 2009, Inna founded the INGO ‘Child with a future’, the very first project was a kindergarten for children with autism named the same. Today the ‘Child with Future’ kindergarten is just one of the projects, but it will always remain the first comprehensive educational institution in Ukraine for children with autism.

INGO ‘Child with a Future’ is actively implementing various projects to achieve its mission, goals and objectives. More information you can easily find on our website.

2011 – the beginning of activity of the INGO ‘Child with the future’.

In conditions of acute shortage of information, ignorance of society and

unprepared professional environment to attract people’s attention to the problem of autism in Ukraine was the first aim.

We held a series of public actions. In autumn 2011 INGO held its first round table ‘There is autism in Ukraine’ where the problem of autism were presented in a comprehensive and accessible way to the media and the public at first.

In 2011, INGO began publishing a monthly e-journal ‘Autism Today’, which is still being published. In July 2020 we issued its 100 anniversary number.

April 2, 2012, on the International Day of Informing about the Problem of

autism  INGO “Child with a future” together with the Association of Parents of Children with autism organized an ‘Mom, I’m not a schizophrenic. I’m autistic!’ action.

The same day a round table was held at the Ministry of Health, where diagnosis, treatment and social adaptation of children with autism issues in Ukraine were discussed on our request.

It was the first official informing on the situation with autism in Ukraine. According to the Ministry of Health, from 2006 to 2011 cases of autism spectrum disorders for children in Ukraine has increased 2.8 times. As of 2011, – 1,804 children diagnosed with autism in Ukraine. An official letter from the MOH to the regional administrations became a result of that action, – the MOH indicated that the practice of being diagnosed with ‘Schizophrenia’ is false and does not meet international standards.

Spring 2012, the INGO ‘Child with a Future’ became a member of the ‘Autism

Europe’ Association. The first presentation took place in Istanbul (May 2012) at the General Assembly of the Association.

Founder of the INGO Inna Sergiyenko presented a report on the situation with autism in Ukraine. In 2013, at the initiative of the INGO ‘Child with a Future’ with the support of the

deputies and the Plenipotentiary of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights

a working group on autism was set up in the Administration of the President of Ukraine for the first time. The group was involved in a mechanism developing to provide assistance in the educational system for children with autism from 6 months to 18 years.

On April 2, 2013, the INGO organized an action ‘Autistic people should study at school’:

parents of children with autism and INGOs representatives went to the Ministry of Education  requiring to give children the opportunity to study at school. As a result, soon the school doors was opened for children with mental disorders.

June 14, 2013 in Prague at the conference ‘Let’s cope together’ Inna Sergiyenko presented a report ‘Two years of advocacy – the results.’

Summer 2013, – an extensive work on preparation and comments collection on the draft law on preschool education carried out, it was immediately transferred to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Same year, together with the Ukrainian Medical Mission the first autism manual for the pediatricians in regions of Ukraine presented and started distributing.

In September 2013, Budapest hosted the 10th International Congress ‘Autism-Europe’. During the congress, experts from around the world shared practical and

scientific knowledge about autism to help patients and their families to improve their quality of life. Inna Sergiyenko, ‘Autism-Europe’ Consul and INGO ‘Child with a Future’ founder made a report on the situation with termination of the practice of changing the diagnosis from autism to schizophrenia in Ukraine for those aged 18+.

In December 2013, in European Parliament (Brussels) Inna Sergiyenko made a report on the situation with autism in Ukraine. А joint meeting of the Autism Europe and the European Disability Forum with the members of the European Parliament participation considered the best European practices of helping people with autism.

Starting from 2014, on April, 2 at the initiative of INGO and in partnership with government officials Kyiv joined the world tradition of lightening buildings and national structures with blue and gold on International Day of Informing about the Problem of autism. Since then The Independence Stele on Independence Square, The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Kyiv city state administration on Khreshchatyk and others shone every year. Subsequently, this bright, important and beautiful tradition has been picked up by other organizations and regions in Ukraine.

In 2014, we issued a ‘Peace Note’ to the UN, addressing it to the wife of UN Secretary-General Ms. Yu (Pak) Sun Dek with a request to assist in the peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. ‘Note’ signed with drawings by children with autism from all over Ukraine. Mrs. Yu (Pak)

Sun Dek was deeply touched by the message of special children of Ukraine and their creativity: “I see the unique souls of children through the colors and shapes in their works. I am happy to receive such a precious gift’’ – she replied to Inna Sergiyenko. She is on her own and on behalf of her husband expressed hope for peace in Ukraine, emphasizing that she prays for peace for every Ukrainian.

In May 2014, the Autism Europe Association General Assembly was held in Luxembourg.  Training seminars, discussions, on access of people with autism to education and employment among them. Inna Sergiyenko made a report on the situation on this issue in Ukraine.

In 2014,  Inna Sergiyenko became the winner of the prestigious international award INAP 2014 (Naturally Autistic People Awards) in the Community Mentor nomination. For the first time, the representative of Ukraine received such an honorary award for contribution to the development of the autistic community in their country.

On June 4, 2014, parliamentary hearings ‘Education, security health and social security of children with mental and physical disabilities: problems and ways to solve them’ was held. INGO ‘Child with Future’ was one of active lobbyists holding parliamentary hearings, co-organizer and one of the active speakers.

In 2014, a course for specialists ‘Autism: complex problems assistance. The concept of TEACCH: methods and techniques’. The course was designed and organized by the INGO ‘Child with a Future’ and the ‘Kolping’s case’ Counseling Center for People with autism together with Lviv National Ivan Franko University with the support of Dragomanov National University.

In early 2015, we published the results of our first all-Ukrainian survey on the situation with autism, which was signed by 24 public organizations and more than 120 families with children with autism from all regions of Ukraine. The survey identified the most acute problems in Ukraine. Respondents called ‘specialists’, ‘diagnostics’, ‘officials’ among them.

In 2015, INGO  launched the Bifrender volunteer training project. The aim of the project was to train volunteers to communicate with children with autism families and providing them free care.

In 2016, the INGO together with the Association of Parents of Children with Autism and the Ministry of Education of Ukraine presented a Roadmap that explained in detail how to get to kindergarten or school as part of inclusive education. Roadmap distributed throughout Ukraine among public organizations and educational centers. INGO also organized a unique socialization class for children with autism ‘Safety above all!’, which took place in the fire department of Kyiv. Children got acquainted with the firefighters and firefighting equipment, visited the Museum of firefighter.

We also acted as a partner of the international ANCA Foundation, which annually holds a world festival for people with autism and presents awards for achievements in various fields. The Foundation organized a collection of applications from Ukraine, according to the results of which Ukraine was represented by seven kids with autism.

In 2016, the Ministry of Education of Ukraine and INGO signed a Memorandum on cooperation, which helped to unite efforts to provide social, psychological, educational and legal assistance to families with autistic people, integrate children with autism into society, promote regional implementation, local and international programs, individual training, educational and correctional processes.

In 2016, INGO in partnership with the National University of Physical Culture and Sports

initiated the first, and in 2017  the second training course of 3C-therapy for specialists, – a unique method of physical rehabilitation of children.

In 2017, the INGO ‘Child with a Future’ supported the Deputy of Ukraine Yuriy Miroshnychenko initiative, becoming a co-founder and moderator of national parliamentary platform ‘Ukraine autism friendly’.

2017–2019, representatives of the INGO ‘Child with a Future’ have been working on the recommendations and amendments development to the legislation of Ukraine in areas of education and employment of people with mental disorders.

In April 2018, the INGO ‘Child with a Future’ in partnership with friends organizations became the initiator and organizer of the international conference ‘DIR Floortime, occupational therapy and sensory integration for all’ (Kyiv, “Ukrainian House»).

2019 we initiated and conducted in Kyiv ‘The first international practical conference on autism IPAC-2019’ in partnership with friendly organizations,  gathered for the first time in Ukraine the most recognized speakers and autism specialists in the world. Ukrainian and international media and experts called the conference to be the largest platform for the concentration of practical and scientific experience achievements in the field of autism in Central and Eastern Europe.

In November 2020, the Second International Practical Conference on

autism IPAC-2020 to be held. The main topics will be the role of the family in raising a child with autism, child proper preparation for inclusion and other extremely important topics. In connection with quarantine measures due to the coronavirus pandemic, the conference will be held online, so the conditions for participation in it will be physically simpler. Watch out for our news and announcements.

Spring 2020, due to the quarantine measures in Ukraine and global coronavirus pandemic, INGO ‘Child with a Future’ spoke with initiative ‘Let’s become stronger!’. Together with friends and partners we pooled available information for people with autism and their families to be informed at this difficult time, to receive recommendations and to be supported by online communication.

We decided to fill the shortage of live communications during the quarantine with a series of regular online seminars for children with autism and their families with well-known Ukrainian and foreign specialists,  Inna Sergiyenko and her son Misha.  These weekly online streams quickly acquired popularity, audience is constantly growing.

INGO ‘Child with a future’ is the initiator and organizer of the national surveys on autism. Due to the lack of statistics on this issue in Ukraine and the specificity of the target audience, the results of surveys are unique markers reflecting the opinion of Ukrainian citizens, who have a personal or professional engagement with autism. The first survey was held in 2014, the last one in 2019 within the framework of the ‘Autism Europe’ survey ‘Autism and Education’. Interestingly, more than 70% participants in the 2019 survey answered that the situation with autism in Ukraine  has improved significantly recently. The main activities of the INGO ‘Child with future’ in 2018–2020 is inclusion and its conditions creations in Ukraine for opening work places for adults with special needs. 

The year 2021 was marked by a number of unique project launches for the Child with a Future NGO. Among them: “Openly about the difficult”, aimed at sharing experiences and finding answers to painful questions about autism in Ukraine, and “Educational Project on Autism and Inclusion” in partnership with the pharmaceutical company Asino, which features dozens of videos to help better understand special children and help them learn. Also this year, a “space” star whose talent captivated millions of hearts in Ukraine and abroad – a young artist with autism Maksym Brovchenko – shone brightly, and whose talent is taken care of by the NGO “Child with a Future”. We have organized numerous exhibitions of Maksym’s works, and have participated in various workshops and events aimed at supporting children with autism. 

2022… the year of the terrible invasion of the russian occupiers was marked by the strengthening of hope and the raising of the spirit of the NGO, which fearlessly continued its activities despite the bombing, blackouts and crippled fates. In the first months of the war, “Child with Future” launched a global fundraiser to help children with autism in Ukraine. Thousands of people and organizations, including foreign ones, joined the campaign and helped to raise funds for the most necessary things so that the educational and correctional process of children with autism would not be interrupted. The “Child with Future” kindergarten became the first institution to open its doors to its students in the spring of 2022. 

At the beginning of 2023, Ukraine and the world received the results of a unique survey conducted by the NGO. This is the first part of a wide-ranging study of the opinions of Ukrainian families with children with special needs who were forced to leave Ukraine due to large-scale russian aggression. 

In the summer of 2023, “Child with Future” joined the development of the National Strategy for Education and Science, initiated by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. 

We continue to work against all odds, unite and prove to the whole world our indomitable spirit. After all, Victory is coming soon!

See more about our activities on the site.