Resilience in War: A Mother’s Fight for Autism Therapy in Ukraine

The ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war has created a critical environment of instability for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), who often require consistent therapy and structured environments to manage their developmental needs. In Kyiv, Nataliia Ukrainets has worked to maintain these essential services for her son, Vladyslav, and other autistic children despite the destruction of energy infrastructure and the constant threat of missile strikes.

Ukrainets, a certified autism therapist, began her journey in the spring of 2021 following her son’s diagnosis. She pursued training in the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention. After the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022, she completed her ESDM training online, despite the materials being available only in Russian rather than Ukrainian.

Therapeutic Challenges in Conflict Zones

The delivery of autism therapy in Kyiv has been severely disrupted by the war. Ukrainets co-founded an autism center in Kyiv where she and a small group of therapists provided coaching for parents and therapy for children. To avoid missile strikes, the center’s basement was frequently used as a shelter.

The facility faced significant operational hurdles when Russian missile attacks destroyed the building’s heat, and electricity. To ensure children remained warm and engaged during these periods, therapists utilized movement-based activities and active games.

Beyond the physical infrastructure, the emotional toll of war impacts the efficacy of care. Families live in a state of constant vigilance and fear, which can complicate the process of helping autistic children regulate their emotions.

Systemic Gaps in Disability Support

While research has documented the negative effects of war on adult mental health, there is less data regarding the impact on individuals with disabilities. There is currently an urgent need for targeted interventions to build resilience in families exposed to war.

The prolonged nature of the conflict has drained national resources, making it increasingly difficult to provide social support to vulnerable groups. This has led to a shortage of qualified specialists and an overwhelming burden on state-run inclusive centers across various regions of Ukraine.

Many families have been forced to find their own resources to continue corrective therapy, which is critical for a child’s ongoing development.

Nonprofit and Community Interventions

To fill the gaps left by the strained state system, nonprofit organizations have stepped in to provide comprehensive developmental programs. One such initiative is the LEVCHYK SPECTRUM HUB, a center for adaptation and corrective support operating in Mykolaiv and Lviv.

Funded by the Future for Ukraine Foundation and patron Vadym Stolar, LEVCHYK provides free services to dozens of families. These services include:

• Sensory-motor integration
• Adaptive and behavioral therapy
• Speech therapy
• Psychological support

These organizations aim to create a society without barriers to education and self-realization by supporting both the children and the professionals working in the field.

Other community-based efforts include parenting clubs, such as those in Sumy, where mothers of children on the autism spectrum gather to navigate the combined challenges of disrupted services and the impacts of war.

For practitioners like Ukrainets, the goal remains the expansion of accessible resources, including her hope to contribute to a Ukrainian translation of ESDM materials to make evidence-based interventions more accessible to her compatriots.