FORA

Helping Russian-speaking emigrant families with special needs gain access to comprehensive assistance and resources worldwide.

Supporting their integration and improvement of quality of life in the global community.

I need support

I want to help

We are experiencing the most significant wave of migration since the collapse of the USSR. It is difficult to accurately estimate the number of those who have already moved or will leave their country.

We understand that these are millions of people.

According to the WHO, one in six people in the world has a disability. For us, this means that hundreds of thousands of people with special needs, as they become emigrants and refugees, face additional challenges.

FORA helps emigrant families with special needs

We search for local support programs and specialists' contacts
Together, we organize necessary treatment, care, and assistance
We provide support and help with orientation in the new environment

I need your support

Testimonials

— Dear FORA, my husband, my son Arseniy, and I are deeply grateful for your incredible help and support. Your consultations and advice have been invaluable to us!

Shortly after Arseniy was diagnosed with autism, the *** family had to emigrate to Israel. The FORA team organized free consultations with Israeli specialists, including psychotherapists and behavioral therapists. This support helped Arseniy adapt and start attending a specialized school.

The parents gained confidence and are now actively helping other families.

— You gave us hope and faith in the future. Thank you for what you do!

The *** family has two children, one of whom has a severe form of autism. Two years ago, they moved to the United States, hoping to find the necessary treatment and inclusive education for their child. FORA organized consultations with American specialists, including doctors and ABA therapists. The child began attending a specialized school and receiving the necessary treatment and support.

Thanks to personalized guidance, the parents feel more confident and at ease. The family has gradually adapted to life in the United States and started supporting other local families.

— Many thanks to FORA and Elena Bagaradnikova for the consultations with parents of children with ASD!

A mother living in Vietnam asked FORA specialist Elena Bagaradnikova to help develop reading skills in her son with ASD. During the meetings, they discussed playful methods and the creation of particular learning materials for reading.

The child’s mother believes the meetings were beneficial: it is now easier for her to work with her child, and the lessons have become more effective.

— Thank you so much! We are now much more optimistic about the future, thanks to the knowledge you provided us with :)

A child with ADHD moved to live permanently with his father in Portugal. The father needed to figure out how to ease his child’s adaptation to the new country and how and when to start learning the new language.

FORA consulted the family before the move and again a month and a half after.

With the support he received, the father did everything necessary to ensure that his son’s adaptation to the new country was smooth and non-traumatic.

FORA is a group of experts and parents whose families with special needs were forced to leave their homeland. We created FORA to help other families in the same situation.

Elena Bagaradnikova

International expert on autism. Founder of large-scale projects supporting families with children with autism in Russia: the “People Like People” festival, “Parent Reception Room,” and others.
Lena Pirogova

Head of the social and legal public organization Bari Aragil (Armenia). Fundraiser and program manager for supporting families with children with ASD.
Nika Grigorieva

Leader of support groups for parents of children with special needs. Founder of a community for a rare genetic disease.
Galina Alexandrovskaya

Manager of assistance programs for beneficiaries. Experienced in coordinating volunteer work with refugees and leading social projects.

Olga Shamayko

Expert in marketing and partnership development. Founder of projects supporting families with children and adults with developmental disabilities.
Alina Glembotskaya

Psychologist, facilitator of psychological support groups, expert in supporting helping professionals.
Evgeny Shvedovsky

Neuropsychologist, clinical psychologist, certified play therapist. Volunteer psychologist for refugees from Ukraine and Russia.

News

You can also contact us with a request that concerns the adaptation of your child — directly or indirectly. This could be a request related to education, health, disability, legal issues, or issues related to a specific region of residence. We do not guarantee that we will be able to provide assistance in every situation, but we promise to familiarize our specialists from the relevant country with your problems and try to solve some of them.

FORA provides free advice

Our specialists work with different requests, including advice on the following topics:

behavior correction and skills development in children with PHA with the help of ABA therapy;
application of the DIRFloortime approach to assist children and adolescents with ASD.
education and development of children with mental disorders at an early age;
education and upbringing of high-functioning children with ACD and ADHD;
education and development of low-functioning children with ACD
adaptation of children with special needs in the new countries;
support for children with oppositional behavior, pathological avoidance of demands, and episodes of anger, aggression, and self-aggression.
support for high-functioning adolescents with ASD. Consultations for teenagers and parents;
individual anti-crisis consultations for parents, family consultations;
Consultations for a neurotypical child (from 9 years old) or an adolescent from your family.

Our experts

Child Psychologist, Neurosensory Therapist

Anna Anchikova

Anna mainly works with children with combined pathology (cerebral palsy, autism, typhlo, various mental disorders, neurogenic disorders: apraxia, aphasia, etc.). She has experience working with complex structural defects in genetic syndromes. She works with non-verbal children and adolescents. She has extensive experience working with foster families and children.
What this specialist could help you with:

determine the neurosensory deficit and try to correct it. Including working with reflexes.
sensory therapy in early intervention, integration of reflexes (for children under 3 years old).
consultations on environmental issues according to the child’s neurosensory profile
counseling on inter-sibling relationships (brothers and sisters in a family with a special child)
psychological support for a family with a special child.

ABA therapist

Maria Barminskaya

Works primarily with low-functioning children with ASD up to 10 years old.
What this specialist could help you with:

correction of undesirable behavior;
skills development;
speech development;
accepting your child with special needs

Maria consults parents online.
In this format, the practitioners are the parents themselves, who want to change their interaction with the child and improve the quality of life of the whole family.
Maria gives parents basic information about applied behavior analysis so that parents feel more in control of the situation.
She also offers training options that are enjoyable both for parents and kids so that interaction with the child would bring positive results.

trauma-informed specialist, LGBTQI+ friendly

Nika Grigorieva

Helps parents of children with special needs by creating a safe space for support, reflection, and finding internal resources. She has been working in the non-profit sector for over 20 years, 12 of which have been with families affected by rare genetic disorders.
What this specialist could help you with:
Nika leads support groups for parents and conducts individual consultations if you:
are tired and do not understand how to take care of a child;
worry about the future of a special child;
you don’t know how to find specialists or communicate with them;
want to find the strength to move on.
Nika is a trauma-informed specialist and LGBTQI+ friendly. She supports families facing special challenges and parents of transgender or LGBT children. Nika creates a space where everyone can find support and better understand themselves.

Specialist in the field of behavioral analysis (ABA, Denver model), BCBA, speech therapist.

Natalia Darkova

Consults parents of children with developmental disabilities, teaching them methods of support and interaction with children, assistance in solving behavioral problems and mastering useful skills.
What this specialist could help you with:

Natalia provides assistance in solving issues related to:
speech development,
organization of play activities,
correction of undesirable behavior,
teaching self-service skills,
socialization;
motivation;
development of academic skills.

Child psychologist
ABA therapy / ESDM / PFA

Alexey Eskov

Consults families with children from 10 months to 12 years on the following issues:
What this specialist could help you with:

early intervention (from 7 months to 3 years);
correction of problematic and difficult behavior (for children of any age);
organization of leisure with children;
formation of sleep routines and toilet habits;
development of communication, including the alternative PECS method.

pediatric neurologist and physical therapist

Marina Komarova

Currently lives in Warsaw, confirms her diploma and provides consultations online and in person.
What this specialist could help you with:

You can contact Marina with the following questions:
Delayed motor development of a small child: did not sit up "on time", did not crawl, etc. How normal is this and what can be done to break the deadlock?
Rehabilitation of children with motor disorders: cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Duchenne muscular dystrophy. What can be influenced and how to choose a strategy? What can be done at home? How to choose a stroller or a standing frame?
Symptoms that you have noticed in your child: could they be a manifestation of a neurological disease? Do you need to urgently see a doctor?
Doctors' conclusions and examination results: when you want to understand what the specialist meant. Often, the results of an Internet search are frightening or do not provide specific information. Marina makes medical appointments, but can help you understand the recommendations that you already have.

sand therapist, Jungian analyst

Ekaterina Panova

Works as a sand therapist with children and adults, as well as with couples.
What this specialist could help you with:

Sand therapy is a unique method that helps to visualize internal experiences and find solutions to many problems:
learn to set boundaries;
experience separation;
build or end relationships;
cope with crises (emigration, loss, change);
understand yourself better.

Ekaterina provides consultations in person in Haifa, Israel, working with people of any age from 5 years old.
She works online with clients from all over the world, using art therapy and sand therapy techniques, and also conducts sessions as an analyst.
Ekaterina’s TG channel: t. me/v_peskah

psychologist, DIRFloortime specialist, sensory integration specialist

Lena Ritter

Works with children from 3 years old and teenagers with ASD and other developmental cha. Helps with such challenges as:

delayed speech development;
self-regulation disorders;
narrowed interests;
difficulties in communicating with peers;
motor awkwardness;
difficulties in self-care.

speech therapist, defectologist, play therapist

Lena Soboleva

Specializes in working with low-functioning children with ASD, children with mental disabilities and early intervention. For over 20 years, Lena has been consulting families with young children with Down syndrome. Provides support in the area of contact, interaction, behavior, speech and play. If necessary, alternative communication methods are used.
What this specialist could help you with:

Play therapy helps children with autism establish contact with others, learn to play with other people, understand the rules of games and move from simple to complex. This method solves key problems:
development of social interactions;
reduction of anxiety;
reduction of stereotypes;
improvement in understanding of speech and behavior of other people.

Lena teaches parents and specialists to pass on these skills, making the childhood of a child with autism happier.
Consultations are also held on teaching reading and writing in Russian for special children.

Pediatrician, training under the sub-residency program: psychiatry

Yulia Shmyreva

Pediatrician with experience in psychiatry, primarily children’s. Adheres to evidence-based methods in treatment.
What this specialist could help you with:

consultations on pediatrics and psychiatry;
assistance in drawing up an individual vaccination schedule and recommendations if some vaccinations were missed;
consultations on breastfeeding;
drawing up a schedule for introducing complementary foods and planning a child’s diet.

Request a free consultation

I hereby give my consent to the Non-Governmental Organization Bari Aragil for the collection, processing (including automated processing), and storage of my personal data. The personal data I provide is for the purpose of participating in events and projects conducted under the FORA program by the NGO Bari Aragil, as well as for the purpose of receiving information about events and projects developed and implemented under the FORA program by the NGO Bari Aragil. The personal data will be collected, processed, and stored until the FORA program by the NGO Bari Aragil is terminated or until a request is received from the participant to withdraw consent for the processing of personal data.

Contacts

Facebook Group

FORA’s Channel in Telegram

“Kovcheg” Channel in Telegram

Relocation and emigration with children and adults with disabilities

Instagram

YouTube Channel

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