Why was this organisation set up?
We felt the need for a centre for children and youths with severe disabilities, sensory issues and disabilities to meet.
Why did you feel this need? Was there a vacuum for this kind of centres?
Although services do exist up to a certain age when children have severe disabilities it makes it hard for them to attend. Our children go to mainstream school, which is good, but they have nowhere to meet and mingle with other children like them. They can go with their Learning Support Assistant (LSA) for physiotherapy, for example, but that is a one-off service. There are also special schools for children with disabilities.
What is the difference between school and your centre?
Ours is not a school. Like children without any disabilities can attend catechism, ballet and other such activities, children like ours have nowhere to go after school. This centre is for such children to have somewhere to build their social life whilst at the same time getting the therapy they need. In fact, in the future, we also plan to offer dance lessons.
All mothers of children with disabilities who we have spoken to all have confirmed that they find it difficult to find places to take their children to socialise.
Did your children ever encounter difficulties in school?
After a certain age, our children, unfortunately, get pushed aside by the other children in school. In primary school, all the other children give them a lot of attention but then as they grow older they tend to be excluded.
Our children have an LSA with them and older children generally do not want to talk to their friends with an adult around.
You are expecting this to happen after a certain age. The school becomes focused on academia as well and other children become much busier. Our children are not usually invited to any activities after school, like going to the cinema.
What does the Embrace Diversity Organisation do?
We put the children into different groups, depending on their ability levels, and they have activities and therapy together. The group remains the same, so they are like their group of friends.
We even organise live-ins for the groups. These children will never have a sleepover with other children so it is important for them to have such experiences. It also gives us mothers one night of rest! They are with the same tutors and they organise specific activities which they know the children will enjoy.
For the older children and those who are most able, who would like to go out on their own but cannot, we organise outings. Tutors go with them but remain in the shadows to make sure they are ok. The children feel a sense of independence but at the same time, they are safe.
They make use of money skills they would have learnt and help each other out depending on their different abilities. They really look out for each other.
What is a daily routine like?
We have two groups that come in the morning and the afternoon. The afternoon session is for children that go to school so they can come after. The children go in each and every room: starting for example with the sensory room where they explore all the senses as well as working on their independent skills. These involve learning time and money management.
We have a lot of children who have issues with food so in the sensory room, we do a lot of tasting. We have had children who would not touch an orange, for example, and you seem them eating an orange. And it is mostly because their friends are doing it.
During the live-ins, they have to shower so they learn how to undress and dress. The older girls also sometimes get a make-up night.
We also go shopping so we make a shopping list and then from the supermarket they have to find the things off the shelf. We come back and they have to cook and eat. Sometimes we have video or party nights.
The rooms are coloured so, for example, the sensory room is the purple room. Groups rotate through the rooms they are in so they get a taste of everything. The orange room involves activities like crafts, cooking and gardening.
They also have a gym which includes multi-sensory and music and even outdoor gym activities like throwing a ball, trampoline or even bowling. Everything is adapted for their disabilities.
Once a month they also have a room where they can lie in a jacuzzi, get massages and aromatherapy.
Have you received any feedback so far?
We received a lot of positive feedback from the children themselves. Just today one child entered saying 'this is my school and I love it!'
Where behaviour is concerned we have seen a lot of improvement. We had one child who had a lot of behavioural problems and his school noticed how much he has calmed down since he started attending the centre.
Are you a non-profit organisation? Is payment required to attend this centre?
Yes, we are a non-profit organisation but only ask for a donation for attendance to cover at least some of the expenses. For those who feel that they unable to pay the donation, we as an NGO try to help them out. We want this centre to be accessible to everyone who needs it.
What ages can attend? And how many staff are available?
0 to 25 years but then the children are also grouped according to their age. We have three full-time technical staff working for us. They take care of the children's' every need and are very dedicated.
How many children are attending at the moment?
At the moment we have 27 children and youths which is a large amount considering we only set-up a month and a half ago.
What are the plans for the future for this organisation?
We wish to find a place which is more central and bigger. We believe that if the location is more central the place would be more accessible to everyone.
There are things we see abroad which are available for children with disabilities like zip-lining and water activities. We intend to develop our outdoor areas to include such activities.
Abroad there are a lot of facilities and activities for people with disabilities which are not available here in Malta. It is our aim to bring such facilities to Malta so children with disabilities can enjoy them too.
We also want to buy more gym equipment which is accessible for people with disabilities but we need to have more space.
Photos: Alenka Falzon
from The Malta Independent http://bit.ly/2AqsFr1
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