INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN UZBEKISTAN

Author: Ibragimova Muyassar (Maya), grandmother of Ibragimov Sarvarbek, 1st grade student of the school No. 10 of Urgench (7 years). Chairman of «Umid» Parents’ Club.

Have you ever looked into the eyes of the mother, who is leading her child (with special needs) by the hand, and sees other children running around? Anxiety. Fear, aggression, because the surrounding people look at her child accusingly, with surprise, lack of understanding and fear. An empty smile in her eyes, and behind her smile are a 1,000 questions, why, why... pensiveness...  For such a mother, it is very important to have someone who will support her, understand, calm her, and advise her «do not give up, keep going forward, everything will be alright.» I found such support in Kazimova Leila Tahirovna, the head of the kindergarten No. 28 in Urgench.

Then was a meeting with the Project «Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs in Uzbekistan», the work at the parent club. A trip to Tashkent and National Center for Social Adaptation of Children. «Welcome to our Information Advisory Service (IAS),»– told me with smiles, the good fairies, mercy sisters. We met good experts. I attended all sessions conducted by specialists with my grandson, and I learned from them. Between sessions, there were soulful conversations between mothers, where they, interrupting each other, gave each other advices, what they have done so far – «you can do it this way… – Really?..  I did not know that, we do it this way…» Here, everyone is a friend to each other.No one is criticized, on the contrary – advise, exchanged addresses, telephone numbers...

Each of the mothers deserves to a monument, a poem. For example, there sits a child, his mother is clasps him to her breast – «he is mine, a piece of my heart, the best child in the world» (cerebral palsy, Down syndrome...). The other one is pushing a stroller. While at IAS, parents, thanks to the specialists, are born again, they learn how to properly and competently view the problem, how to behave. Everything what the parents see in the classroom, if necessary, must be continued after completion of the course. This is what IAS experts teach us – polite, attentive, dear, caring, competent. They will definitely listen to you, advise, and teach you.

The most important thing for them is to identify the skills, the talent of the child – develop elements of a profession, where the child can demonstrate his strengths and become a full-fledged member of the society.

For a child with special needs, often, the closest person – is his mother. The most important rule for the mother is to live by the rules that are comfortable for the child. Play together, draw, learn to walk, to learn speaking again together with the child – and not watch from the sidelines, making him to do it all alone!

In order for inclusive education to develop in our country, for myself, I realized the following rules:

1. Moving from simple to complex must be done competently.

2. Actions must be systematized.

3. Do not be afraid to talk about your child in public, do not hide him/her, but teach him/her to live in the society.

4. The family, relatives, the child’s kindergarten, school, class, parents must be involved in the solution of the problem.

5. It is necessary to develop volunteering – to attract high school students, university students, young teachers, parents’ committees.

6. Actively involve the media in the coverage of the topic.