Friday, 23 September, was a lovely autumn day and, when most ISS employees were in a hurry to get home for the weekend, three others, Ivana D. (HR Dept.), Lukáš O. (S&M Dept.) and Marika O. (CP Dept.), set off to Vigantice, near Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, to visit children from AUXILIUM who suffer from disorders in the autism spectrum (ASD).
INDET SAFETY SYSTEMS a.s. has been supporting weekend retreats organized for different age groups of children several times a year. They not only serve as an introduction to, and training for, problematic activities, moreover, they serve as a way of making them more independent. Many patients are dependent on their parents, often on single-parent mothers, and these weekend retreats organized by AUXILIUM are, in most cases, the only opportunities for these children to spend time in an environment outside of their own homes; it also gives the parents a well-deserved, two-night repose.
“On arriving at Vigatice, we were greeted by the Director of AUXILIUM and by the children’s individual assistants who explained to us what autism actually is and how to treat and communicate with the kids”, said Lukáš O. He continued, “During the afternoon, the children attended canine therapy, which has a positive influence on the child’s psyche; it develops motor skills, stimulates communication and has other healing effects. Others spent time with us doing sport activities, which we had prepared for them based on the sports afternoon in Japan, which took place on the 100th anniversary of NK during the same weekend, for example, a simple obstacle run, relay, and ball games. The kids carried out the activities with the help of their assistants, who explained the rules using communication cards. We gave sweets to the kids as an added incentive. The environment was very pleasant and the children were very nice; they were not shy and did their best in all the activities. It was positive and educational for me and pleasantly refreshing for the assistants and the kids. We enjoyed it a lot.”
The ASD spectrum includes classic autism and similar forms of the disability, which cover a wide range, but all patients have problems in three main areas – social and behavioral interactions (impaired nonverbal behavior, building relationships with their peers, lack of shared attention and social and emotional empathy, the child is withdrawn and plays by him/herself); communication (speech defects, the inability to converse in a normal way, stereotypical word repetition); imagination, interest, and play (an abnormal interest in one or more activities, adherence to routines and accustomed rituals, aversion to change and habitual repeated movements).
“It was an unforgettable Friday afternoon. Work, willingness, effort and most of all interest in helping others were to be seen all around. Children with autism cannot get around without the help of adults and each step is a big reward for everyone who devotes time or lives to them – I bow to the assistants and parents. Everyone would like to have a healthy child, however not everyone is so lucky. It is all the more important to look around, let us appreciate each day and if it is in our power let us help those, who need it,” added Iva D.
(MO, CP Dept.)
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