● Mrs. Tetyana, you are a practical psychologist with extensive work experience in the field of correctional psychology. Therefore, I am interested in your assessment: what is more important for families today - material support or psychological support?

- In modern Ukrainian realities - the realities of war - psychological problems often intensify against the background of social problems. Previously, it was considered an axiom that a person's psychological imbalance leads to his material and social losses. Now we are observing the opposite trend - the material condition of many people has significantly worsened and this immediately negatively affected the psychological atmosphere in families. And this, unfortunately, is only the beginning of irreversible changes in mass consciousness and behavior.

● What do you mean?

- War and its attributes - cruelty, violence, empathy, concern for the safety of loved ones and the future, which in the modern world are actively verbalized through electronic means of communication, often generate instinctive fear, which, in turn, becomes a trigger for aggression. Aggression often becomes a norm of behavior, falling into social trends. And already here, there is only one step to changes in the mass consciousness. And Ukraine is not much different from other countries, countries that experienced or are experiencing a state of war. That is, so to speak, closing your question, I will say that right now, more than ever before, both material support and psychological help are equally important for the residents of Kyiv Oblast, whose territory was seriously affected by the war.
As for families raising children with disabilities - here I anticipate your likely question - they are psychologically more hardened to modern problems than others. Parents in these families face problems of treatment methods, drug availability, remissions and changes in disease symptoms over the years. Material problems, yes - they have worsened, but psychologically, these parents are more stable, because they have greater experience of internal concentration.

● Tetiana, you really got ahead of my question. Yes, parents are more hardened about tests. And the children? Do you observe changes in the behavior of children during the war?

- Children are children under any circumstances. They adapt much faster to new circumstances. And often they simply do not pay attention to the "sounds of war" that frighten adults so much. Small children get to know a new world for themselves, and older people pay more attention to school and gender issues. And this is quite natural. As for children with disabilities, they are no different from their peers in these matters. There is no war in our classes. We promote a completely positive perception of the surrounding world.

● What about the work of Day Care Centers? Do you find a common language with everyone, or are there times when you need to look for a special approach?

- There is a very friendly atmosphere in the Centers. No mentoring or schooling. For children, a group is a small community where there is no place for rigid requirements for behavior, there are no grievances, or resentments. And the main rule of this community is not to upset others with your behavior. Therefore, at least in the group I work with, we hardly use correction protocols. Psychological comfort and a positive atmosphere are the main methods of our work with children.

● And regarding parents. What is the relationship with them? Do you feel their support?

- We certainly feel it. We, psychologists, know some families from other "Yellow Blue Wings" projects. I met some of them in the group. But all these families that raise children with disabilities belong to, in principle, a small community in Vyshhorod, where everyone has known each other for many years. Therefore, we have an atmosphere of maximum loyalty and positivity. And moral support also exists - these are words of thanks that parents say not only in person, but also publish on social networks. Indeed, it is very nice. This is the highest assessment of our work.

● We communicate in a wonderful, large, bright room, equipped with furniture and equipment for classes with children with disabilities. Other modern premises, modern toilet rooms and our own solar station have been thoroughly renovated around - a relevant alternative source of electricity today...

- Yes, the room is really impressive, it's a pleasure to work in it. We are with you at the Career Orientation Center "Generation UA", which has been completely renovated and equipped thanks to the partnership work of the "Yellow Blue Wings" Foundation and the Vyshgorod Interschool Resource Center, which is managed by Fedirko Mykola Ivanovych. And for financial support, we are grateful to our foreign donors: the Children's Fund of Germany, ChildFund Deutschland and the Lipoid Foundation..

• Thank you for the conversation.

Interview by Anna Nesterenko