Lola Nasriddinova, Founder of IRODA Parents of Children with Autism Initiatives Help Us Keep Our Autism Center Warm This Winter

Some people still believe, “If a child doesn’t speak, they don’t understand.”

But in our classrooms, we see the opposite: many nonspeaking children show deep understanding, curiosity, and intelligence. What they need is support — not silence and stigma.

Others say, “They live in their own world, you can’t reach them.”

Yet every breakthrough we witness — a shared smile, a PECS card handed for the first time, a child waiting their turn — proves that connection is always possible with patience, respect, and the right tools.

We sometimes hear, “They don’t need school. They won’t learn anyway.”

But our children learn every day: letters, communication, self-care skills, emotional regulation. They grow — not because autism is “fixed,” but because someone finally believed в их способность учиться.

And when a child becomes overwhelmed, people may whisper, “He’s aggressive — he’s dangerous.”

But we know the truth: behavior is communication. Fear, cold, sensory overload, unpredictability — that's what we must address, not punish.

Perhaps the most harmful myth is, “Nothing will help.”

Because evidence-based approaches DO help — ABA, PECS, ESDM, TEACCH, sensory strategies, and most of all, partnership with families.

Our autism center is freezing in winter — and children are suffering.

For the third winter in a row, Tajikistan faces severe electricity limits:

power is shut off for many hours a day

rooms become ice-cold

therapy is interrupted

children with autism lose routines, regress, experience meltdowns

health risks increase

there is no prospect of being connected to any central heating

For a neurotypical child, cold is discomfort.

For an autistic child, cold is pain, fear, dysregulation, sometimes full shutdown or crisis.

This winter, we need more than understanding.

We need warmth.

We must install an independent coal-powered boiler system to keep children safe.

With your help, we can:

✔️ heat our entire 250 m² center

✔️ maintain therapy even during power cuts

✔️ prevent behavioral and sensory crises caused by cold

✔️ provide stability for children with severe autism

✔️ allow families to continue receiving life-changing support

Total Cost: 64,000 TJS (≈ $5,900 USD)

This includes:

the boiler

radiators and pipes

installation

labor

all materials for full winter heating

One system.

Years of warmth.

Hundreds of children served.

How you can help

By donating, you help a child:

stay regulated

stay healthy

continue learning

feel safe in a world that often misunderstands them

Your support is warmth. Your support is dignity. Your support is hope.

Thank you for standing with our children this winter.

Thank you for giving them more than heat — giving them a chance.