Inclusive children's recreation

The modern concept of inclusive leisure in Russia today is only being laid. The impetus for its development was changes in legislation, after the entry into force of which a number of restrictions were lifted, and children with health characteristics were given the opportunity to rest in children's camps ^[4] .

At the beginning of June 2015, the public discussed the news that the pupils of three orphanages for mentally retarded children - the 15th, 28th and “South Butovo” - were not allowed to be replaced in two children's camps, “Rocket” and DtsO “Zarya” ^[5] . The news received wide discussion in social networks. Most of the users condemned the camp leaders who refused to accept children with disabilities on vacation, but at the same time they regretted the fact that there are no conditions and material resources for the recreation of such children in summer camps.

Conventionally, it is possible to divide the types of recreation for children with disabilities according to two criteria ^[2] :

According to the degree of independence:

• Rest accompanied by parents, legal representatives or curators
• Rest without parents

According to the method of forming children's groups:

• Rest in groups consisting only of children with disabilities
• Inclusive children's recreation

The objectives of inclusive children's activities, in addition to the general rehabilitation of children with disabilities, can be:

• Social integration of children with disabilities in the environment of ordinary peers;
• Creating the experience of living outside the home, without parents and relatives;
• Creating an experience of interaction with new people, children and adults;
• Developing children's self-care skills;
• Formation of a positive public opinion and tolerant attitude of children of the norm and adults towards special children.

The main goal of inclusive recreation is to erase the boundaries between ordinary and special children ^[2] .

Changes in the legislation provided an opportunity for children with disabilities to rest in all children's camps, regardless of their organizational and legal forms and forms of ownership. In Russia, the first, while experimental, inclusive programs of children's activities, organized by both public and private companies, have appeared. One of the first organizers of inclusive shifts in children's camps was the company Mosgortur . Among the first inclusive shifts of MOSGORTUR there were two “Solar shifts” (with the participation of children with Down syndrome , that is, “solar children”). The first such change took place in June, the second in August 2015 in the Raduga camp near Moscow. It was attended by five teenagers with Down syndrome, who rested along with 150 ordinary children from Moscow families ^[6] .

As of February 2017, MOSGORTUR is the only company in the industry that is systematically engaged in the development of inclusive children's leisure in Russia. Since 2015, more than 10 inclusive shifts have been trained by the staff of the organization, where more than 5,000 children with disorders of the musculoskeletal system, hearing, and Down syndrome ^[7] rested with ordinary children.

Works with inclusions are carried out in five areas:

• family holidays without taking into account children's nosology, when families with disabled children rest together with ordinary families according to universal programs and children's diagnoses are not known in advance;
• family holidays taking into account the nosology of the child, when families with disabled children rest together with ordinary families, but the types of disabilities are known in advance and the program is tailored to the characteristics of children;
• unforeseen inclusion, when neither the types of disability, nor the number of children are known in advance, and the program has to be adapted on the go; prepared inclusion - the type of disability and the number of children known in advance. There is an opportunity to carry out a full cycle of preparation of the program, infrastructure, counselors and the children themselves;
• rest of children with severe, multiple developmental disabilities without parents - the type of disability and the number of children are known in advance, an appropriate preparation of the infrastructure, special conditions for the implementation of the program. Children need to be accompanied by educators, educators, and volunteers.

According to experts, for the successful implementation of the tasks in the camp should be no more than 10-15% of children with disabilities ^[8] .

By the summer of 2017, Mosgortur plans to publish the first methodological collection in Russia on inclusive children's activities. The book will be published at the expense of philanthropists and will be a synthesis of the unique experience of Russian children's camps in the organization of recreation for children with disabilities in health and urban camps along with children of the norm. The entire circulation of 1500 copies will be distributed free of charge. Books will be sent to the organizers of children's activities, teachers, parent communities and public organizations ^[9] .

In addition to the company MOSGORTUR, the National Association for the Development of Education "Tetradka Friendship" (Perm) is engaged in the development of inclusive children's activities. Since 2016, the Association three times a year (during school holidays) carries out changes of the inclusive camp "Friendly". In the camp shifts take part children with different forms of disability, as well as their healthy peers. Age of participants - from 5 to 25 years. If necessary, parents can go to the camp (with children who are not capable of self-service).

The total number of participants in each shift is about 80. Each shift in the camp creates 7-8 inclusive units, the ratio of children with disabilities to healthy children in them is 50/50 (10-12 people in the unit, 5 of them are with disabilities, 5 are healthy) .

Work in the camp is carried out in three main areas:

• sports and interactive rehabilitation. Within the framework of shifts, I work with specialists in adaptive physical education, sports inclusive competitions are held, adapted for children with any level of physical abilities;
• creative socialization. Every day, participants in the shift perform various creative tasks that develop thinking and creativity. Thanks to the creative component, children become more confident in themselves, learn to perform on stage, discover new talents and opportunities in themselves;
• career guidance. The educational component in the shift is aimed at obtaining new knowledge, skills and competencies that children can later apply in everyday life and professional activities. The shift program provides for daily workshops from the curators (counselors) of the camp and invited specialists.

In 2018, the Druzhny inclusive camp became the official owner of a registered trademark.

For children with disabilities: Children get the experience of independent living, learn to communicate with regular peers. For some of them, camp is the only way to spend a long time without parents. In shifts, children acquire new skills, gain knowledge and reveal their talents ^[6] .

For ordinary children: Children learn to communicate with people who are different from them. Become more friendly, tolerant. See the strengths of children with disabilities ^[6] .