Train the Trainers- Edukacja dla włączenia społecznego i zawodowego osób z zaburzeniami ze spektrum autyzmu (ASD) Erasmus Project

Project Title

Train the Trainers- Edukacja dla włączenia społecznego i zawodowego osób z zaburzeniami ze spektrum autyzmu (ASD)

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Disabilities – special needs; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The „Train the Trainers- Education for social and vocational inclusion of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)” project was implemented by The SYNAPSIS Foundation (the leader), and two partnership organizations: Latvijas Autisma apvienība (Latvian Autism Association) and AS Mentoring from the UK. All three organizations provide activities for people with ASD.
The main goal of the project is to improve the educational situation of professionals working /supporting adults with autism and to create innovative training programs for these staff. The project was planned as the response on the situation of lack of access to lifelong learning for adults with ASD,which causes social exclusion of these people. The situation in post-communist countries is especially difficult. Project implementation involved the exchange of experiences of 3 organizations during 3 substantive meetings.
Then, three training programs for professionals were developed:
1. Basic program (First Step) for educating professionals to work with people with ASD (Introduction to the specificity of autism in adulthood)
2. Advanced training program (Step Two) for working with high-functioning persons (HfA) in the field of learning independence and gaining general competencies needed in work and social activities
3. Advanced training program (Step Three) for working with low-functioning (LfA) people in the field of learning communication and social rules, independence in everyday life and gaining general competences needed on the protected labor market
To adapt the training programs to the needs of the participants, a testing phase was carried out. Testing trainings were conducted for professionals working with adults with ASD in order to obtain their opinion on the appropriate selection of methods and tools.There were many people from different professions participating in the testing sessions: testing trainings Module I – 42 people in three countries, Module II – 59 people, and Module III – 116 people, together 217Participants of the trainings were employees of various institutions supporting or educating adults with ASD and employers or other people from the workplace therapy /rehabilitation – psychologists, job coaches, vocational counselors and others.
By training new staff and developing comprehensive training modules, it is possible to achieve a long-term goal that is to improve the quality of services and increase the availability of services for adults with ASD.Goals of our project coincide with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and their implementation counteracts discrimination against people with ASD. In 2018, partner organizations organized meetings disseminating project results and published on-line handbook in three languages (English, Polish and Latvian). In Riga 24 people from Latvia took part in the meetings and 6 people from abroad took part – 30 in total), 11 took part in UK.
The international dissemination meeting in Warsaw in June 2018 was very popular – 186 people from all over Poland and 19 people from abroad (among others from Latvia,UK, Hungary, Switzerland and Finland) took part in it. Among the participants were representatives of non-governmental organizations, centers of social and professional activation, employers and other professional groups. The main result of the project is an electronic publication: Handbook: “Training curricula for people starting work with adults with autism”, and presentations from the dissemination meeting are available on the SYNAPSIS Foundation website: www.synapsis.org.pl . In Poland, the information about e-publication – Handbook, which for the first time gathers in one place a structured knowledge about the needs of adults with ASD, has been sent to 60 organizations who are members of the Autism-Poland federation.Many organizations from this federation took part in the dissemination meeting in Warsaw. After this event, various institutions contacted the SYNAPSIS Foundation, including the local government of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship with the proposal of cooperation in the field of employment and social inclusion. This cooperation is already set for 2019-2021.
Programs are promoted and disseminated during various meetings in each of the partner countries as well as information about the project and the Handbook is waiting for publication in one of the next editions of the LINK journal published in two editions per year by the AUTISM-EUROPE association, with the aim of dissemination among other organizations operating in Europe for people with ASD.
The „Train the Trainers- Education for social and vocational inclusion of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)’ project creates an opportunity to acquire new specialization by therapists, teachers, trainers working with adults with ASD. The partners brought a variety of experience to the project, which guaranteed the development of the training topics for different groups of recipients

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 108424 Eur

Project Coordinator

Fundacja Synapsis & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Latvijas Autisma apvieniba
• AS Mentoring Ltd