Simplified Language [ SIMPL ] Erasmus Project

Project Title

Simplified Language [ SIMPL ]

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 vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Disabilities – special needs

Project Summary

> CONTEXT/PROJECT BACKGROUND
The Europe 2020 strategy calls for efforts to reduce to less than 10 % by 2020 the proportion of people aged 18-24 who leave education and training with lower secondary education at most.
According to the main statistical findings (Eurostat) in the EU as a whole the rate of early leavers from school and education is much higher for disabled people, especially for those with specific learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders, than for those not having a disability: 31.5 % compared with 12.3 %.
The Preamble to the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) recognizes the importance of access to education. The education system should be inclusive at all levels, including informal and lifelong learning. This means that young disabled people should not be excluded because of their impairment or disability status.

To do this, it is necessary to provide individual support for the SpLD students, with the improvement of the trainers’ skills and the quality enhancement in the Education System as a whole.

Moreover, the promotion of inclusive education and lifelong learning for students and pupils with disabilities is one of the priority areas set up by the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020. Support for practical implementation of the strategy is provided by the Academic Network of European Disability experts (ANED), who yearly publishes a report for the EU Commission, notably highlighting significant challenges and barriers that remain and including recommendations to overcome such barriers.

The awareness of the delay in the reduction of the “learning gap” for disabled pupils, and the increase in schools of every kind and level of SpLD, bring education and training representatives, together with the Associations of people with disabilities and their families, to clamor for the sharing of tools in order to:
>>facilitate the recognition and early diagnosis of SpLD, including dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysorthography, specific spelling disorder, dyscalculia, specific language disorder, dyspraxia, auditory processing disorder, non-verbal learning disorder;
>>train the teachers/trainers to use tools and methods for an inclusive and quality education.

> OBJECTIVES
The aim of the “Simplified Language” project is to CONTRIBUTE TO THE REDUCTION OF OBSTACLES TO THE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DIFFICULTIES (SpLD).

The path is gradual and passes through
1. the sharing of good practices at European level both in terms of diagnostics and assessment of specific and pervasive learning disorders and teching tools in easy language.
2. the joint staff training in an international multidisciplinary group, with the involvement of psychologists, speech therapists, pedagogists, trainers, family members involved in supporting young people with SpLD or ASD.
3. the local dissemination of the training experience of the project workgroup of experts.

The preparation of the stakeholders matrix at European level is the first step to correctly define which diagnostic protocols and teaching tools must be used with SpLD students.
The sharing of the best practices within a heterogeneous but qualified partnership (Schools, Training Agencies, Research Institutes, Diagnostic Institutes, Family Associations) brings added value, with the possibility to realize, later, new tools and products in “simplified language”.

> PROJECT PARTICIPANTS
The project involves 7 partners, including the lead partner, from Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.
– EnAIP FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA, lead partner (IT)
– ASSOCIAZIONEPROGETTOAUTISMO FVG (IT)
– THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY/NAS (UK)
– CONFEDERACION ESPANOLA DE CENTROS DE ENSENANZA ASOCIACION /C.E.C.E. (ES)
– CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE with its lInstitute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems “Eduardo Caianiello”/ISASI (IT)
– INSTITUT DE DIAGNOSTIC I ATENCIO’ PSIQUIATRICA I PSICOLOGICA/IDAPP (ES)
– FUNDACION APRENDER (ES)

> PROJECT ACTIVITIES
– stakeholders analysis at european level
– sharing of best practices
– transnational joint staff training events in 2 stages (3 + 4 days) in London on SpLD diagnostics and teaching tools
– project dissemination and final conference at the National Research Council – CNR in Rome

>EXPECTED RESULTS/IMPACT
– stakeholder matrix and european committment
– best practices feedback and implementation
– 24 +24 operators trained on diagnostics and tools in easy language
– european dissemination in the countries of the network
– testing and local adaptation of practices with students with learning difficulties and their families
– european inter-institutional protocols
– students with specific learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) included through innovative teaching tools.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 70860,22 Eur

Project Coordinator

ENAIP ENTE ACLI ISTRUZIONE PROFESSIONALE FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA TRIESTE & Country: IT

Project Partners

• CONFEDERACION ESPANOLA DE CENTROS DE ENSENANZA ASOCIACION C.E.C.E.
• THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY
• Fundacion Aprender
• CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
• Associazione Progettoautismo FVG
• Institut de Diagnòstic I Atenció Psiquiàtrica I Psicològica