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Description
When it comes to integrating children with ASDs into regular primary schools, the Czech Republic is failing. Graduation from a special school is usually not followed up by further studies or receiving qualifications in order to find employment. The project aims to create a support net for children with ASDs and their parents all over the Czech Republic. The project’s main goal is to draw inspiration from Iceland’s know-how, pass as much of this know-how as possible on to Czech teachers and create support centers in all regions of the Czech Republic. The project’s output includes a detailed methodology on the integration of children with ASDs into regular schooling, a case study with inspiring examples and an accredited course for pre-school and primary school teachers on preparing autistic children for their entrance in a regular primary school.
Children with ASDs and their families, as well as pre-school and primary schools teachers, form the project’s target group (secondarily, the general public can also benefit from it). A handbook on the integration of autistic children into regular schools, case studies and the contact information of trained professionals of each region will be available to anyone interested. Meetings between parents of autistic children and the general public (which is still very affected by prejudice against children with ASDs) will also take place in all the regions. After the end of the project, we will still be offering the newly accredited course to teachers as part of our educational activity.
We believe the project’s output (a new methodology, a case study and a complex course) will serve as a tool of a truly integrated approach to the support of autistic children in regular schools, bringing real change to the Czech education system.
Summary of project results
A methodology to educate and train children with autims in primary schools was missing in the Czech Republic.
As part of the project, a completely unique, comprehensible and practical methodology for the education and training of children with autism in ordinary elementary
schools was created, including a section on how to prepare them for an entry into regular elementary schools in kidergartens. This methodology, which anyone can now use with a step-by-step system, was
missing in the Czech Republic until now. The project we also supplemented with a related practical course, which we subjected to piloting,
evaluation, subsequent correction and one implementation. Thanks to the implementation of the project, our study trips abroad, piloting and feedback from schools
where our regional coordinators tested the methodology during the project, we now know that this methodology is functional. Without exagerration, we can now say
that if a Czech school did not want to accept a child with ASD (and even though in the absence of a cognitive deficit such a procedure is de facto illegal, we know it still
happens in practice), and the school referred to not knowing how work with such a child, now there is a guide available that refutes the argument. So we believe that
we have prepared a tool of real empowerment for a group of childern with autism and their families. Teachers and other teaching staff benefited the most from the project´s activities
(especially teachers'' assistants), as well as schools, which were able to adjust their educational strategies thanks to the project´s outputs.
Secondary, the outputs of the project also have a fundamental impact on children with autism and their families.
We implemented the project in partnership with the Department of Education and Youth of the City of Reykjavík, and we consider the partner´s contribution to be
absolutely essential. Already from the study trip to Iceland, which the project partner prepared for us, we took away a large amount of knowledge, which we immediately
incorporated into the work on methodology and the related course. The visit of three Icelandic experts to the Czech Republic to our training camp for
24 regional project coordinators had even greater impact. Our whole project team will fully reap the benefits of this in the upcoming work.
Summary of bilateral results
We implemented the project in partnership with the Department of Education and Youth of the City of Reykjavík, and we consider the partner´s contribution to be absolutely essential. Already from the study trip to Iceland, which the project partner prepared for us, we took away a large amount of knowledge, which we immediately incorporated into the work on methodology and the related course. The visit of three Icelandic experts to the Czech Republic to our training camp for 24 regional project coordinators had even greater impact. Our whole project team will fully reap the benefits of this in the upcoming work.