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Description
Project will be implemented by 4 NGOs. It solves 2 major challenges that families raising children with special needs (SN) face: 1) improves professional skills of teachers, family members, peers, which are necessary for proper understanding and responding their needs; 2) raises public awareness of neurodiversity, a biological fact common to children with SN, and presents challenges those families face. Audience consists of families raising a child with SN as well as their peers, teachers, professionals, public members. Target groups will be empowered by provision of information, mutual cooperation, good practice exchange, advocacy activities that will be carried in 9 pilot municipalities. The project will result in a strong community of families with children with SN as well as assisting professionals, teachers, public members and their raised awareness. Mutual assistance and mediation skills improvement through family conference sessions will be achieved. The inclusion of vulnerable groups will be promoted as their members will advocate their needs.
Summary of project results
The project addressed 2 problems:
1) It improved the attitudes and capacities of collectives and communities to properly understand and respond to the needs of children with SN;
2) Ensured public awareness of neurodiversity, that brain differences are simply differences and not a disease or disorder that determines the future of a family.
The target group - families of children with SN, children and pupils, teachers, support specialists in educational institutions - was reached through 3 project activities:
- the organisation of 11 events promoting inclusion of vulnerable groups and equal opportunities: 467 persons, of which: 443 persons (360 pupils and 81 teachers) studying/working in schools with Lithuanian language teaching, 24 persons (18 pupils and 6 teachers) studying/working in schools with non-Lithuanian language teaching.
- capacity of local communities to respond to the needs of vulnerable groups 10 family conferences: 10 families and 10 professionals.
- sensitisation of civil society to the needs of vulnerable groups through artistic means and active communication in the media: artistic 2 d installation "7 colours. I''ll be green with an oak tree" in front of the prototype oak tree of Stelmužė (> 1000 visitors, artistic installation channel www.galiudezute.lt, 1 banner campaign), 7 press releases, 7 representative videos, 19 posts on FB accounts
- Organisation of NGO capacity building training on advocacy and lobbying: 1 training on advocacy and lobbying, 15 participants: 4 (four) CSO staff volunteers - 9, 6 art installation volunteers, 8 ac. hours.
The project provided parents and teachers with a wide range of specialist support and advice during events and Family Conferences, which improved the school''s microclimate: the quality of communication between parents and teachers improved by providing and improving conflict resolution skills through teamwork and classroom activities. Improved knowledge and competences in representing different interests.
Stigma "children with special needs are ''awkward'' children" reduced. They are individuals who need more specialist help, which the school must provide by finding solutions together with the parents, as they are equal partners in the child''s education, ready to talk.
Impact on children with SN - Schools provide the opportunity to learn in a suitable environment where each learner is educated according to his/her abilities, needs and aptitudes.
Impact on children without SN - We hope that classmates have become more open, community-minded, responsible and tolerant of all learners with different abilities.
Impact on the population in the regions - We hope that awareness of vulnerable groups will encourage the population to become more involved in local issues - the importance of the needs of children with SN, coping and acceptance of the families of children with special needs into the community.
The capacity-building activities of the project have deepened the knowledge in advocacy - encouraging them to be more proactive in the implementation of advocacy at the national and local level: drafting letters, participating in working groups and meetings with politicians and party representatives are the main ongoing and day-to-day activities of NGOs.
All the project activities implemented increased the visibility of the Empowerment Box. More families are turning to information consultations. The information videos produced and their increasing number of views show the relevance of the topics - they explain to families with children with SN how to cope with a specific disability, and help members of the public to understand and accept these families as equal members of society.
This project has helped better understand the importance of the needs of children with SN and their ability to learn how to coexist peacefully with a different child - one who may have learning difficulties, low self-esteem, or lack of motivation to learn. We have strengthened the ability of indirect beneficiaries to participate fully in inclusive education, where children with SN are educated together with their peers. We have helped to overcome stereotyping, stigma and demonisation of children with SN, that we are all alike but different and need each other.