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Description
The United Nations has recognized autism to be a disease of civilization, and some statistics show that in Poland it is diagnosed in one out of every one hundred children (www.polskiautyzm.pl, 04.2020). An estimated 190 children born in Kraków in 2019 will be diagnosed with autism. When their children are diagnosed, parents are left alone with a range of recommendations and tips. They are overwhelmed and devastated, and do not have the strength to take constructive action. In Kraków there are no centers that provide psychological care and support in planning therapy for a child for the whole family. The project addresses the problem of insufficient support for families in which a child is born with autism. The main measures under the project are provision of intensive initial therapy for a child and consultations and counselling for families tailored to their needs. We will provide every child with a complete psychological diagnosis and 50 hours of individual therapy sessions. For parents, we will prepare a series of workshops on the fundamental issues concerning autism, and individual support sessions. We will also launch a support group led by a therapist, and issue a brochure with an outline of children with autism, and their fate from early childhood to today. We will provide support for ten small children (aged 18 months to four years) who have been diagnosed with autism or have suspected ASD, and for their parents/guardians (a minimum of six people) in the Małopolskie Voivodeship. The measures will improve children''s abilities in the crucial areas of development as required to make an effective start in their preschool education. Parents will improve their knowledge of autism and be provided with emotional support.
Summary of project results
he project addresses the problem of the lack of comprehensive support for young children on the autism spectrum and their families. Thanks to the greater availability of specialists, and increased awareness of autism, more and more children and adults are being diagnosed in Poland (some estimates say 1 child per 100). Unfortunately, at the time of diagnosis, parents and their children are often left alone with a number of recommendations and guidelines, but without specific tools. There is a lack of facilities in Kraków that provide therapeutic support to both children and their families. There is a long wait for support from public institutions, and the therapy offered is insufficient. Meanwhile, in the case of autism, it is important to make an early diagnosis and provide the child with appropriate therapy, and the parents with psychological support. The project proposed a range of therapeutic and support activities for children on the spectrum and their families from Lesser Poland region. Children benefited from psychological diagnosis and intensive individual therapy - psychological, speech therapy or rehabilitation - and their parents from individual consultations and specialist counselling. Parents also participated in a series of five workshops on basic issues related to autism, such as building relationships, supporting communication development, playing with the child, and developing independence. A total of 15 young children on the autism spectrum or suspected to be on the spectrum, as well as their parents, benefited from the support. The children were equipped with the competences needed to start pre-school education and to function in a peer group, including communication and cognitive skills. Parents increased their knowledge of autism and how to support their child and received emotional support themselves. Some of the children participating in the project started pre-school education. The support received through the project had a positive impact on their adaptation in the new institutions.
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