Description
The aim of this project, is the expansion of the organization’s services to autistic children and their families, covering wider areas of the Kozani prefecture, with a focus on remote mountainous areas inhabited by populations in great need of welfare support. Specialized support and training services will be provided at home, along with a tailor-made programme on computers for autistic children. This project combines the provision of social welfare services with active labor-enhancement strategies. The ultimate aim is the establishment of a Social Cooperative Enterprise, which will offer opportunities of economic integration and provision of social welfare services to families with autistic children.
Summary of project results
Fifty to fifty eight children, out of 10.000 born are included in the group of autistic type developmental disorders. Thus, in the region of Kozani, Greece, totaling almost 150.000 inhabitants, children of this group must exceed 750. Given the absence of support mechanisms for autistic people and their families in the region, (excluding the under-stuffed special schools run by the Ministry of Education), the need for continuous, all-day and for-life education for children with autism, the need emerges for educational support to their family members. Our project has supported families, of which one member is autistic, providing education to them so as to identify their collective and individual needs. Medics and tutors pay visits to the domestic space of each, providing advice and orientation for the set-up of the daily schedule, implementing the TEACCH method, and guide parents by indicating ways to teach their autistic child themselves, being self-relying and in a position to deal with adverse behavior patterns such as anger-management. The statutory aim of the project was to support twenty families and educate children with autism in computer usage. They were achieved by 100% and 80% respectively. By the end of the project, personnel documented the change in educational patterns of the children and their families, which were able and were indeed following the indicated advice. A visible benefit for their quality of life was reported.
Summary of bilateral results