Description
The aim of the project is to establish the only clinic in Lubelskie voivodeship dedicated to the development of communication of children, adolescents and adults with disabilities who have communication issues resulting from their disabilities. We plan to offer specialized diagnostics and therapy in scope of alternative and supporting methods of communication – replacing words with objects, gestures or pictures, and to adapt computer stations to motion-related, manual and visual needs of people with disabilities in order to facilitate communication. The project will include supervision and training for therapists and parents to enhance their competence in terms of communication with people with disabilities, so as to minimize the risk of exclusion. Beneficiaries will be equipped with communication tools which will help them function actively and with dignity in the society. They will no longer be perceived as inferior and hard to understand second-class citizens without a voice.
Summary of project results
"According to the information of the Organization, in Lublin and its environs there's no center, which in a structural way solves the problems people with serious communication disorders and their families. The ONZ convention on the rights of persons with disabilities indicates the necessity to facilitate the use of alternative and assistive communication (Advanced Audio Coding). The latest research proves that about 5% persons with cerebral palsy and 18.9% autistic persons require AAC. The goal of the project was to counteract social exclusion of not speaking or speech impaired persons through furnishing them with a tool, i.e. an alternative and assistive system of communication and through preparing people from their immediate and secondary environment for making effective use of the system. Thanks to the activities conducted, appropriate methods of communication have been selected for 50 persons, individual help kits for them have been worked out and as well the speech impaired persons and their families have been prepared for the communication. A team of therapists (a psychologist, a neuro-speech therapist, a special education teacher, an assistive technology specialist, a rehabilitant) have diagnosed patients and conducted therapy with regard to alternative and assistive communication (on average 12 hours for every speech impaired person with participation of their parents and/or teachers). An individual program of the AAC system implementation and a passport for communication including the basic information about its owner and other aid (a book, tables, symbols etc.) have been worked out for every participant. High technology equipment have been selected for 18 persons. Clinical supervisions (16 meetings) improving knowledge about AAC for parents, teachers and therapists working with the persons taking part in the project (24 parents and 26 therapists) have been conducted. The project realization has been summed up at a conference ""Let's Talk Without Words - AAC Usage at Different Life Stages"" in which 250 persons participated. 50 people with communication disorders mainly from Lublin Voivodeship , their parents (67 persons) and 22 other people (teachers, therapists), whom they meet on everyday basis, benefited from the project"
Summary of bilateral results