Coimbra holds the first launching event of ChildIN

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• 10 March 2020
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Coimbra holds the first launching event of ChildIN

Category : News

On March 4, 2020, the ChildIN project held its first launching event in Coimbra (Portugal) in order to raise awareness on autism among childminders and training providers. Organised by project partners Academia Comenius and APPDA Coimbra, this event was an opportunity to present the ChildIN training materials, as well as discuss with representatives of the Portuguese autism community the challenges faced by autistic children and their families, and how it is possible to improve their quality of life through education.

The event counts with the participation of Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers, special education teachers, psychologists, researchers, academics, and a representative of the “Social Security Institute” (in Portuguese “Instituto da Segurança Social”).

Some of the topics addressed at the round table by the participants were:

the importance of providing training on autism for professionals to support the inclusion of autistic people and their families; the options available in Portugal to the family of a new child diagnosed child;  the way the non-teaching staff of schools deals with children on the autism spectrum; the importance of having childminders trained on autism spectrum disorders; the openness of educational centers to taking into account the needs and specificities of children with special educational needs; or what can be done to disseminate more successfully the ChildIN project across schools.

Participants also suggested incorporating other topics into the ChildIN training, such as human rights and the rights of people on the autism spectrum; sessions addressed to the non-teaching personnel working in schools; or early diagnosis and early intervention.

This event was held prior to the first round of pilot training sessions of ChildIN in Portugal. After the end of the second pilot training, planned November 2020, all Portuguese trainees will be invited to the ChildIN closing event and end-of-training certificate ceremony, where they will receive a certificate designed by the project consortium.

Professionals from across Europe are trained on autism and inclusive childminding in Porto

From the 26th to the 29^th November, 11 professionals from Poland, France, and Portugal gathered in the Cooperativa Comenius offices in Porto in the framework of the ChildIN “learning mobility days”.  The objective was to train the trainers on the ChildIN modules implementation and discuss the learning materials for trainers (the “Training kit”), developed during the first year of the project to improve caring and inclusion of autistic children by childminders and other Vocational and Educational Training (VET) players across Europe.

This short term activity allows staff of the trainers and/or the teachers of the VET organisations involved not only to apply appropriately methodologies in training, but also to collect, evaluate, and report efficiently and effectively on all data collected. This activity also leads to the development of the ChildIN Guideline, an online practical guide for training providers to sue the training materials provided by the project).

After having introduced the ChildIN project and its methodology, participants provided different approaches on how to implement the ChildIN training for childminders in the first half of 2020. Trainers have had also the opportunity to express their views and suggestions for improving the “Training kit” and reach a final version. However, some elements, as the ones related to the childminders’ evaluation, will be reviewed more in detail during the training implementation. Indeed, all the trainers were committed in the success of the project, as well as in the improvement of the training of childminders, and in the development of the support provided to autistic children and their families.

Throughout the first part of the project, the ChildIN partnership has been developing its Competence Framework and its Resources Database (available soon online). These materials have been the starting point for Comenius and APPDA for developing the « Training Manual » to be used in the test of the learning materials developed in the project.

Previous to these “learning mobility days”, 14 partners from Portugal, France, Poland, and Belgium met also at Comenius offices in to hold the third transnational meeting of the project. Latest project activities and developments, as well as preparations for the pilot sessions of the learning materials produced competence framework, were discussed.

Porto hosts the third ChildIN transnational meeting

On November 25 and 26 2019, 14 partners from Portugal, France, Poland, and Belgium met at the Academia Comenius offices in Porto to hold the third transnational meeting of the ChildIN project. Latest project activities and developments, as well as preparations for the pilot sessions of the learning materials produced competence framework, were discussed.

The meeting aimed at preparing the implementation of the ChildIN training for childminders on how to deal with autistic children to foster inclusion. Therefore, partners talked about the testing and validation of all the materials, as well as the national events to be held in France, Poland, and Portugal early in 2020.

For these national events, childminders and VET providers will be invited, together with other stakeholders such as autism professionals and organisations, policy-makers, journalists, parents, or people on the autism spectrum. These multiplier events are aiming at presenting the project and their outputs, specially the ChildIN training kit.

Other matters addressed at the meeting were the overall planning of the project, the development of the database, or the sustainability and disseminations plans, regarding the visibility and success of the project during its lifespan, and beyond.

This was the third of the foreseen five transnational meetings over the two-year lifespan of the project. ChildIN partners will meet again in June 2020 in Nevers, France.

Project milestones

During the first year of the project, partners have been working on the production of the competence framework, its related learning architecture, and on the development of a database of resources. The guidelines on how to use the ChildIN materials and the release of a policy brief are expected to be achieved to be achieved by July 2020.

More information about the outputs of the project

Training the trainers

After this meeting, future trainers attended the ChildIN learning mobility days. At this three-day session, ChildIN partners introduced the project and the learning materials in detail to participants from Portugal, France, and Poland. The childminders’ training will be accomplished by using a blended methodology, mixing face-to-face and online training sessions in a dynamic way.

ChildIN presented to more than 2,200 autism experts at the 12th Autism-Europe International Congress in Nice

From the 13 to the 15 of September 2019,ChildIN partner Autism-Europe held the 12th edition of its triannual International Congress in Nice, hosted by Autisme France. Autism-Europe‘s staff members had the opportunity to present the project at the organisations’ stands to more than 2,200 participants from more than 80 different countries.

The triennial event, organised this year in Nice by Autisme France in partnership with Autism-Europe, is dedicated to sharing advances in practical and scientific knowledge about autism to as wide an audience as possible.

People on the autism spectrum, researchers, practitioners, teachers and other interested parties submitted abstracts with the aim of exploring a broad range of perspectives, both theoretical and practical. Over 700 abstracts were received and during the selection process value has been placed on robust and well-evidenced knowledge, including academic research and professional, as well as personal and collective experience within key topic areas.

Zsuzsanna Szilvásy, President of Autism-Europe, said:

“The 2019 congress’ motto is “A new Dynamic for Change and Inclusion”, in keeping with our aspiration that international scientific research on autism should be translated into concrete changes and foster social inclusion for autistic people of all ages and needs. Our congresses therefore strive to be a place where all interested stakeholders can meet to exchange and reflect on how to shape better lives for autistic people”.

Danièle Langloys, President of Autisme France, said:

“We will be particularly pleased to welcome professionals and families from all over the world to discuss the challenges, the advances, both social and scientific. Diagnoses are still difficult or too late to obtain in many countries, and it is important to share the tools to improve them, as it is essential to develop the means of real inclusion for people with autism, at school and at work, in sports and leisure activities, and also to bring support to families”.

The congress addresses a wide range of issues, including: diagnostic and assessment, language and communication, access to education, employment, research and ethics, gender and sexuality, inclusion and community living, mental and physical health, interventions, strategic planning and coordination of services as well as rights and participation.

The conference will be held at the Congress Center Nice Acropolis. In the heart of Nice, just 7km from the Nice-Côte d’Azur International Airport, Acropolis ranks among the world’s most famous conference and exhibition centers.

Visit the official website of the Congress

ChildIN partners promotes the infinity gesture to mark World Autism Awareness Day

On World Autism Awareness Day (April 2), ChildIN partners joined the Autism-Europe’s awareness raising campaign as a way of showing their commitment to promote a society inclusive of all and accepting of diversity.

It is estimated that 7 million people are on the autism spectrum in the European Union. Most of them experience widespread discrimination in many fields of life as well as social exclusion. In order to respond to the daily challenges autistic people face, AE is conducting a Europe-wide awareness raising campaign in 2019, together with its 90 member associations in 26 EU countries, with the motto “A New Dynamic for Autism. I ? autism”.

To raise awareness of the objectives of the campaign, AE encourages supporters to make the infinity symbol, which symbolizes neurodiversity, strength and unity. Making progress to improve life outcomes for autistic people and their families can only be achieved with mutual respect, and understanding. This year, the campaign is also closely linked to the objectives of Autism-Europe’s 12th International Congress, taking place in Nice, France, in September 2019.

Autism is a lifelong disability and all member states face similar challenges across Europe, including providing timely access to diagnosis, education, employment, housing and support for life in the community. A holistic approach is needed to respond to the needs of autistic people, and some member states perform better than others. A EU approach would help reduce inequalities and exchange good practices. It would also provide support for autistic people and their families to exercise their right of free movement more easily.

More information