PROJECT REPORT "PROGRAM FOR FULL SOCIALIZATION OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS INTO THEIR COMMUNITIES"

Abstract

Since February 2014, for time period of one year, in four municipalities in South-East Macedonia the project "Program for full socialization of children with special needs into their communities." is implemented. This project is funded by the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, responding to the call for grants from 2012-2013, and implemented by the Apollonia Foundation Gevgelija as the lead organization and the Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism MSSA, as main partner. The total budget of the project "Program for full socialization of children with special needs into their communities" is 83.000€ of which 77.000€ are provided by the European Union through the EIDHR, and the contribution of the Apollonia Foundation is 6.000 €. The overall objective of the project is to increase the social integration and the development of children with special needs in four municipalities in the southeast region.
Specific Objectives:

• To increase the capacity for working with children with special needs of 320 participants: teachers from 9 primary schools, 7 kindergartens, parents, individuals and organizations dealing with this issue and young people.
• To increase the capacity for working with children with special needs through 11 seminars.
• All resources and information from the seminars to be available on a website for future use and support.
• Increasing the awareness, the visibility and the acceptance of the children with special needs as part of the school system and the community programs, promoting early recognition of sensory problems in kindergarten, enabling sensory therapy for children with special needs, providing conditions for rehabilitation of children and young adults with special needs.

In the frames of this project, from March 2014 until December 2014, 11 seminars were held for teachers from 9 primary schools and several kindergartens, parents of children with special needs, special education teachers, professionals, individuals and organizations working with special needs children and young people. The total number of participants in these events is more than 400 people. This is the list of the held seminars/workshops/forums:

1. 17^th and 18^th March 2014 - Inclusion of children with special educational needs -Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism;
2. 11th April 2014 - Forum Autism enigma -C. Kinachi - Turkey
3. 7^th May 2014 Forum for Autism - MSSA
4. 12^th and 13^th May 2014 - Educational support, introduction to application of the sensory integration theory - Center for Special Education and Rehabilitation in Belgrade, Serbia
5. 12^th and 13^th June 2014 - Sharing the experience of practical work in the sensory room - MSSA.
6. 17^th and 18^th June 2014 - The basics of ABA method in working with children with autism - Monorodi Educational Center for Autism - Athens, Greece.
7. 19^th and 20^th June 2014 - Teaching verbal behavior to autistic and other preschoolers with moderate to severe language and cognitive deficits – Monorodi Educational Center for Autism - Athens, Greece.
8. 23^rd and 24^th September 2014, Basics of Art therapy and its use in the work with children with special needs - BAAT-PISEP Bulgarian Association of Art Therapists - Bulgaria
9. 7^th and 8^th October 2014 – Seminar Brain Gym - EDU-MOVEO association from Croatia.
10. 20^th and 21^st November 2014 - Seminar Montessori method in working with children with special educational needs -Macedonian Montessori Association
11. 11^th December 2014 – Applying visual strategies in working with children with special needs in school - MSSA Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism.

With funds from the project three sensory rooms in the primary schools of Valandovo, Dojran and Bogdanci were also equipped, and a Therapy room in the Day Centre for people with special needs in Gevgelija, in which three special educators and one physiotherapist were engaged professionally.
20 Nature Day activities were planned and organized, with an objective to promote social inclusion of children with special needs with other children in their community. Nature Day is an inclusive program of Apollonia Foun­da­tion, intended for all children, where each Saturday and Sunday, children between the ages of 6-12 years go to picnics in nature and learn things connected with the environment and how to protect it.
A website for documenting and sharing project information a website was created: www.socialinclusion.mk.
Currently, the project is in its final stage, we are making the evaluation and reports.
According to the evaluation sheets from all events, the questionnaires for teachers and sensory profiles of children, all estimated goals are largely realized.
The realization of this project has actualized the question of social inclusion of children with disabilities in four local communities, and according to the discussions by the people who took part in the activities, we came to a conclusion that there is a real need for involvement of all relevant institutions in finding systematic solutions and comprehensive approach for improvement of the current situation with the inclusion of children with special needs. Continuous training of the staff working in education is needed, meaning an implementation of more practical workshops for professional development of teachers and the special educators to improve the treatment of children with special needs in schools. Also, investments by local authorities in human resources that would work individually on rehabilitation and improvement of the skills of children with special needs is necessary. Parents support groups and special educators in the three municipalities are still trying to provide the consent of the local municipalities and the relevant ministries to employ 2 special educators and 1 physical therapist in the sensory rooms in Valandovo and Bogdanci and the therapy room in Gevgelija. We hope that the results of the progress of the children in these special needs facilities will be sufficient motivation and incentive for these requests to be accepted. Apollonia Foundation and MSSA will continue their commitment and efforts to improve the socialization of people with disabilities.