Title: Equity and Social Inclusion through Positive Parenting
Type of the resource: Project
Funded by: European Commission’s Erasmus + Programme
Authors:
Type of disability: Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Target education level: General
Language(s): English
Greek
IPR:
OER:
Overall objectives of the inclusive learning resource
Inclusive learning intervention logic: (What are the overall broader objectives to which the action will contribute?)
Helping parents to understand autism.
Objectively verifiable indicators of achievement: (What are the key indicators related to the overall objectives?)
Sources and means of verification: (What are the sources of information for these indicators?)
The ESIPP project has the core aim to develop and disseminate a programme of training for parents of children with autism living in South-eastern Europe. Project participants have created and trialed a series of modules that work to aid and grow an understanding of the autistic condition, and to help nurture a range of strategies that can be implemented to help address some of the many needs these children and their families face. The content of each module presents the latest best practice as recognized by autism practitioners and experts in the field. It is hoped that participation in the modules will develop parental confidence, assisting them in making and implementing self-help strategies that will go some way toward easing the great demands that caring for children with autism requires.
Risks and Challenges:
Specific purpose of the inclusive learning resource
Inclusive learning intervention logic: (What specific objective is the resource intended to achieve to contribute to the overall objectives?)
Helping parents to understand their children with autism and to effectively manage their behavior will have significant benefits regarding social inclusion, quality of life, educational achievement, employment and equality of opportunity.
As such, this project will contribute to the development of a more equitable and socially inclusive Europe in the short, medium and long term.
Objectively verifiable indicators of achievement: (Which indicators clearly show that the objective of the actions/resource has been achieved?)
The need for the project:
Autism is a lifelong condition which affects about 1% of the population (or approximately 7.5m European citizens) as well as those who live with them and care for them.
The presence of autism can be extremely challenging to parents and other family members, and autism has been identified as causing greater family and parental stress than any other disability. The condition can challenge traditional parenting styles and cause parents to feel deskilled and dis-empowered. The presence of autism within the family can negatively affect the educational achievement, employment opportunities and social inclusion of mothers, fathers, siblings and the individuals with autism themselves.
Teaching parents to understand the condition, and to work effectively with schools and other professionals, has been shown to be effective in improving outcomes for individuals with autism and their families. However, though such parent education programmes have been developed in e.g. Western Europe and the USA, there is little or no availability of such programmes or materials in many areas within Europe, for example in the Balkan/Eastern Mediterranean region.
Sources and means of verification: (What are the sources of information that exist or can be collected? What are the methods required to get this information?)
A strategic partnership has been developed involving universities, non-governmental organisations and the parents of children with autism to:
develop an evidence-based model for delivering parent education in autism that can be used across Europe
develop a core curriculum and ecologically valid parent education training materials
use these materials to provide parent education to families living with autism in areas where it has been previously unavailable. A minimum of 18 training events – six per country – will take place during the lifetime of the project
evaluate the effectiveness of the materials and the impact of the training using quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis
share the model curriculum, tools and materials with stakeholders and make recommendations to policy- and decision-makers. Project Consortium: University of Northampton, Autism Europe, MSSA, EUC - European Univerrsity Cyprus, Centar Za Autism, Target Autism, University of Zagreb, Autism Consern, Autism Assessment Support Practice Cyprus
CO-FUNDED BY THE ERASMUS+ PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Risks and Challenges: (Which factors and conditions outside the user's responsibility are necessary to achieve that objective? (external conditions)) Which risks should be taken into consideration?
Expected results on implementation of the resource
Inclusive learning intervention logic: (The results are the outputs envisaged to upscale. What are the expected results?)
OUTPUTS
1) Parent Autism Education Programme Curriculum
This is the overall parent education curriculum which will form the basis of the parent education programme. It will contain a universally appropriate and relevant core content, whilst being differentiated to be appropriate within different national/cultural contexts.
2) Parent Autism Education Training Materials
These are the training materials that will be differentiated according to setting and delivered to the families attending the courses.
3) Parent Education Model and Policy Recommendations
This is the overall evidence-based model for parent education. This document regarding parent education in autism is prepared for policy- and decision-makers and will make a number of recommendations for policy and practice across Europe. It will be produced as a document, with an accompanying YouTube video.
Objectively verifiable indicators of achievement: (What are the indicators to measure whether and to what extent the action/resource achieves the expected results?)
Sources and means of verification: (What are the available sources of information for these indicators?)
Risks and Challenges: (What external conditions must be met to obtain the expected results on schedule?)
Activities
Inclusive learning intervention logic: (What are the key activities to be carried out and in what sequence in order to reach the expected results?)
The Parent Education Programme (PEP), entitled Positive approaches to autism consists of six modules. The content of the modules promotes the use of positive strategies, and is based around the following topics:
1) an introduction to autism spectrum conditions,
2) behavior,
3) the use of visual structure,
4)sensory issues,
5) communication challenges and
6)the building of social skills.
In addition, three non-core modules were added to meet requests for information on puberty issues, and on sleeping and eating issues. This was created due to requests from parents on the initial feedback forms from the first round of training.
Objectively verifiable indicators of achievement: (What are the means required to implement these activities, e.g. personnel, equipment, training, studies, supplies, operational facilities, etc.)
Equipment: PC and Internet access
Sources and means of verification: (What are the sources of information about action progress?)
Risks and Challenges: (What pre-conditions are required before the use of the resource starts? What conditions outside the user's direct control have to be met for the implementation of the planned activities?)
Attachment:
URL: http://esipp.eu/parent-education-programme/greek/
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