DIVERSASIA - Best practices

“The day centre for children with disabilities in Durrës170 accommodates 45 children ranging from 2 to 21 years old. The centre is frequented by children who don’t attend school. The service aims at bringing them back to school. All children have a medical report from the medical commission (KMCAP) and suffer from autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability. The centre has a reduced number of staff; there are 2 part time and 3 full-time employees, including the manager. The functioning of the centre depends heavily on the cooperation with other actors such as school teachers and psycho-social service specialist. The centre provides rehabilitation and therapy services to 45 children that are attending regular schools and special schools. The IEP is composed of the centre’s staff, the regular school psychologist, and the children’s teacher. School psychologists and teachers are trained by the project on the IEP, whereas the staff of the centre is trained by the child protection project of Save the Children. Children learn behavioral and social skills with the assistance of a child development specialist, such a psychologist, speech-therapist, occupational therapist, special educator, and physiotherapist. Parents work with the child IEP objectives at home and are a great help to the child’s progress in education. They are trained by MEDPAK on IEP. The centre has organized joint activities with health service and social service to raise awareness on the rights of CwD to health and social care. The centre keeps a close cooperation with the municipal social service and the CPU specialist. MEDPAK has provided two volunteers from the University of Durrës, who follow the internship nearby the centre, and work as supportive teachers with the centre’s children with disabilities provided with IEP.” – Interview with the project manager of the day care centre, Durrës.