Project Side-by-Side

The project« Side by Side » is coordinated by APPDA, Portugal.
Partners are Autisme-Europe, Autismo Burgos, Portuguese University of Azores, Autistik
(Czech Republic) and the Autism Foundation, Hungary.

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that appears in childhood and lasts for all life. The characteristics of persons with autism are disturbances in the development of reciprocal social interaction; impairments on verbal and nonverbal communication (50% don’t speak) and a restricted repertoire of interests and behaviours (Description of Autism, Autism-Europe 2000).

Persons with autism are part of a population considered as having “High complex dependency needs” (European Disability Forum) or “In need of a high level of support”(Council of Europe). The population of persons with autism is one of the most exposed to social exclusion and discrimination. They have great difficulties to access lifelong learning and few opportunities to participate as active citizens.

Families of persons with autism are also victims of discrimination. Often, members of the family have to give up their jobs in order to take care of the autistic person who does not have structures or trained staff to assist him/her. Some members of the staff of centres and residences for persons with autism have never had specific training to deal with the needs of autistic persons. They need to acquire this training in service and at the same time they also need a basic knowledge to engage in a process of long life learning and have access to new professional expectancies.

APPDA, Portuguese Association for Autism, with the partnership of Autismo Burgos, the Portuguese University of Azores, Autistik (Check Republic) and Autism Foundation (Hungary) won the project “Side by side”, to put in practice a course for training families and non-qualified staff using an interactive web page. Autism-Europe will disseminate the results of the project among its members.

The Training Course

The training will last for 24 months from October 2003 to September 2005. It consists
of 6 non-sequential thematic modules:

• Module A
  What is important to know about autism and other populations with similar special needs - Diagnosis and characteristics of persons with autism over their life cycle. The triad of impairments. 

• Module B
  Life long learning and Autism - Adequate teaching to the development of social skills, autonomy and independence of persons with autism. Structuring the environment. Using visual cues to foster the development of learning. 

• Module C
  Health and Quality of life - Primary health care adjusted to the phases of the life cycle. Prevention of crises and behaviour problems. Primary health care in accidents. Specific basic treatments. Medication, administration of drugs: precaution/abuses. 

• Module D
  Using new technologies in service training and in life long learning.

• Module E
  The fight against social exclusion - the Charter for Persons with autism, Madrid Declaration and other documents on the rights of persons with disabilities.
   
• Module F
  Contribution of the Creative Arts to the elimination of cultural barriers in Europe - Art expression as a universal language: Music, painting, sculpture, theatre, etc. Using art expression activities for the development of communication.

The exchange of experiences and information and preparation is provided via a web site (with password log in) that contains the dynamic modules of theoretical and practical training adjusted to the reality of each of the transnational partners. It is also being adjusted to the academic level of people in training. The training is organised by the co-ordinators of the project with the collaboration of officially accredited professionals.

Objectives of the project

• To develop a course on autism and learning materials to non-qualified staff working with persons with autism and other populations in need of high levels of support.
• To guide the trainees in life long learning, fostering independent study and using new information and communication technologies.
• To help the development of autonomy skills and independence of persons with autism, involving staff and families in the training.
• To develop European co-operation among countries with different geographical and economical situations and cultures. To foster life long learning in their populations.
• To develop artistic expression as a mean of universal communication among persons with autism, families and staff with different languages and cultural backgrounds.
• To contribute to the dissemination of good practices among European countries especially the new members of European Union. International Association Autism-Europe with its magazine Link will contribute to dissemination. The website will be a specific pedagogical and management tool central to the project.

Training is carried out via the website.

1. The monitors elaborated the modules and materials, introduced them in the net and teach how to use the information.
2. At the beginning the site is being used by persons with autism with monitors or/and families and staff; groups of non-qualified staff (10 to 15 trainees) with the help of trainers (during the course).
3. After some time, the trainees will be able to consult the website by themselves or in small groups without the monitors.
   Practitioners are crucial people in the process. The modules are created at the beginning but they will be revised all along the training course after being tested in each country involved in the project. In each country there is a person in charge of the training. This person (the monitor) guides the trainees to use the information, guides the internet sessions and makes the links with the co-ordinator of the project who will also be the person who coordinates all the information received.
   There will be four trans-national meetings of the promoter and one person in charge from each partnership. to implement the project and to carry out the evaluation/adjustment of the training, prepare co-ordination strategies and discuss materials.

The persons in charge for training have already met in November 2003 in Lisbon and they will meet again in Prague, June 2004 and in April 2005 in Burgos. In September 2005 they will meet at the University of Azores to finalise the project.
There will be 2 videoconferences in countries to define, according to the reception conditions, between June 2004 and April 2005.

Expected outcomes

A manual for training with different characteristics from other manuals. The manual will be written in a very accessible language to be read by persons without high academic level. It will refer many examples of situations and practical cues to deal with them. It will be illustrated whenever possible using drawings as a well understood common language.
The Manual will have the active collaboration of the participants in the project, persons with autism (graphic materials) and their families, through the results of the experimentation of the modules.
A website with interactive sections contains the training modules, the questions in discussion during the training and their answers and evaluation. It will be a tool to any person who will need to deal with persons with autism and other persons with impairments on communication and complex dependency needs.

Isabel Cottinelli Telmo
President of APPDA