Running from October 2018 to September 2020, the Train-ASD (Vocational training on communication and teaching approaches for autistic pupils) project was funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus + Programme.
This strategic partnership’s objective was to exchange know-how to develop a large-scale training programme on the use of alternative communication systems for autistic children in the countries involved in the project.
Partners came from various backgrounds – both national and cultural – and had a wide set of skills. The project coordinator, the University of Macedonia (Greece), worked closely with the other partners, such as: the University of Bucharest (Romania), the Greek Scientific Foundation of Special Education – GREFSE(Greece), INTE*LEARN (Greece), a company specialised in Computer Assisted Learning, and Autism-Europe (Belgium).
More specifically, the objectives of the Train-ASD included:
- To provide better quality training for the target groups;
- To facilitate and support professionals in refreshing their skills and validating procedures acquired from practice;
- To identify knowledge and practice gaps through comprehensive training needs analyses;
- To develop and e-training curriculum as a result of cooperation between Greece, Romania and Belgium based on the results of the training needs analyses;
- To develop an e-platform, accessible from any portable device to host the educational modules and develop a community of inquire.
Autism-Europe took lead on the Dissemination and Exploitation Work-Package, apart from taking responsibility for two national events held in Belgium in 2019 and 2020.
About the Erasmus+ Programme
Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. Its budget of €14.7 billion will provide opportunities for over 4 million Europeans to study, train, gain experience, and volunteer abroad.