ПОРОДИЧНО ОБРАЗОВАЊЕ ЗА ДЕЦУ СА СМЕТЊАМА РАЗВОЈА ИЗ СПЕКТРА АУТИЗМА У МАКЕДОНИЈИ : Family Education For Children With ASD In Macedonia

It has been theoretically and practically proven that Autism Spectrum Disorder affects the whole family. Family education is very important for understanding child’s condition and behavior. That kind of education usually is developed in US and Western countries and it is typically unavailable in South-East Europe and Balkans. Therefore, the ESIPP (Equity and Social Inclusion through Positive Parenting) project has been established to develop and provide family education for Croatian, Cypriot and Macedonian families. Through the project 335 family members in total were trained and a parent education curriculum and locally differentiated materials were developed. Also recommendations for European policymakers were developed. This paper presents the findings of the study regarding the 70 Macedonian family members. Family education was developed on the base of a specific research methodology that included pre-parent education questionnaires (n=70), post-parent education questionnaires (n=42) (both of which included a validated Quality of Life scale) and semistructured interviews (n=16). Key findings relate to the impact of ASD on quality of life, families’ experience of stigma and isolation, the inadequacy of professional support and the importance of family support. The benefits of family education and its positive impact on parental happiness and relational issues are identified and sustainability of project through trained trainers is established

ASD-EAST Mapping Report

This study reports on the initial mapping activity undertaken to underpin the ASD-EAST project. This comprises a survey of teachers who worked with pupils with autism as well as focus groups undertaken in Croatia, the Republic of North Macedonia and Poland

Being part of it: a partnership for developing evidence-based parent education in autism in south-eastern Europe

This presentation reports on a survey of parents in Croatia, Cyprus and the FYR of Macedonia, which was undertaken to inform the development of parent training for parents of children with autism

The impact of ASD on Macedonian families and their experience of parent education

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is identified as having a significant impact on family life. Educating parents of children with ASD about the condition benefits both child and family. However, such programmes are typically unavailable in South-east Europe. To address this, the ESIPP project developed, provided and evaluated parent education for Croatian, Cypriot and Macedonian families, training 335 family members. A parent education curriculum and locally differentiated materials were developed, as well as recommendations for European policymakers. The project was evaluated using a mixed methods programme evaluation methodology in which families were surveyed regarding their experience of family life and the impact of parent education. This paper presents the findings of the study regarding the 70 Macedonian family members. Pre-training (n=70) and post training questionnaires (n=42) were completed, and semi-structured interviews were undertaken (n=16). The impact of ASD on quality of life, families’ experience of stigma and isolation, the inadequacy of professional support and the importance of family support are discussed. The positive impact of attending parent education is identified, as is its impact on parental happiness and relational issues and the need for continued parent and professional education regarding ASD

Η διαμόρφωση ενός προγράμματος εκπαίδευσης οικογενειών με μέλη με αυτισμό: Ανάγκες και προτεραιότητες των γονέων στην Κύπρο

Presentation regarding the training priorities and needs of parents from Cyprus with regard to parent training in autism. This research was undertaken as part of the ESIPP project into parent training in autism

Helping parents to understand and support their children with autism through parent training in south east Europe: the ‘ESIPP’ project

Autism is a lifelong condition which can have a significant impact not only upon the individual with autism, but also parents, siblings and the wider family. Parent training has been shown to be an important source of social support to families, helping them adjust to the reality of living with autism, and improving outcomes and quality of life for family members. However, such training is not universally available, and nor may existing models of parent education be universally appropriate. This paper discusses the activity undertaken to date (November 2016) in the Equity and Social inclusion through Positive Parenting (ESIPP) project. This is a partnership of academics, professionals and parents, funded by the European Union, working to develop and evaluate the impact of providing such training in Croatia, Cyprus and the Former Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia. The paper reviews the literature regarding parent training, highlighting key benefits and barriers. It then moves on to introduce the ESIPP project, outlining key aspects of the project – the identification of the core curriculum, the parent training courses and the evaluation process – and summarising what we have learned in developing and providing training across cultures

Developing training for teachers to support the inclusion in education of pupils with autism spectrum disorder in Eastern Europe and the Balkans

Introduction: Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder, impacting approximately 1% of the population. Education has been identified as a key intervention for such children. However, due to the wide spectrum of autism, no single educational approach is appropriate for all, and teachers need a range of skills and strategies. Providing such education is challenging across Europe, and particularly so in Central/Eastern Europe and the Balkans, where previous research has identified a shortfall in training. Methodology: This overall project is being carried out utilising a collaborative, action-based and stakeholder-empowering methodology, and is being undertaken in four overlapping phases. The training materials and the training process will be evaluated using a combined process and outcome evaluation methodology (Royse et al., 2016). This will include the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Results/Activity to date: Project activity to date has focused on the mapping the ‘state of the art’ regarding existing models and practice regarding teacher education in ASD, as well as identifying the current knowledge, attitudes and training needs of teachers. Academics from the University of Northampton in the UK, the lead partner in the ASD-EAST project, have reviewed the literature regarding teacher education in ASD generally, while partners from Croatia, North Macedonia and Poland have led on reviewing local policy and practice on this topic. Conclusions:Initial analysis of the mapping activity has demonstrated that teachers across all three countries lack knowledge about intervention and educational methods in autism, and that they have a strong desire for training regarding practical strategies that are applicable to their work settings. This identifies the value of the project, and suggests that such training could bring about positive change for teachers and learners alike

ESIPP – едукација на родители на деца со аутизам

Presentation (in Macedonian) regarding the ESIPP parent education in autism project