Educational needs Presentation of the outcomes of explorative surveys

1. Educational needsPresentation ofthe outcomes of explorative surveys by Betti Dézsi (regional coordinator of the ISF Educational Centre)

2. Background On 4 October 2004 the International SOFT Federation took the initiative to establish an Educational Centre (ISF EC) in which a large number of Eastern European care institutions and NGO’s are combined, including education and training institutions. The ISF EC strives for the realisation of its aims by assessing educational needs, developing and implementing educational programs, mobilising in view of these expertise as well as the necessary financial means. For these purposes it will have an international experts’ data base as well as a regional training centre, both located in the town of Debrecen, Hungary, where the International SOFT Federation has its seat. Recently, the local government has formally expressed its intention to co-operate with the ISF EC. The Debrecen Home of Handicapped Children and Youngsters (DHHCY) plays in this respect an important role by offering an institutional background for training activities.

3. ISF Educational Centre - project - The aim is to establish a training centre where we give help and assistance to parents, specialists and personal helpers who live and work with disabled children and adults in the Eastern European regions. In the need of getting a place in society law and regulations, education and attitudes have to go hand by hand. This will take at least 20 years as it has happened in the rich western countries of Europe. Those goals will only be reached when there is a training course with contracts for the trainers to train 20 people in their own society. It is possible to learn coaching by following a coaching program in Debrecen. They can become trainers in their own countries only after a successful exam in the training centre.

4. Important training programs for Eastern Europe to reach those goals • Personal Future Planning: an instrument to use to reach a better independent place in the society. During making the PFP as a future plan people with disabilities are active participants. Considering their plans and dreams, we will make the individual program in co-operation with them, which aims to find their places in the society.

5. Important training programs for Eastern Europe to reach those goals • Support training: an instrument with different aspects how we get that independent place for disabled people • Supported employment: how to involve disabled people in a workplace and in the society • Communication with disabled autistic persons • Training program for helpers in home situation • Training programs for parents bringing up their disabled child at home

6. The questionnaire • 1. The reason why the person or association affected fills in this form: 1.Person with disability 2.Parents affected 3.Personal helper 4.Pedagogist 5.Therapeutist 6.NGO 7.Health worker 8.Decision-maker 9.Other

7. The questionnaire • 2. In which sectors do you think further training courses would be important and needed in the aspect of giving better and professional care to people with disabilities and helping their inclusion in the society? 1.Early development 2.Education at school 3.Professional training 4.Pedagogical training 5.Decision-making 6.Other training 7.Education and special training for people with disabilities

8. Assessment of needs in Hungary • The survey is being done continuously in the region. I sent out the forms to about 700 addresses directly, but indirectly more people received my questions. • There are not any statistically significant results as the target groups think all of the things mentioned in the questionnaire are important and need some improvement. The most useful answers are the comments on the forms. These detailed comments will help the project.

9. Resultsof the survey in Hungary

10. Assessment of needs in the Netherlands • The answers arrived via the Internet.

11. Assessment of needs in Ukraine • The survey was carried out by the Medical and Social Rehabilitation Centre ‘Way of Life’, Ukraine, and about 45 people were asked to fill in the questionnaire. • The reason why the person or association affected fills in this form: • Children, parents 57,5% • Parents who work in NGO sector 11% • Parent and decision-maker 2,5% • Pedagogists 4% • NGO employees 20% • Relatives 25%

12. Assessment of needs in Ukraine 2. In which sectors do you think further training courses would be important and needed in the aspect of giving better and professional care to people with disabilities and helping their inclusion in the society?

13. Assessment of needs in Ukraine • 3.Topics of training courses • training for parents: psychological development, neurological problems, behaviour, programs for improving learning skills • training for pregnant mothers • training for decision-makers • introduction of Labour Codex • training for people with disabilities: „adaptation to life” • 4.Suggestions • Improving the programs: textbooks, handbooks, psychological, social, financial and medical support training for pregnant mothers

14. Survey results in Romania • The assessment of needs was carried out by a different survey but the aim was the same to get information about the educational needs. • In Romania the B.A.C.H. – a special advisory office – made a professional statistical survey and asked about 1000 people with disabilities and 1000 specialists dealing with them to fill in the questionnaire in Bukarest and 9 Romanian counties – Bihar, Iasi, Hargita, Kolozs, Máramaros, Szatmár, Szeben, Szilágy and Temes. All of them were asked face to face to answer the questions by sociologists, social workers, volunteers and employers of the B.A.C.H. network. • The survey was supported by Deutche Caritas Verband of Freiburg.

15. Survey results in Romania 1./ The first group questioned consisted of 818 specialists who work with people with disabilities. About 66.6% of them have higher qualifications, and 84% attended some professional training courses.

16. Survey results in Romania How often? The specialists questioned meet people with disabilities nearly every day. 40%: mentally and physically handicapped 40%: learning and behavioural disorders, or severely handicapped 20%: hard of hearing, visually handicapped About 10-15% of them meet all these people once a week, and 7-12% once a month. Satisfied with their work? 30%: totally and more or less satisfied with the work they can do to help people with disabilities 47%: not satisfied with the conditions in which they have to work

17. Survey results in Romania Necessary training? The specialists emphasised that it is necessary to organise further professional training courses. 60%: theory and practice are in equal proportion 30%: more practice during a training course Participants in the training? The specialists asked in the survey would like to participate in courses together with the people working in the following professions: The trainers should be well-qualified and experienced.

18. Survey results in Romania Topics of training courses? 12.2%: inclusion Other topics: recuperation, communication, behaviour, therapy, psychology 2./ In the survey 928 people with disabilities were asked. Connection with specialists? 90%: specialised doctors 50%: social workers 40%: psychologists (Nearly all of them meet their family doctors regularly.)

19. Survey results in Romania Necessary training? It is necessary to organise further professional training courses for specialists. 62%: theory and practice are in equal proportion 22%: more practice during a training course 6.5%: only theory 6%: only practice Who needs training courses? 40%: family doctors 15%: social workers others: psychologists, specialised doctors, pedagogists

20. Survey results in Romania Topics of training courses? Communication, behaviour, recuperation, inclusion and care People with disabilities think that specialists should be more experienced in informatics and have computer literacy at higher level to do their work effectively.

21. Compared results

22. Compared results

23. Comments on the questionnaires- categorized summary from Hungary - 1.      Early development Inclusion should be started from early childhood. Children who need early development should be provided with therapies and medical treatments suitable for them as soon as possible. There should be a complex developing centre (kindergarten, school) where several early development methods can be applied (hydrotherapy, hyppotherapy, HRG). It would be the decision-makers’ responsibility to establish and operate this centre. Unfortunately there are several methods available in Budapest only, so parents should spend a lot of money on travelling. “Early development” methods (e.g. how to use the necessary rehabilitation tools) in case of people who got disabled in their adulthood should be taught more effectively. It is especially important for experts working in early development to share their experience.

24. 2.      Education at school • Education at school should involve the disability issue just like education for healthy way of life. It can be taught as a special subject as well as on form master’s lessons. • At kindergarten and school it should be made “natural” for children how to behave with people with different disabilities, reflecting on the fact that when they are adults, they must help and support these people.

25. 3.      Professional training • We need a network of medical and social experts who are more experienced and have at least intermediate qualifications. • Special therapies, e.g. for developing children suffering from behavioural defect, hyperactivity. Special development for children suffering from pervasive developing defect. • Training courses are continuously needed in all sectors to ensure professional treatments, to know the latest methods, therapies, as well as to give more and more information about the basic knowledge of therapeutical pedagogy and the attitudes towards people with disabilities in connection with equal opportunity and social help. • There is a need for training courses for professionals, pedagogists and helpers. After these courses the qualified trainers will be able to organise and carry out developing training courses for specialists assisting people with disabilities (also adults) in the social service. This profession is missing at present.

26. 3.      Professional training • Logopedical therapy for children with severe disabilities: new methods, the modern technical background of augmentative communication therapy, and rehabilitation devices used in logopedia. • Continuative education in connection with inclusion issues, emphasizing the team work of experts (conductors, developing pedagogists, therapeutical pedagogists) and methods for increasing effectiveness in behalf of children with special educational needs.

27. 4.      Pedagogical training • The basic condition of inclusive education for people with disabilities is the acquirement of the basis for pedagogical and educational exercises in connection with disability issue that can be chosen as special subject or built in the training for pedagosists. There should be an overview about disability issue, possibilities of development especially focusing on how to develop children with severe disabilities. Pedagogists should be prepared to accept diversity. • Pedagogists already working in their profession should be ensured to have the opportunity to learn the new methods in (accredited) training courses. The pedagogists concerned should be informed about the opportunity for postgraduate courses.

28. 5.      Decision-making • It is important that knowledge about legal measures should be enlarged, and decision-makers should be ready to change their attitudes and way of thinking. We must make them understand it cannot be decided that people with disabilities are able to study at special schools only, work at special advocated workplaces only. They have to make decisions while considering as many people with disabilities there are, as many special needs they have. • There would be an 8-hour training course for decision-makers. During this course they should try doing everyday activities (such as using toilets, washing hands, combing, eating, moving, etc.) while imitating the situations of different disabilities.

29. 6.      Other training • Apart from the original qualifications professionals working in different sectors need to get additional completive professional training in connection with provision of necessary treatments for people with disabilities. The training modules can be: • principals of therapeutical pedagogy; • methodics of pedagogy, didactics and learning in connection with teaching, educating and improving people with disabilities; • training of work therapy, art therapy, moving therapy; • training in connection with real chance of rehabilitation, possibilities, aims; • economics, writing applications, principles of business, communication skills, tactics, diplomatics, organisation improvements.

30. 6.      Other training • There are hardly any little differences between disabled and non-disabled children but that makes a difference how children with disabilities are brought up and prepared for their adulthood, but the real problem and trauma occur when they are not able to get on in the society as adults. • Necessary but still missing modules, courses and training for: • People with disabilities: living their lives alone, training and development focusing on their skills and talents; • Parents; • Personal assistants; • Employers; • Officers in labour centres: attitudes, how to deal with disability issue; • Adolescents: personality developing training; • Professionals working in health care, administration, legal sector, architecture, media, rehabilitation and social sector: postgraduate training.

31. 6.      Other training • A diagnostic and professional training centre has to be established. The task of this diagnostic centre is to support the work of medical professional committees by which positive working skills and motivations are surveyed in case of people with disabilities. After this the first professional and postgraduate training, retaining, adult training can be realized in special and integrated professional training centres. . • Generally speaking, it would not be useless to organise – only some-hour – training for all the people dealing with or having any contacts with people with special problems. • There should be training for professionals in order that they will be able to work out methods helping the examinations of people with changed working skills, and 1-2-day training is also needed for practising the use of these examination tools.

32. 7.      Education and special training for people with disabilities • This special technical school system, which is very unifacial for people with mental disabilities, should be enlarged, and training that gives qualifications specifically to jobs should be started. • Neither the education, continuative education, nor the retraining of people with changed working skills/abilities is established, organised, that is why this target group is so inactive. • Beyond the school system what is missing is an adult training specialized in market-oriented qualifications or part-qualifications and first of all practice-oriented education especially for people with mental disabilities. The aim is to give knowledge by the help of which mentally handicapped young adults are able to take part in work-rehabilitation or developing-preparing employment, as well as, to work alone in the open labour market.

33. 7.      Education and special training for people with disabilities • It would be essential to teach parts of work procedures in case of some job, to form the individual working abilities, to which a rehabilitation plan should be created. This will give an opportunity for long-life learning. • People with changed working skills should be ensured a training course that would teach them that: • a/ they are not alone, b/ they can rely on a lot of help from many people, c/ the law guarantees them a lot of services that they may need,d/ they should not be afraid of people, but they cannot trust them without control, either. • All things considered, they should learn to live together with their problems, families, the other members of the society, but first of all with themselves.

34. Plans After the actual assessment of needs a new training module will be prepared and worked out. Preliminary module plan: Labour-force market knowledges Rights of handicapped Rehabilitation employment knowledges 1. Employment features of groups of the blind and partially blind 2. Employment features of groups of the deaf and partially deaf 3. Employment features of groups of the disabled 4. Employment features of groups of the mentally handicapped 5. Employment features of groups of the increased handicapped Personal future plan Skill development 1. Practical working up of conflict treatment strategies and methods 2. Stress factors, workplace stress, burning out, way outs and methods Methodology of human services 1. Cooperation development program, field orientation and correction 2. Job seeking technics

35. Plans Considering effectiveness, the training is to last 112 hours, and about 60-120 people will get qualifications after the training. To start the ISF EC Project, we have found the Human Resources Development Operational Programme 2.2 (HRDOP 2.2), and now we are trying to apply for it. Those responsible for realisation - International SOFT Federation, - Debrecen Home of Handicapped Children and Youngsters, - SOFT Foundation, - RÉV 2000 Social and Mentalhygienic Public Assistance Foundation, - Local university and college.

36. Further information: www.softfederation.euThank you for your attention.