LDV MEETING IN HUNGARY/2013
All Inclusive - Ldv Partnership
Monday, 22 July 2013
4st Mobility to Germany
Starnberg - 14th of November – 17th
of November 2012
15th of November
During the first day of visits:
The Kindergarhaus an der Ammer is situated in the small town of
Peissenberg in the Country of Wielheim –Schongau in Oberbayern. The facility is
sponsered by FortShritt gGmbH. The Kinderhaus has been fouded in 2005, and is
on integrative facility for children from the ege of 1 to school entry 6 years
whit capacity 105 children. In the moment 63 children are being cared for in
three different groups an in the Nursery. Fourteen of these children occupy an
Integrative place in the Kinderhaus, and one child with special requirements is
equal to three normal places. Depending on the number of Integrative children,
there are 15 to 21 children in a group; in the Nursery 12 to 15 children. A
total of 14 Padagogues and 3 Nursery Trainees work in the facility. Each group
is assigned at laest 2 or 3 qualified employes, nursery teachers ar child
carers.
The Pedagogical services cater for children with special needs in
separate learning blocks or in small group, or for example in psychomotoric
hours. Medical Therapeustics, including Speech Therapists. Psychotherapist and
Ergotherapist, visit the Kinderhaus on a regular basis.
16 th of November
During the second day of visits:
Pfenningparade Workshop - Inside the building there are several
workshops: candles laboratory, art laboratory (group mirage), graphic workshop
(mouseart), office workshop and the Pfenningparade shop, where they sell all
the all products created within the institution.
The first impression coming at the Institute is that it is a citadel
built specifically for disability and the first thought is that there can be no
real integration. I was also amazed by the equipment available: lifts,
wheelchairs, drinks at the disabled in wheelchairs, lifts,…
In each workshop there are several workers with varying degrees of
disability, mainly physical disability. All disabled workers, hired by the
institute, work inside the structure and some of them also live in the
institute because inside there are also some apartment for housing autonomy.
Pfenningparade works great with external companies that give them the
work orders (especially with regard to the office-laboratory and the laboratory
of graphics). Disabled workers are reported by some agencies that make an
assessment of their potential and the type of job that they can perform.
The laboratories are well equipped and have all the necessary tools to
make the job easier. Within each laboratory is a department head, a
non-disabled person, who is responsible for the production of the lab and helps
disabled people to learn on the job. In the case of laboratory candles and art
is not only educational support but also technical, ie they are the masters of
art.
In the “mouse art” laboratory are creating works of art made with the
computer, using Adobe Photoshop. The pictures are drawn artistically
manipulated and / or integrated with painting with computer. Or the artists /
disabled they experience with shapes and colors, develop abstract and
Surrealist works of good artistic quality. The good quality of high-resolution
digital file allows printing on canvas, acrylic, posters and foam panels.
Are thus produced prints, calendars, cards and gifts, postcards, ... all material which is then sold by Internet (the laboratory has its own sales page online on the website of the institution) or directly to companies who come into contact with them. Their products are also sold in the store of Pfenningparade.
Are thus produced prints, calendars, cards and gifts, postcards, ... all material which is then sold by Internet (the laboratory has its own sales page online on the website of the institution) or directly to companies who come into contact with them. Their products are also sold in the store of Pfenningparade.
In the computer lab are supported external companies entering data,
scanning documents. Provide businesses with a complete solution to digitize
paper documents (invoices, Inbox, personnel files, etc.) on the classification
as the needs company. You can take, also, to sleeve letters, put stamps etc..
These two laboratories are those who have more contact with the real
labor market and require high professionalism of the workers. In the workshops
are people with more or with less disability who have different roles according
to their abilities. Can still be considered as two laboratories actually
productive.
The laboratory is very artistic candles are created and then sold candles
of every shape, size and color, also stimulating the artistic side of people. They
also have an activity of recycling wax that collect, for example within the
churches. The laboratory of art are frequently implemented real paintings are
commissioned from outside or sold through an auction once a year.
Inside the store, on the ground floor and accessible from the outside
(open so even people who are not disabled or residents of the area), you can
then find all the products made in laboratories.
2st
Mobility to Italy
Florence - 27th of March – 30th of March
The
team members of NBDN in the 2 th Mobility: Marieta Nikolova, Radostina Yakimova
and Haralan Alexandrov.
28th of March
During the first day of visits:
Nursery “Tavarnuzze” - daycare centre for elders with disabilities
was visit. It was situated outside of the city and the clients traveled to the
center mostly by public transport. Average age of the clients is 30 years old
and different therapies including horse therapy and art therapy are organized
for the clients. They have their own garden with vegetables which used for
cooking and have theater classes. Once in year they have a theater performance
in the Florence
The level of participation of
the clients in day planning is very high and this inclusion makes them
empowered and developed different soft skills, but mostly communication and
team working skills.
The day care center is owned by
municipality and before to become day care center was a center for drug
addicted persons and the building where the NGO was approved as service
provider was ruined. The all
reconstructions are made with financial and material resources of the parents
together with their special needs’ children.
The most important scare which
was shared was about the care of the people with special needs after their
parents’ death. This is the field in which social services have to be developed
and financed.
At the afternoon a meeting with
sharing the experience was conducted and all participants shared their
impressions.
“La Rose” - daycare center. “La Rose” was founded 20
years ago thanks to child with special needs who didn’t have any place to go
after finishing school. The center is runned by the health department. The persons with special needs are taken to
the center by parents or by volunteers. 10 employees works there part time,
only one full time /farmer, cook, dance therapist, art, teacher, music
therapist, art, craft teacher and social worker/. The parents do not have to
pay for service The Health Center finances the food. In the center were 9
adults with special needs. There is no integration.
Bar “Ulisse” – The bar works like normal bar. In the bar work 4 employees, 2 of them
with need of aid or problems. The social worker is responsible for the
teenagers with special needs together with the keeper works in the bar.
29th of March
During the second day of visits:
Nursery “Alberomago” – Established in 2008, works like integration
institution. The nursery need special needs teacher. In nursery were 48 /0-36
month/ children in three different groups, 1 child with disability. The
personal: 8 educators, 2 nurse, 1 cook and one cooks help. The children are
going there after recommended by Health
Center
Nursery
“La Coccinella” – is situated in commune de Grave in Chianti. The
nursery school is the government’s institute but it is under management by ARCA
in cooperation with the commune.. The parents pay for nursery is between 300
and 450 euro. In the nursery was three groups with children /12 -36 months/. In
one of groups was child with special need of aid /18 months old/, but not officially since the
parents do not ask for help.
At the afternoon a second
meeting for exchange of experience and impression was organized, but after that
a discussion about the national legislation in each country was conducted.
The main conclusions which are
important for Bulgaria
1.
The
legislation in Bulgaria
2.
The
educational system has to be changed, because at the moment the disciplines in
universities which educate specialists do not planned people with special needs
to be included and empowered which stimulate the medical not the social
approach.
3.
A
campaign about raising the awareness of society has to be conducted and people
with special needs to be recognized as persons who can be responsible for their
lives and know better what are their needs and desires.
The study visit in Florence
1st Mobility to Hungary
Budapest - 23th
of November – 26th of November
VISTI
IN NURSERIES SCHOOL - 24th
of November
There
are 4 nurseries schools in the district. Nurseries school is part of social
sphere and the kinder garden is part of the education of children with
disabilities. In nursery school children are till 3 years old in kinder garden
are elders. There is only one child with
special needs which is documented and 3 more who are in process of diagnosing.
The diagnosing process last 1 month and is make by expert commission.
The
process steps in work with disabled children is:
1)
Work with all kids and making their daily things
2)
After daily things and plays, the resource teacher is working and identifying
the disabilities of the kids.
The
nurseries school is in green district with few parks and real estate building,
the population is not as big as in other part in Budapest and they are trying
to keep this family atmosphere. In
district has 4 nurseries with 346 places in them – they have 338 kids in them.
The
legislation controls the number of children. In 1997 was prepared the law which
regulates everything. They can have 12 kids under 2 years and 14 elder in each
group. If there are children with special needs - number can be maximum 10 kids
in each group. It is possible to have 2 kids with special needs, but this is
the maximum number in each group and in this case they have 2 nouns, and they
can have 12 or 14 kids, but in that case they have one extra person – educator,
which has colleague degree which is 3 years.
Between
10-14 o’clock all groups are together and playing. The working time starts at 6
o’clock in the morning and sometime kids are arriving before this time. They
have very special system about kids who will be in school before 6 a.m. and
finding noun that will be at work earlier – only one have to be in the nursery
school. Each group have room, there are 10 groups, 20 nouns and special staff –
psychologist, etc. They have 128 kids in
the garden where we were. The school is
open until 6 p.m. to have parents’ possibilities to take their kids.
The
special needs teachers and integrated children are supported since 1991
Integration is
not obligatory, but voluntary. If they want to be special school they have to
guarantee the tools which are needed – staff and equipment.
If
they have family which have special kid and wants to apply for concrete kinder
garden if it is not integrated they are allowed to cancel this application, but
if they have the equipment and staff, they can accept the kid at the moment and
to change whole situation. In Italy
It is not
obligated to be integrated kinder garden, but this institution is experienced
and can arrange all process of integration and rearrange everything. In schools
JOIN
MEETING AFTERNOON - 24th
of November
- Presentation of each participant and his/her background and field of expertise
Parents (not Mother) and
child group – harmony, good atmosphere, conductors been supported,
discipline, therapy, singing and smiling, main principle is LEARNING BY DOING,
BUY DOING, BY DOING…..Train – they have to put their feet on the train singing
and to take it out in the rhythm of the music. Mother work together with the
child and when they back home they know how to make all exercises with their
children including bath and toilet.
Children’s integration – they see the reverse integration. We can have
integration, the real one when we change our attitudes and become more aware on
special children’s needs. The reason children without disabilities to be part
of this group /for children with special needs/, is because they have brothers
or sisters in it. They have different programs for development of their speech,
motor abilities etc.
CONFERENCE
- 25th of
November
During
the conference the achievement of conducting education had been presented,
including the new researches made by students in the University.
The conference demonstrated the existence of
a vigorous professional and academic community, committed to the promotion of
inclusive education.
REFLECTIONS
From Bulgarian perspective the experience of
the site visits and the meetings in Budapest
It seems that in order to be successful, the
promotion of inclusive education has to unroll simultaneously in several
distinct, yet interrelated domains: public, political, legal, professional,
academic, etc. In each sphere the policy of inclusion needs to have a consolidated
group of supporters, who can act as change agents. Apparently in the case of Hungary Bulgaria
Baraolt - 06th of June – 10th of June
7th of June
During the first day of visits:
Laura Haz – Daily care center
for disabled children and young adults – Laura Haz was founded by Laura Toth as a non-profit organization in
2003. The center receives support from the county of Baraolt
8th of June
Special school – Sf. Gheorghe
- The school was founded in
1980 by Cosvana district. At the moment 120 young people with mental disability
visit the institution. The staff is by psychologist, speech therapists, and
physiotherapists. Two teachers supervise the children in the special classes.
In regular public school aren’t possibilities to integrate young people with
disabilities. In the school isn’t available a bus service. The parents need to
take the children.
The school is situated in the nice renovated
building with garden. It is good modern equipped with several class rooms, computer
room, gyms for rehabilitation, bathroom, and kitchen.
Education is
based on a program, which is oriented especially
on each child’s abilities. The aim is to support and integrate these children
into society through speech therapy, physiotherapy and psychotherapy. The
children learn to work on a computer. The school focuses on artistic
activities.
Daily care
center for disable people – The
center was founded in 2006 by the state and financed by foreign sponsors
(German, Austrian and Dutch) and from self-financing (sale of handicrafts
products by the users). The goal of the
center is allow disabled people to work and insert the disabled into the labor
market. There are some laboratories where the disabled people can learn a job. The
staff is composed by administrative employees, psychologists, nurses, social
workers and teachers and supporter for the manual works. The center was created
taking into account the German and Dutch model, countries with which a
partnership is made. Outside the center have also used a clothes shop, a
carpentry shop, which employs disabled youth. The center offers sheltered
workshops for learning.
NBDN : Marieta Nikolova and Annete Marinova.Cimbora Nursery School - Baraolt
Cimbora nursery school is situated in the middle of the town ad offer to the children a lot of different activities. Sexteen nursery school teacher work there, with ten workers from the support staff, psychologist and speech therapist. The nursery school collaborates with Special need school working with children whit special needs. Cimbora nursery school has a specific educational program, involved to self-development, healty development, integration program, social and physical development. The program of the nursery school include: self development, health development, integration physical-social and emotional development. During the morning spent in the nursery school, we could see and participate in activities done with children…and finally gave us a beautiful flower.Laura Haz- day care center- Baraolt
The daily care center for disabled children and young adults, is open from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 2 pm. There is not a age-limit to go to the center, but they have some admission criteria: have a good behaviour, being able to eat by their self and being self-sufficient for the cleaning.Laura Haz is a no-profit organization founded by Laura Toth in 2003. Located in the center of Baraolt, they are supported by Baraolt, the children’s legal protection and by Kovaszna municipality. In order to have more funds available, Laura Haz’s staff and parents organize many extra activities for fundraising.
The Laura Haz’s staff is composed by 5 workers, they have also a psychologist for the individual program. The goal of the institution is to provide disabled peple without scholastic learning with appropriate support, especially regarding autonomy by work.
During the morning children and guys have many activities like work laboratory. During the morning, two boys follow the "learning laboratory" where the psychologist introduce them to some games like memory or puzzle games, useful to cognitive development.
Then each guy goes into the laboratory. The principal activity is the frame size: they cut old clothes in strips and then become carpets thanks to the frame. They also do other work with the fabric (pouf), wicker, greeting cards, etc.. Laura Haz collaborate with the school for physical activity. In addition to workshops Laura Haz teach the care of personal hygiene, to behave properly at the table, eating alone, spending time with others, without being quarrelsome behaviour.
During the year are expected outputs and trips, eg a. trout fishing, festivals (New Year) with their parents.
Behind "Laura House" was set up a market of second-hand clothes, followed by a user and operators. The center is financed for 50% by state funds and the other with donations and volunteering. Have established partnerships with associations (I think Irish), who have rebuilt half of the house, they send diapers and summer camps organized labor, in return for hospitality. "Laura House" is very similar to the Italian experience.
Development Center Baraolt
The institution provides the social support for marginalized children, children with disabilities, abandoned children and poor families. Inside the institution there is a resident center for children with special needs. The goal of this center is support the disabled children when their parents are unable to provide them. The center’s activities are housing, care, rehabilitation, education and integration.At the time of our visit, the center hosted 12 children from 0 to 8 years whit several physical and cognitive disabilities.
The staff is composed by 9 workers, 6 employed by government and 3 by the association. In the staff there is various type of professionals: social worker, educator with special competence for rehabilitation (speech therapy-cognitive rehabilitation, physical rehabilitation). The center try to integrate the children and their families to the community by some activities like the international day of the integration, open day centre, carnival party with the community, some specific visit.
The rehabilitation centre’s objectives is designed to enhance the lives of children with disabilities trough therapy to provide cognitive abilities, speech therapy and sensorial/physical development. The rehabilitation activities are based on the toys or interests of children.
Special nursery school Sf. Gheorghe
The nursery school provide to education, rehabilitation and social integration of the children. The nursery school is inside of the special school of Saint George, provided by the Covasna County Council. In the school there are 2 groups for special nursery school, 9 special classes for children with medial mental deficiency, 3 special group for children with severe mental disabilities, additional assistance for supporting teacher.
In the classes for older children are done activities for their employability; the goal is socio professional adaptation.
The activities are based on personalized intervention program plans, for exemple speech therapy, psychotherapy, kinetotherapy, work therapy for integration.
Diakonia Írisz Ház Sepsiszentgyörgy – Daily care center for disabled people
The center has recently been built (2009) even if they work with disability since 2006; the center is very nice and welcoming. The goal of the center is allow disabled people to work and insert the disabled into the labor market. There are some laboratories where the disabled people can learn a job.The centre is funded by the state, is financed by foreign sponsors (German, Austrian and Dutch) and from self-financing (sale of handicrafts products by the users). The staff is composed by administrative employees, psychologists, nurses, social workers and teachers and supporter for the manual works. The center was created taking into account the German and Dutch model, countries with which a partnership is made. Outside the center have also used a clothes shop, a carpentry shop, which employs disabled youth. The center offers sheltered workshops for learning, and also real job placements called "protected units."
All the services that we visited are very attentive to the needs of children and young people with disabilities. Despite the problems of financing the services manage to provide assistance and quality educational programs. They also made a lot of activities to raise awareness of disability, but in spite of this we still can not talk about integration.
Cooperativa ARCA
Residence and rehabilitation centre of Baraolt for resident young childrenAs the name gives away, this institution is a residence for handicapped children. It’s located in the centre of Baraolt, in the Kovászna district of Romania. The Town of Baraolt is the
institution’s responsible body. It is funded by the Romanian state as well as Austrian and Dutch sponsors. The state and sponsors pay the staff’s salaries. As the institution is aimed at children from socially deprived families, their parents don’t have to pay additional fees.
The institution operates around the clock, as it is a residence where children live day and night. To be admitted, children have to be between 0 and 8 years old, have a physical or mental handicap and live in the nearby of Baraolt.
There are 9 female employees, among them educators, childcare workers, social workers, a psychologist, a speech therapist, a nurse and a doctor, who is also the manager. The childcare workers absolve a 6-months training after their school. The doctor has studied medicine, comparable to a German study.
At the moment there are 12 children in the residence, divided in two groups. One for kids aged 0 to 3 and one for those between 3 and 8 years old. The younger group is attended by 5, the elder one by 7 children. The children suffer from different handicaps such as Down syndrome, cleft palate, spastic handicaps and cognitive issues.
The residence has four buildings, of which we were shown the children’s residence. There are five group and therapy rooms in the one story building, which are used for individual and group therapy. Furthermore, there are handicapped accessible toilets, an office, a staff room and a kitchen. The group rooms are equipped with lots of toys and aid material for gross and fine motor skills, as well as for cognitive and physical aid. The residence has a big garden with monkey bars, slides and other playground equipment. Some doors are built rather narrow, meaning that kids in wheelchairs could have problems moving around without obstacles. Apart from that, the rooms are well equipped against injuries.
The institution’s pedagogic goals are mainly to simplify the children’s daily life and make it worthwhile and easier. They also put a great focus on the contact between the kids and their families and on the parent’s interests fort he kids.
In order to achieve these goals, the children’s cognitive, senso-motoric and speech abilities are supported. The aid is adapted to the child’s possibilities and takes place four times a week, 20 minutes always at the same time, in a playful, colourful environment. Individual aid is very eclectic and puts the kids’ interests first. The pedagogic staff such as the speech therapist, the psychologist and the educators ensures the aid’s variety. If not in therapy, the children spend their time in the group rooms, where the staff looks them after. The team has regular meetings and documents the children’s development. They try to integrate the kids through common projects with other handicapped institutions. Regular walks through the town are supposed to help as well.
The social workers visit the children’s parents and try to evoke their interest in their kids and incite them to visit the children regularly.
All in all we can state that this institution is modern and well equipped. The staff care very well for the children and pays attention to their needs. Integration could be more eclectic and there should be some contact between handicapped and normal children. Staff from outside could especially aid the children with physical handicaps. The overall impression, however, was very good and the staff’s positive attitude is exemplary.
„Cimbora“ – kinder garden
This institution exists since 1992 and works integrative ever since. It has 10 groups in total and is located in a residential area in the city centre. Opening hours are from 8 am to 1 pm for three groups, and from 8 am to 5 pm for seven groups. The parent’s fees depend on their income, but do not exceed 20 Euros per year. The contribution is voluntary. The school is funded by the city, which, however, only covers the staff’s salaries. Private sponsors support it financially.There are 16 educators, 10 aides, a nurse, a speech therapist and a psychologist. The educators have a three-year professional training and are able to absolve a psychological formation within another three years.
220 children visit the school, seven of them are in a special group for mentally handicapped. They are looked after by two educators and a psychologist. 25 kids aged 1 to 3 are cared for in
the nursery school by one educator and a helper. One of these kids is deaf. The other 8 groups are regular kinder garden groups, each one being visited by 20-23 children.
The house is a two-story building with several staircases and an elevator. Each group has a room of about 40-50 m². Some groups have fold-out beds, apart from sufficient chairs and tables. There are playing corners (costume corner, doll corner, etc) and lots of toys (puzzles, construction toys, etc). There is a therapy room for play therapy and a small office for the psychologist.
The children in the special group are individually aided during play therapy. The school’s focus is to support the kids’ creative and artistic activities by using different materials, such as natural materials.
Bases for pedagogic work:
- Individual fulfilment
- integration and acceptance of being different
- support the children with their character development
- formation of social, physical, emotional and intellectual skills
There are personal meetings with the parents, both at school and in their homes, in order to help them with educational matters.
The house and the rooms look very tidy. The rooms are bog, and have sufficient furniture and toys. The garden is large and beautiful, but there is to few playground equipment for so many children. The combination of playing, eating and sleeping in the same room is rather unusual. The staff are friendly and nice, as well as the atmosphere. However, the staff of one educator in the morning and one in the afternoon for 20-23 children, 25 in the nursery group, doesn’t leave much margin
It’s pleasant that there are two educators and a psychologist in the special group of 7 children. The psychologist and the speech therapist aid the children in individual therapy. Unfortunately, there was no evidence of cooperation with other groups in the school. We couldn’t clarify why the special needs children are looked after in a separate group and not in one of the regular ones.
Diakonia Írisz Ház Sepsiszentgyörgy – Daily care center for disabled people
This institution offers handicapped people the possibility to do manual work during the day. It’s located at the outskirts of Sepsiszentgyörgy, a small town in the Romanian Covasna district and employs several handicapped people from the closer surroundings. It’s regulatory body is the „Diakonia“ organisation, which is a charitable organisation in Transylvania. The centre is funded by the state, but is still reliant on the support of several German, Austrian and Dutch sponsors. Another source of income is the sale of products crafted by the handicapped.There are administrative employees, psychologists, nurses, social education workers, and teachers as well as craftsmen for the different manual works. We didn’t receive any information on their qualifications.
The handicapped work in the workshop and are therefore the real staff. Up to 10 workers fit in one room and are supervised by a craftsman.
It’s a one-story building with two wings and a garden. One wing holds the offices and some workshops, the other one only workshops and storage rooms. There are some rented rooms in the centre of Sepsiszentgyörgy, as well as a clothing shop, which indirectly belong to the Írisz house’s facilities. The main building is very modern and the workshops are nice, but over equipped. There is a lot of working material, as they produce in rather large quantities. The facility is handicapped accessible, just the workshops are furnished a bit narrow, making it difficult for wheelchairs to access them. Possibly there are handicapped accessible workshops in the building, but we didn’t get to see them. The facilities in the city centre aren’t handicapped accessible, their doors are too narrow and the rooms too small. The same applies to the shop, which can’t be reached by wheelchair, as there is a construction site and a 4-step staircase in front of it.
The institution’s goal is to employ handicapped persons. These handicapped adults have the possibility to do manual works, like woodwork, candle production, gardening, grading of textiles, etc. It is very important for the workers to engage in activities that they like. Educations and psychologists continuously talk to the workers and observe them during work, in order to identify which works they like and which ones not. There is no integrative work, as the facility is exclusively aimed at handicapped people.
The institution has a good contact with the workers’ families, although this isn’t always easy.
Írisz Ház has good foreign contacts, thanks to „Diakonia“, and is therefore able to realise many projects. They work closely with „Laura Ház“, which has a similar philosophy. There is also a clothing store in Baraolt which employs mainly handicapped people .
The institution has very creative and good ideas on how to occupy handicapped people in a way that makes sense. Their handling is very humane and familial. The building is modern and beautiful, therefore the workers have a nice environment. The rooms shouldn’t be too furnished to ensure access for wheelchairs. Unfortunately there is no integrative work at all, as the handicapped stay among themselves. In our opinion, they should start projects, supported by the good sponsors, during which the workers cooperate with regular workers. Overall, Írisz Ház is a very interesting institution, which combines profitability and social commitment in a perfect way.
Laura Ház Baraolt – Daily care centre for disabled children and young adults
Laura Ház was founded by Laura Toth, a psychologist († 2007) as a non-profit organization in 2003. The centre is located in a detached house with garden in the small town of Baraolt. It can’t be reached by public transport, only by foot or by car.Since it is a non-profit organization, it relies constantly on contributions. They receive support from the county of Baraolt, from the children’s legal protection of the county of Kovaszna and from the district of Kovaszna itself. The operating permit has been applied for in Bukarest. Die „Listra“ society from the Netherlands provides the house and delivers used clothing, which can be sold. Maintenance and operations take a lot of effort and energy, as they need constant contributions. The parents have founded a trust in order to be able to collect money to secure the house’s financing.
Laura Ház is opened from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 2 pm. They offer a free shuttle service with their own small bus and a voluntary driver.
Admission criteria are cleanliness, being able to eat by oneself and no aggressive behaviour.
The children may stay in the institution as long as they want to, there is no age limit. Hence it is necessary to expand the space, otherwise there would be no further possibility to accept children.
There are five full-time staff in the house. The manager and an administrator take care of everything to keep the house running. Both look after the children from time to time as well. A psychologist takes care of the individual aid in cognitive and lingual matters. The other staff are young educators without any formation. They simply absolve a six-month training during which they acquire professional skills. Several voluntary helpers support their work. There is no therapeutical staff in the house.
At the moment, 15 youths are looked after at the house. 3 of them are under 18, 12 are of legal age. The eldest is 30 years old. She sells items produced in the workshop, like pillows, rugs and small art objects, as well as used clothing. Most handicaps are mental handicaps. There is no integration.
The buildings are relatively small. One room is for individual aid, there is some adequate material, but they can’t afford a lot of it. In another small, dark room there is the workshop with a loom and a sewing machine. This room will be renovated with the help of voluntary workers from Ireland. Work began last summer.
The children have breakfast in the kitchen, sometimes they bake cake or cook there, too. The washing machine is in the adjacent room. The sanitary room is not suit for handicapped. There is some sort of fitness room in a separate building in the garden, which is equipped with
different training machines. The garden offers a swing and there is a terrace being built in cooperation with the workshop.
The goal of the institution is to provide children and adolescents without scholastic learning with appropriate education and support, especially regarding autonomy and work (protected workshop).
The pedagogic offer puts creative art education in the foreground. The whole house is coloured and nicely decorated.
The psychologist writes a yearly report on the development. She keeps in touch with the parents, manages the talks with them and gives them advice when needed. Parents bring their children to the examination at Sepsiszentgyörgy once a year. Here their group for special needs is established: 1 is heavily handicapped, 3 shall mean 50% ability to work.
They cooperate with Irisz House in Sepsiszentgyörgy, where handicapped adults are looked after, and establish contacts with other institutions and schools. They are very active in this field. The house is a small, quiet island for these people, who are very lovingly looked after and supported. The adolescents have a good contact with their carers. The staff is highly creative and motivated.
They have no possibility to receive scholastic education; there is no adequate staff. The kids have no compulsory schooling and are not taught in that sense.
Opening hours are way too short, only until 2 pm each day.
Implementation of integration is not possible.
Development Center of Kijen
This institution is an education centre for children with different handicaps. Financing is secured by the state and it’s administrated by the county. This way, support, board, and the children’s’ transport is secured. Parents don’t have to contribute. Once a year the children go on a field trip for a week, to which parents have to contribute with 100-150 RON.The house is big and nicely renovated, handicapped accessible and has a large garden on the village’s outskirts. It’s not possible to reach it by public transport. It was opened in 2008 and it takes in children from the whole county, as far as distance allows. Opening hours are from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. Every second Friday of the month the institution is closed to children, as the staff uses that time for internal discussions, planning, briefing and debriefing. There are no admission criteria. The independent manager is psychologically trained. There is a second psychologist, who is responsible for individual support and planning. Each group has two full-time educators.
Furthermore, within the institution there are:
A physiotherapist for 5 hours daily, in order to do therapy with the children 1-2 a week for 30-45 minutes, a full-time social worker, a full-time health assistant, a paediatrician, who visits the institution 2-3 times weekly (depending on the needs), an administrator, who is responsible for administration and transport of the children, and a cook for breakfast and lunch.
As per the manager, they employ educators with baccalaureate, who are instructed by the psychologists and who take part in training, the costs of which are reimbursed and which count as working hours.
In total, there are 33 children in 4 groups. The educators work in a rotating system.
One group is for the 0-6/7 years-old, one for the 6/7-11/12-years-old, and two for 11/12-18 years-old.
Once the children reach legal age, they can’t visit the institution any more. Each group has about 6 children. There is no special integration group. Some children visit a normal kinder garden and come by the institution 2-3 times a week. Children with autism and physical or psychical handicaps visit this centre. Each group has a small room. Some rooms are walk-through, but well equipped with furniture and materials. The psychologist has a small room for
individual therapy. There is a lunchroom for the meals. On the first floor, accessible by elevator, there are 3 big sleeping rooms with 4 beds and a handicapped accessible bath and toilet each. Access to the house is handicapped friendly and there is a playground and covered wooden pavilion in the garden, as well as a wooden swing.
The aim of the pedagogic work is a complex support for the children. Only handicapped children and adolescents are cared for in the house. The idea of integration isn’t pursued. Creative work both by the children and the educators is visible throughout the whole house. Every once in a while they take the children riding. The psychologist writes a report twice a year, after consulting with the staff. This report is handed out to the parents and discussed with them. The social worker continuously offers his help and support to the parents and visits them at home, too (support with applications, etc), to discuss possible ways of development.
Once a year the children are taken to examination to a county hospital. The results are used as basis for changes and extension of the planning. There is no close cooperation with other institutions. The house could use a remedial teacher, which can’t be employed due to financial reasons. Apart from the physiotherapist there are no therapists for the children, speech therapists for instance. The educators have no professional training, but care for the children all day long. There is no compulsory schooling for handicapped children in Romania. Scholastic education is therefore dependent only on the dedication of the staff. Unfortunately, since the opening the rooms for in-house boarding on the first floor are empty, since no further staff can be employed. We have gained a very open-minded, dedicated and caring handling of the children by the staff. Also, playtime on the playground and walks through the village with the children are to be remarked as very positive.
Special school – Saint George, Cosvana
The special school is located in the city of Saint George, in the Cosvana district, Romania. Hungarian is spoken in large parts of Cosvana. The school is visited by Hungarian, Romanian and Sinti children.The first classes were founded in 1980. In September 1987 the school obtained an independent and legal status. Minor mentally handicapped pupils were taught in eight classes. Since 2000 it is alos possible for heavily handicapped children to visit the school. At the same time an offer towards infants was introduced. Cosvana is responsible for the sustenance and the offers. At the moment, 120 pupils visit the institution. Children with minor mental handicaps are schooled in 9 special classes. Those with major handicaps are supported in three further classes (7-11 children). The two special groups for infants are affiliated to two different nursery schools. One of them is located in Arvaska Kindergarden in St. George (10 children), the other group is with Cimbora Kindergarden in Baraolt, which is about 1 hour drive from St. George. (See description Cimbora Kindergarden)
The admission is based on an examination. A commission of medical doctors and psychologists decides on the further form of support after a several day long examination. All employed teachers are special pedagogues. On top of the pedagogues, there are several professional staff: Psychologists, speech therapists, Physiotherapists. Two teachers supervise the children in the three special classes.
The school is well furnished. There are several class rooms, two well visited computer rooms and many therapy rooms. The rooms are large and bright, the aisle in between the classrooms
is broad and adequate for wheelchairs. There was no elevator to be found in the two-story building.
Education and support is based on a programme, which is oriented especially on each child’s abilities. The aim is to support and integrate these children into society through speech therapy, physiotherapy and psychotherapy. The exercises for daily life are implemented by work-therapeutic methods. The children learn to work on a computer and take part in special duties, like gardening. The school focuses on artistic and dance activities. In the afternoon dances they rehearse dances, practise theatre plays and create pieces of art. The dances and plays are performed at various events in the city.
The school cooperates with other schools and kinder gardens. The teachers are very committed. The different offers regarding arts and music are very attractive. So far, however, it is a special school. There doesn’t seem to be a plan to integrate children with special needs into regular schools.
FortSchritt gGmbH
Laura Ház Baraolt – Daily care centre for disabled children and young adults
Claudia Piovano visited the center Laura Ház in Baraolt. Laura Ház is non-profit organization.It is accredited at the regional level for the activity whit the disabled.
It is funded in part by public funds and partly self-financing, and supported by a Dutch non-profit organization.
Working at the center five people, including a psychologist.
Operators are involved in fundraising, administrative management, assistance to the disabled, laboratories, kitchen, meetings whit partents.
A good network of volunteer support center, for example, there is a minibus service to take users from home to downtown and back run by volunteers.
The center consist in a small house with a garden, in the center of Baraolt, accessible only on foot or by car.
It consists of a room to the laboratory (frame and sewing), a room for interviews and individual development for individuals or small groups, a small kitchen and services (unstructured for the disabled). There is a small laundry room.
There is some sort of fitness room in a separate building in the garden.
The garden is equipped with games and an area - under construction - to carry out activities.
The house is well maintained, colorful and comfortable although small for the number of people who attend.
The users are young adults and adults with mental disability who can not attend school, or adults who are most in school age (there is no age-limit). At the moment 15 people attending the center.
In Romania it is not expected to be integrated in school for students with disability.
Users attending the center during the day (8.00-14.00), only in the school-time. The center is close in the holidays.
The aim of the center is working on the autonomy of people and develop their skills.
In cases where it is possible Laura Ház organize paths for entering the labour market in companies in the territories and in nonprofit organizations.
For example, a person working at a second hands store as a clerk.
Operators assist these users even when attending more the center, in an indirect way.
The small size of the city of Baraolt where relationships are very narrow, making possible this continuous contact between the center operators, their users and the family and social context of the user.
The workshops are very focused on crafts and artistics works. Operators have a great imagination and invent constantly new projects.
In particular, in the sewing pillows are made with reused materials and fabrics with hand loom.
In the laboratory the atmosphere is very positive and calm, working in a team with the background music.
Disabled people have a life apart from their peer, Laura Ház looking for some opportunities to create this contact (for example, participated in an international youth exchange, organized a fashion show at a school in Baraolt).
The center collaborates with other similar centers of the enlarged territory.
Special school – Saint George, Cosvana
Claudia Piovano visited the Special School located in the city of Saint George, in the Cosvana district, Romania.Were founded in 1980. It is funded by Cosvana district.
120 young people with mental disability from all over the district attend to school, are placed in classes based on age and ability. The admission is based on an examination by a commission of medical doctors and psychologists, and the staff kept coming to assess the development and iprogressi and decide which are the activities and programs suitable for everyone.
The staff is composed by psychologists, speech therapists, physiotherapists.
Two teachers supervise the children in the special classes.
The school does only a little part of work in collaboration with others public schools, more collaboration there is for younger children in preschool age. There aren’t possibilities to integrate young people with disabilities in regular public schools.
Is not available a bus service, families need to take the kids.
The property is beautiful. It is a renovated villa with a beautiful garden around. It is equipped with many classrooms, gyms for rehabilitation, bathroom, kitchen and mensa. The classrooms are bright and clean and adequate for wheelchairs. There is no elevator.
The aim of the school is: schoolar instruction, support the development of motor ability, and social insertion of young people in society.
There are educational programs and rehabilitation programs and laboratory such dance, music and art.
There is a completely equipped for young people to live in the center (a student residence) at the upper floor. It is very complete (bedrooms, bathrooms)and nice but unfortunately not used because there is no funding for staff.
Diakonia Írisz Ház Sepsiszentgyörgy – Daily care center for disabled people
Ádám Fekete visited the center Diakonia Íirsz Ház, a daily care center in the town of Sepsiszentgyörgy, is frequented by people of a large territory around the city.The centre is funded by the state, is financed by foreign sponsors (German, Austrian and Dutch) and from self-financing (sale of handicrafts products by the users).
The building is modern and nice, has one floor, is large and has a garden.
There are offices, workshops and warehouses. There is a shop to sell used clothes.
There are also rooms for rent.
Most of the structure is accessible to the handicapped in wheelchairs, but not all, for example, the shop no.
The aim of the center is allow disabled people to work and insert the disabled into the labor market.
The users work in handcrafts laboratories ( whit wood, textiles, gardening etc..)under the guidance and observation of social workers, who seek to identify areas of possible development for everyone.
The staff is composed by administrative employees, psychologists, nurses, social workers and teachers and supporter for the manual works.
The staff take a lot of energy and passion to his work, has a lot of creativity and innovative spirit. The atmosphere is serene and pleasant in laboratories. Unfortunately there is not possibility (as in the other services visited) for integration of people with disabilities and their peers.
„Cimbora“ – kinder garden
Ádám Fekete visited the kinder garden Cimbora in Baraolt.The school is funded by the municipality, which covers only the staff’s salaries. The other costs are covered by private sponsors and a little part from family of children.
The kinder garden is composed by 10 groups, some group is active from 8 am to 1 pm and somefrom 8 am to 5 pm. Each group has a room. There are folding beds for sleep time, tables and chairs for the activities. In the room there are areas for games and toys that are given to children by teachers.
In the room the children play sleep and eat.
The rooms are quite gandi and furnishings and sufficient clearances.
There is also one garden with games for children.
For the standard groups the ratio number of teacher-number of children is quite low, but the staff are friendly, and the atmosphere positive.
Is given much space to the manual laboratory, creative: teachers conducts very well and whit a lot of immagination children to produce small works. It is interesting the use of natural materials.
In total more than 200 children attend the school, including a group (currently 7) mentally disabled.
Almost the totality of disabled children with disabilities are in a separate group, followed by a staff of 2 educators and 1 psychologist.
For the childrens in special group is prevue also the therapy: there is a therapy room for play therapy.
Caring for children with disabilities is good but there is no integration with other children even if one of the objectives of the school is to train children to overcome cultural barriers.
Final Thoughts:
The centers that we visited are for the most part equipped, in beautiful buildings, renovated, have staff who work with passion even though they often do not have a specific training.Children and young people whit disabilities are assisted with care, at the same time for the personal and social development and rehabilitation, but unfortunately from the point of view of integration in society there are few opportunities.
PROGETTI Nonprofit kft.
Claudia Piovano _ Ádám Fekete
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