The systems currently available that provide assistance with becoming self-reliant and professionally active for people with ASD are ineffective and difficult to access. This can lead to regression and loss of skills developed by persons with ASD over many years of education, and thus to their social exclusion. The findings of a report by the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) (2020), as well as our own observations, show that new measures are needed to provide support for people with ASD.
The main aim of the project is to provide support for young people with ASD in their community activity and self-advocacy, and to support self-organization and development of committees of parents of children with ASD.
We intend to provide support for young self-advocates within the Ace (As) clubs (20 meetings relating to their areas of interest, mentoring provided by adult self-advocates, and the making of animations and films by young self-advocates on their experiences as people with ASD). We will organize 24 training sessions and support in self-organization (advice, consultations on creating committee websites, legal and financial issues, organizing events) for four newly-created parent committees. We will create a network for cooperation and organize a conference on the role and value of self-advocacy (200 participants). We also intend to train elderly self-advocates – grandparents of children with ASD (two training sessions for a group that to date has been disregarded in the family support process) and initiate support group meetings.
Ten young people with ASD (aged 12 – 24), parents – 200, and grandparents will take part in the project.
Due to measures under the project, ten young self-advocates will be empowered, four parent committees (each of approximately 25 people) will be created, and four grandparents will be coached on self-advocacy. Five educational animated films will be made, and distributed on social media.