HEDY Partners description
Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation (RAA) is a non-governmental organization working since 1991 for improving the quality of life and averting the risk of discrimination and social exclusion of children and young people in need, affected by chronic conditions, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). RAA is providing direct medical and social services, influencing health, social and educational policies, conducting research and providing support in professional development for a variety of specialists such as teachers, health and social work specialists, psychologists and volunteers through training.
RAA supported over 2000 children & families facing ASD, over 1200 people in need to be treated for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, more than 18,000 people from vulnerable groups with limited access to HIV/AIDS and TB prevention services.
RAA is one of the main training providers in the field of medical, social and educational services and one of the pioneers in using new technologies and innovation in training or non-formal education.
In 2000, RAA was the first organisation developing e-learning content for continuous medical education. RAA has developed more than 30 training packages for different professional categories (physicians, teachers, psychologists & social workers) training for over 10,000 professionals.
In 2006, RAA developed an innovative non formal educational tool for peer-educators, an online game introducing in a friendly manner health education topic to teenagers. Since 2013, RAA has been developing training programs addressing integration of children with disabilities reaching more than 1,500 professionals. A special focus was made in all projects on counselling and training parents of children with disabilities. RAA has also targeted through its project adults from vulnerable groups providing counselling, training and certification for over 2,000 women qualified as baby-sitters. RAA has launched in 2017 teachASD.com, an e-learning platform for school teachers addressing topics related to integration of children with educational needs reaching over 5,000 professionals.
Since 2006, RAA has hosted and organized international study visits for various stakeholders and specialists from the areas of HIV, tuberculosis and ASD. RAA also conducted a series of researches on ASD families service needs, quality of social services provided, perception of ASD in general population
Autism-Europe (AE) is an international non-profit organisation established in 1983 and recognised under Belgian law. Its main objective is to advance the rights of autistic people and their families and to help them improve their quality of life.
It ensures effective liaison among almost 90 member autism organisations from 38 European countries, including 26 Member States of the European Union, governments and European and international institutions.
Autism-Europe plays a key role in raising public awareness, and in influencing the European decision-makers on all issues relating to the rights of autistic people.
Self-advocates and families play a central role in our organisation to ensure that the views and interests of persons with autism are adequately reflected in our work.
Autism-Europe is recognised by the European institutions as the voice of autistic people and their families in Europe. To maximise its impact on the European Union’s policies, Autism-Europe also works in strategic coalitions with organisations that share the same concerns and goals.
Autism-Europe is also regularly consulted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and cooperates with the United Nations (UN). Autism-Europe also enjoys a participative status (for non-governmental organisations) with the Council of Europe and in July 2002 lodged a collective complaint with the European Committee of Social Rights, becoming the first disability NGO to undertake such action.
The mission of the State Diagnostic and Counselling Centre is to ensure that children and adolescents with developmental disorders, which later in life can lead to disabilities, receive diagnosis and counselling and have access to resources to improve quality of life. The State Diagnostic and Counselling Centre is a national institution serving children and adolescents from birth to 18 years of age and their families.
The Centre operates according to Act 83/2003. The staff are committed to helping children with developmental disabilities achieve their potential and enjoy success in adult life by providing early intervention, multidisciplinary assessment, counselling and access to resources. Furthermore, we are obliged to educate parents and professionals about children’s disabilities and main treatment methods. The staff are involved in clinical research and various projects in the field of childhood disabilities in cooperation with local and international teams. The work is based on the principles of family-centered services which emphasize sensitivity and respect for the culture and values of each family. Parents are encouraged to take active part in decisions regarding the child’s services and to participate in intervention programs when possible. In preparation for a referral to the Centre a preliminary assessment must be made by a professional (for example a pediatrician, psychologist, pre- and primary school specialists). For further information see www.greining.is, Act 83/2003. The main reason for a referral to the Centre is suspicion of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Intellectual Disability and Motor Disorders. Children who are diagnosed with a disabling condition have the right to special assistance in their youth pursuant to laws on disability rights. Furthermore, they have the right for services for the disabled under the auspices of the municipality. Parents of children with a disabling condition are entitled to home-care allowances at the State Social Security Institute (www.tr.is) due to increased expenditure related to the child’s condition. Icelandic Health Insurance (www.sjukra.is) pays for assistive devices (wheelchairs, walkers etc.), therapy and travel expenses. In The State Diagnostic and Counselling Centre works around 55 people most of them are professionals; pediatrician, psychologist, social workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapist, speech pathologist, pre- and primary school specialists and developmental therapists.
IASIS NGO is a non-governmental, non-profit organization active in the field of Social Inclusion, Mental Health and De-institutionalization, which actively participates in the psychiatric reform promoted by the Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity and the European Union. IASIS has an official registration as Private Non-Profit Organization and a Special Registration in Voluntary Non-Governmental Organizations Lists handled by the General Directorate of Welfare. The organization also has a Management Competence System certified by the Special Service / Department of Health and Social Solidarity. Organization’s main objective is to provide psychosocial support and education to people who either belong to the range of or are at risk of exclusion, and to adult learners in the humanitarian field.
The Inclusive Education School Center Nr. 2, (CSEI) in Ploieşti educates children/ students with special educational needs and provides support for educational services through itinerant teachers to students and teachers in mainstream, public schools in the community and county. CSEI has established as mission: to promote a modern, open and flexible special education, able to ensure access to education, recovery and integration for all children with special educational needs; to provide high quality, flexible support educational services, appropriate to the needs of each child from the perspective of life skills and competencies in school performance, to students integrated in mainstream education.
The specialized services offered by the school:
- Special and specialized education for children with disabilities
- Compensation through specific therapies
- Psycho-pedagogical evaluation, diagnosis, school and professional orientation through Internal Commission for complex evaluation
- Educational and therapeutic-recovery assistance
- Information and advice for teachers
- Psycho-pedagogical research and elaboration of specialized studies
- Methodological-scientific support in the field of inclusive education for teachers in mainstream schools
