Project financed with the support of RO10-CORAI, 2009-2014 EEA Grants funded program managed by the Romanian Social Development Fund.
Integration in educational system of children with special educational needs is the first step to normality.
“The only disability in life is a bad attitude!” Scott Hamilton
According to the statistics of the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research the number of autistic children enrolled in special or mass education system, in the school year 2013-2014 was 1.560, approximately about 10% of the expected number of cases. The number of children with autistic spectrum disorders in September 2013 in 40 ASD centers from 35 counties and Bucharest, aged between 6 and 11 years rises to 682. Of these, only 122 were declared by the parents/caregivers as being enrolled in some form of education. The number of Roma children with ASD is unknown due to reduced access to basic medical services and therefore to diagnosis (according to a IPP study from 2013, The map of access to the health, 52% of roma respondents declared that they do not have medical insurance).
Within the MASPA Project “Measures to promote social inclusion and non-discrimination in schools, community and labor market for people with autism, focusing on roma communities” Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation in partnership with DGASPC Arad and DGASPC Galați implements two summer schools for disadvantaged children. Thus children with ASD along with roma children and typical children will have the opportunity to carry out recreational activities together over a period of three weeks (4-22 July 2016). The activities consist of creative workshops, theatrical workshops, dance, music, theatre and film, aikido or swimming. The coordinators of these summer schools were selected from among the teaching staff who work directly with children with ASD. In each school 20 children participates to the activities.
For the implementation of these activities at Arad was selected Adam Muller Guttennrunn Highschool and Sfântul Grigorie Teologul Gymnasium School, in Galați. In these schools are effectively integrated disabled children and roma children.
The purpose of the summer school is to increase the chances of social integration and combating social exclusion for disadvantaged categories of children through their involvement in creative, artistic and sport activities.