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Name of
the organisation |
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Address |
Kraljice
Jelene 26 |
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Postal
code and Municipality |
35000,
Slavonski Brod |
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Country
Država: |
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Contact
person and position within the organisation |
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Telephone
number |
035 / 411
390 |
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035 / 250
572 |
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E-mail
address |
udruga.dim@sb.t-com.hr |
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Website
(if available) |
www.udruga-dim.com |
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Registration number (if available) |
12000630 |
What is the legal status of your organisation? NGO –
Humanitarian association.
When was the organisation established, by who and
what events (situation) led to the establishment?
Year of Establishment: 2000.,County of Brodsko posavska
Place of Original Establishment: Slavonski Brod,Croatia.
The Association for stimulating the healthy development of children and youth is
a NGO and non profit organization. It was founded in July 2000.The main reason
for its founding was: hard economic situation left deep track on the family,
especially on the families with handicapped children and youth. Institutional
care is not sufficient to satisfy all their needs. We believed it was our human
duty and priority to take care for the most endangered part of our society. Our
general aims: Improving the healthy development of children and youth with
functional handicaps (mental, physical, social, emotional).
What is the statutory goal of your organisation? Please use the description in
the statutes.
Purpose of Establishment: To facilitate and support the inclusion of parents and
disabled young people in the community. We also work towards the promotion and
protection of their human rights.
The Association is designed as an educational alternative,meaning that children
attending the services are also integrated into public education,disabled
children need additional specialised support,according to their individual needs.
What is the mission and vision of your organisation? Koja je misija i vizija
vaše organizacije?
- To provide information on the rights of the individual and the services
provided by the community.
- Provision of an Individual Assistance Program.
- Occupational and play therapy, speech therapy, art therapy, physiotherapy and
associated
counseling.
- Pedagogic support and counseling.
- Counseling and support of social worker.
- Psychological support for the children, youth and their families, including
developing behavior
management plans and counselling consumers regarding their emotions and social
interactions.
- Each child becomes the focus of individually planned activities that address
education, behavior
management, communication, life skills and health.
- Early intervention (early developmental physical therapy) –Physical therapy is
provided by a qualified physical therapist who works with babies only a few
months old to children until the age of tree.
Special teachers are in charge of educating pre-school children; preparing
children with special needs for attending school; developing the process of
thinking, as well as expressive speech; developing children’s graphomotor
abilities. They are also engaged in occupational, play and art therapies, help
children with learning; modify undesired forms of behavior; develop emotional
and socially acceptable forms of behavior (ability of gaining self-control) in
children with development difficulties.
Nurses advise parents on caring for the children with physical illnesses, using
different techniques of self-aid (dressing, feeding, bathing) in caring for
handicapped children and children ill with cerebral palsy.
A social worker advises and helps parents with legal and social-welfare problems,
family and marriage problems, etc. Parents may seek help to solve the problems
connected to their social status (often very low in many families).They also
come to express their experience of the, (often-negative) way their community
treats them and their children. 10 years ago our association was one of those
who initiated a Croatian national program and work strategy for disabled
children in the country.
The most important objective is to promote the public and political agenda of
the Croatian authorities (Ministry of Education,Ministry of social welfare and
health,Ministry of families), and other affiliated organisations concerning the
problem of the inclusive education for students with special needs.This is one
of our important aims and tasks.
-To develop new ways of meeting the community needs through constant
collaboration and partnership.
What are the legal bodies in your organisation and
how often do they meet?
President, vice president, secretary general. Board of Association – 11 members
–once a month.
Please describe the division in role and persons between board and staff.
Members of the Board are also the staff in the organization and work on
volunteer bases.
In which geographic area does your organisation
operate? Does your organization operate in your local community only, or you
operate beyond the local community, undertaking activities in the region/other
local communities/on a national level?
At the moment there are about 80 participants in this program, the direct
beneficiaries are disabled young population, their families and (indirect)
society, young population 0 –23 years old from Brodsko-posavska,
Vukovarsko-srijemska County and also some population from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Until now we have worked mostly voluntary, with great support of the parents and
the General Hospital in Slavonski Brod. There are many more children who would
like to participate in the programs of the Association. Our programs are local
in our community, but we have representatives on a national and even the EU
level (our secretary general is also the secretary general of the EAMDA and the
member of the CRO-EU joint committee) and we make our contribution in that way
too.
We also work with other organisations,such as education and health organisations
and center for social welfare,with the Faculty of education and rehabilitation
in Zagreb,with many special institutions over the country,we are a member of the
Croatian Unit of motor disabled population,and we are also a member of the
Croatian Unit of children (in Zagreb),and a local Unit of disabled people and a
European organisation HOPE,and of the Inclusion international.We cooperate with
many NGO-s organizations in our town and around the country.
What is the distribution of women and men in your
board and staff? Does your organisation have a policy on gender?
There are about 3 times more women than men (16 women and 5 men),so we can say
that women are in charge. Also,both the president and the vice president of the
Association are women, while the secretary is a man (a person with disability ).
The Association aims at promoting autonomy and well
founded re-integration of disabled children and youth, as particularly
vulnerable groups, into the community, by means of seeking medical, social,
physical and technical solutions adapted to social conditions and local
resources. The main field of intervention and action of our Association is
habilitation of children and youth with disabilities. The program has been very
successful up to date. The basic objective of our work is to enable the
handicapped the integration into the community (depending on the level of their
impairment). We have enabled their families to cope with the difficulties and
accept their children as they are. We have helped with professional training .It
is obvious that the successful integration into the environment is the evidence
of the program impact beyond the period of intervention. But, some children will
never be able to live without professional guidance and treatment. The
Association has focused on bringing out the best in people. Our professional
approach to human work enriches the lives of the young population with
disabilities. Our mission is based on improving the quality of lives of our
patients and enhancing the lives of individuals through community participation
and the development of an interactive relationship. Each person is as unique as
his or her own handprint. That’s why we design individual treatment plans, which
are focused sharply on the specific strengths and needs of each person we serve.
As much as possible, these plans emphasize the development and involvements of
the children’s family .We understand and value the fact that our young patients
come from different backgrounds with different abilities and different goals.
The efficiency can be checked - by testing the participants, their parents...
We work closely with children and their parents, relatives; talking together we
try to find the best solutions to problems.
What are your specific objectives ? What outcome
will you be satisfied with?
They are:
-positive development of all children’s abilities;
-normal social functioning of families with disabled children;
-full integration into society
-accepting new ways of thinking (parents)
-satisfied parents and children;
-more disabled children in regular schools;
Our mission is to improve the quality of life of disabled children and their
families through social and educational inclusion into the mainstream community.
Our philosophy is that inclusion is the only path to follow.
The main reason for founding this Association was: hard economic situation left
deep track on the family, especially on the families with handicapped children
and youth. Institutional care is not sufficient to satisfy all their needs. We
believe, it is our human duty and priority to take care for the most endangered
part of our society.
Our aim is to achieve independence and freedom through cognitive processes,
behavior modification through positive reinforcement.
The purpose of our association is to ensure that each disabled person has the
opportunity to develop to his or her full potentials. We also aim to ensure that
disabled people and their families or core supporters can manage and participate
in the community and live naturally among others in society. We have a wide
range of professional workers who assist in the activities within these units.
Our therapy can be used on short-term or long-term basis depending on need. Our
services cover age groups from birth till 23 year (and also their parents). We
work in cooperation with community welfare units, governmental organization and
other non-profit organizations. Our aim is to supplement each other’s facilities
in order to offer a high standard of work to our members. Our programs,
implemented by qualified professionals, encourage people with disabilities to
maximize their personal potential through growth and independence in residential
settings. Each individualized program is reviewed regularly to ensure its
quality, effectiveness and students’ complete satisfaction. We believe a
student's personal fulfillment to be the greatest measure of success. By
participating in life's activities and forming involved relationship, consumers
improve the quality of their lives while enriching the lives of others.
Our members of special team ensure equal educational opportunities at all levels
for children, youth with disabilities, in integrated settings, taking full
account of individual differences and situations. We fight that the regular
schools need to reform in order to permit the inclusion of all children,
including those with learning difficulties and so-called disabilities, and to
find ways of creating the conditions to accommodate pupil diversity and
facilitate the learning of all children. As a system, inclusive education should
be flexible. Its principle should be education in the regular classroom whenever
possible. We try to do that children with disabilities stay with their family
and go to the nearest school, just like all other children. This circumstance is
of vital importance to their personal development. Interrupting a disabled
child's normal development may have far more severe consequences than the
disability itself.
This uniqueness requires encounters so that we may update ourselves
professionally, exchange experience, learn about educational innovations, share
our hopes and problems, all this leading us to reconsider the task we carry out,
which has the work for the disabled child and youth as its final basis.
Communication and expression through art of disabled children and youth:
a) expression of emotions and feelings
b) the satisfaction of creating and innovating
c) art as a means of channeling and communicating feelings
Our creative and individualized pedagogical approaches enrich the quality of
education and facilitate the learning of all children. A good application of
peer education in inclusive classrooms can therefore be expected to create a
better academically environment, also for non-disabled students. They will
certainly profit a lot by the learning opportunities created in this way, if
they are only given the chance of learning together with their disabled peers.
The experiences of the disabled child and young person in relation to respect,
privacy, enthusiasm, solidarity and, above all, hope, have repercussions on the
ethical judgment of reality. Our challenge is to exercise our educational task
towards youth and disabled with clear educational objectivities, appropriate
personal characteristics.
In the goal of education is not to make but to awaken persons, the educational
process must integrate the question of the final meaning of existence and with
such unique and exceptional students. In the framework of global educational
care, in every moment we speak about the repercussions of illness and also
handicap on the physical, emotional, social, cultural and spiritual sphere of
our disabled children and young people with their parents and other experts who
work with this population.
Our work with parents
In schools children don't learn to learn: realization of the teaching plan and
program is the main objective. Parents cannot help much either. Besides not
having enough time to help their children in learning, as they often claim, they
do not know the optimum learning strategies. The central issue to be discussed
at the parents' meeting is how to help children to learn more easily and more
efficiently. The fact is that students neither acquire any use optimum learning
strategies spontaneously. It can lead to the failure in higher primary school
grades and in the high school. Failure seriously undermines student's
self-confidence and self-esteem; this can cause the development of so-called
learned helplessness, depression, aggression, truancy and other maladaptive
forms of behavior. The important part of the special teacher's work in our
Association with parents should be rendering them capable for keeping good
quality contacts with their disabled children at pubescence and early
adolescence-avoid losing such contacts. At this age, there is the danger that
communication between parents and children (maybe good until then) deteriorates,
breaks or is completely lost. Thus, because of the potential risk of development
of maladaptive behavior, loss of positive motivation for education and similar
problems in the early adolescence, it is necessary to inform parents about
different methods for maintaining good parent-child communication. Also we
inform parents about the meaning of parents' integrity. Integrity means that our
words correspond to our deeds. It means to fight for the just world, to keep
one's word, to fulfill expectations, to help the others, etc. Integrity is 'more
active' then honesty. It comprises important personality characteristics,
behaviors and attitudes.
If parents show genuine interest for participation in educational process, there
are the greater chances that their communication with younger disabled children
will not deteriorate when they enter critical pubescence and early adolescence
age. The relationship trust and understanding could be built in daily,
good-quality child-parent interactions about mastering school material. By
showing interest in one segment of the child's life parents show that they care
for the child and that they want to keep good relationship with him/her without
being intrusive.
Intended contribution to social transformation
-improving the healthy development of the children and youth with functional and
developmental
handicaps (mental, physical, emotional and social);
-the development of individual psychomotor abilities of each child and youth
with developmental
disabilities and their successful integration into the community
-prevention of behavior problems;
-health education of youth, children and their parents;
-our mission is based on improving the quality of lives of our participants and
enhancing the lives
of individuals through community participation and development of interactive
relationship.
The promotion of active community participation strengthens interpersonal skills
and encourages
inclusion into the society.
6. What is the target group? Be specific in your description, certainly with
regard to type of handicap, position in the community, age group and gender.
Target group interpreting:
1. Mentally retarded children and youth
2. Motor disabled
3. Emotional disturbances
4. Learning problems
5. Autism
6. Language problems
7. ADHD SY.,hyperactive children
8. Down Sy.
At the moment there are about 80 participants, the direct beneficiaries are
disabled young population, their families and (indirect) society, young
population by 0 –23 years old from Brodsko-posavska, Vukovarsko-srijemska County
and also from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Until now we have worked mostly voluntary,
with great support of the parents and the General Hospital in Slavonski Brod.
There are many more children who would like to participate in the project of the
Association.
How many people do you aim to reach directly? How many people do you
realistically expect will benefit indirectly?
80 memebers of our association (kids in aged of 0-23 ) and their parents.We
think our local community will benefit by our work with families and children.
What
activities do you carry out?
1.motor exercises (fine motor skills)
2.pedagogue support (support learning school program)
3.speech therapy
4. music,dancing,singing,puppet art
5.art therapy (painting,modeling etc)
6.computer assisted learning
7.gymnastics for children and youth
8.play th. (small children)
9.counselling to parents (medical staff,social workers,special teachers)
10.lectures for teachers in regular school (in cooperation with the Faculty of
education and rehablitation in Zagreb);
Habilitation activities for children, teenagers and their families
Different individual routes lead to the general goal of good life. When there is
a delay in the development and difficulties in learning, different sorts of
help, support and know-how are needed.
In everyday life
Habilitation and learning take place in the most effective way in the everyday
environment of the child - at home, in kindergarten and at school - by those
people who work with the child daily. Guidance and support of the nearest social
environment of the child is always a part of an effective rehabilitation.
Individual planning
One of the most important characteristics of our work is INDIVIDUALITY. Our
specialists together with the family make a plan of rehabilitation for the
child. The plan is then followed up and revised regularly. Plans are based on
assessments and observations by the specialists and on the knowledge of the
family on their child. The development of the child can also be observed during
the period of intensive rehabilitation at the Association. The varying needs of
each child and each family are taken into account.
Therapies
Rehabilitation often includes different forms of therapy –play therapy, speech
therapy, music th., dancing th., art th., puppet playing, counseling,
pedagogue’s, psychologist’s and social worker’s support, health education.
Family support
Children and families are of different backgrounds. We also give support to
families by organizing peer courses and groups for parents (mental support).
Psychotherapy is available as well.
Recreation
We arrange "The free time activities' for disabled young population. There is
time of painting, poetry, play-acting, singing, puppet art, dancing, computer
assisted learning, everyday activities (as cooking, etc.), gymnastics.
Membership of Association
Membership of the Association is: disabled children and youth and their
families.
Also, the Association is open to all persons who work professionally in the area
of mental health care, as well as to each person (volunteers) who wish to help
our work and give support to disabled population.
The special team of the Association can offer children and youth and their
families:
1. Expert information on the rights of the individual and the services provided
by the community
2. The arrangement of contacts with agencies (of social welfare, medical
services, schools and others);
3. An individual assistance program;
4. Continuous counseling and support for the young people and their parents;
(done /performed by medical staff, special teachers, a psychologist, a speech
therapist, doctors, social worker);
5. Assessment of the development levels / functionality and the need for
personal support;
6. Occupational and play therapy, speech therapy, associated counseling and art
therapy (to stimulate the creativity and self relaxing);
7. Analysis of their needs and modification of everyday environment;
8. Pedagogic support and counseling;
9. Psychological support for the children, youth and their families; Developing
behavior management
plans and counseling consumers regarding their emotions and social interactions;
10. Courses for parents, to enable continuous improving of knowledge and skills
(for parents as well as for children)
11. Therapeutic interventions in crisis;
Each child becomes the focus of individually planned activities that address
education, behavior management, communication, life skills and health;
12. Activities are designed to support individual’s needs and improve
professional practice
13. Training for teachers in primary schools;
14. Integration into preschool institutions and schools, social integration; -
special guidance in learning (for children and young people attending normal
schools, but with partial-integration programs);
15. Improving gross and fine motor skills;
16. Nursing: ensuring the general health and well being of consumers by
assisting them in recognizing symptoms of diseases (the activities of nurses);
health education;
17. Human rights education;
18. Communication among peers, as well as in the family.
For our special activities in the Association we need and we have:
Special therapists (special teachers-3), nurses (4), doctors (pediatricians 2),
a clinical psychologist, a physical therapist, a teacher of music, a preschool
teacher, a student of gymnastics, a teacher of play-acting (amateur 1), a social
worker. Most of them have a long working experience with disabled children (20
and more years). The teacher of play-acting is also a handicapped person and he
has two important roles in the Association, to do everything related to
computers (programs, correspondence, web design and e-mail) and to be a teacher
of play-acting. There
are
18 experts included and 12 volunteers (young people).
Which external influences might affect the project
implementation and what counteractions will you take?
Only financial problems can affect the project and we plan a lot of activities
and fund raising to manage this ,just as we did all the years before.
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