Brake/Out! Building on talents of youngsters with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder.

In many European countries, and in particular in our partner countries, youngsters with an intellectual disability (ID) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are stuck for years in the final grade of secondary (special) education, waiting for a solution in adult care or a job in a sheltered workplace. They have no clear view of their future, no clear job profile. During their life and school career, focus was mainly put on their 'defects'; efforts were made to compensate for those deficiencies. This often results in youngsters with little self-confidence, who are not aware of their own talents and strengths. Few youngsters with a disability find a job on the regular labour market. Most of them remain in support systems. This causes higher costs for welfare and longer waiting lists. Projects which focus on talent development do exist, but not for people with ID/ASD. This is true for our partners in Germany, Latvia and Cyprus as well. That is why we decided to join forces for a shared problem. The "Brake/Out!" project has experimented with a programme focused on talents and dreams of youngsters with ID/AD. Throughout the different phases of the project, they acquired new experiences, tried new significant roles and built resilience.

-Raise awareness in society, more specifically amongst people with ID/ASD & educators in special needs education on the talents of people with ID/ASD. -Develop 21st century skills that make people able-bodied. Social skills & mental well-being are equally important as classic educational skills. -Increase awareness amongst policy makers on the level of competence in the country, about alternatives to the current situation and the need for stronger leadership to launch innovative models which pay off, both socially and economically. Talk to them about the human rights framework, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which each partner country signed, as did the EU. Specific objectives: -Create a new perspective for a target group which is often left behind in learning & training programmes. Build a full-fledged programme to bridge the gap currently existing when youngsters with a disability finish (special needs) secondary education -Develop country-neutral training & learning modules + a train-the-trainer course -Create access to leadership in youth work for youngsters with ID/ASD in Flanders via our Scouts partner.