Klíče k sebeobhájství

Both organizations involved have a long history of working with the target group of young neurodivergent people. These people are collaborators, not just clients. ATYP Foundation has continuously identified their needs and implemented activities involving the target group since 2016. It organizes conferences, European Solidarity Corps projects, provides training and publishes articles and educational materials. The Slovak partner, A Centrum, has been implementing national-wide activities focused on inclusive approaches and inclusive skills in working with children, youth and families with differences since 2017. We are aware of the difficulties they face in education, unemployment, exclusion, lack of self-realization and meaningfulness. Young people with neurodiversity are often gifted, have interesting perspectives and are creative and unique. Together, we want to strengthen their chances for self-realization, independent and self-reliant work, and personal life. We want to create conditions for them to gain self-confidence and self-awareness to communicate with society and express their needs. We have already achieved various successes, and the "Keys to Self-Advocacy" project is a logical continuation of our efforts.

The aim of "Keys to Self-Advocacy" project was to give a voice to young people with neurodiversity, enabling them to advocate for themselves, promote their inclusion in society, educate both professionals and the general public about their specificities, needs, and strengths. A self-advocacy group was formed, consisting of young people on autism spectrum who acquired skills in advocating for their needs and their community. These are the "keys": information, knowledge and skills we provided through online courses and hands-on training. We focused on communication and presentation skills, digital skills, self-awareness and personal development. Another aspect was information about rights and processes individuals can use to drive change. All graduates received a YouthPass certificate, important for their resumé when looking for a job. As a fourth dimension of the project, participants were able to apply their skills directly in the project outputs, such as the yearbook, the Beznávodu portal, or in other activities of both organizations, like ATYP online magazine and Autism Conferences. We have strengthened their chances for a better life by providing the necessary support and empowering young people on the spectrum with new skills.

The main activities of the project included: creation of online platform "Bez návodu", organization and piloting of a training for young people on the autism spectrum and compilation of self-advocacy yearbook . We developed the Bez návodu portal in the first months and presented it publicly at an online press conference at the course start. The portal serves as an educational platform, a long-term project deliverable, and a self-advocating engagement tool. The training was focused on acquiring skills to build a CZ/SK group of self-advocates. 8 weekend trainings covered the rights of people with disabilities, advocacy, self-advocacy, personal development and digital literacy. The course structure was tailored to the target group needs, including coaches and a peer coordinator support. 24 young people from Czechia and Slovakia participated in the course, most of whom received a YouthPass. During the course, small outcomes were and published on social platforms. The final product of the self-advocates was a group presentation at the course end. Anthology creation was the last project activity that allowed the participants to apply the skills they had acquired. For many, it was their first experience in advocating for autism issues.

The results, such as educational graphics, texts about autism and young people's perspectives, were published throughout the course on social media and in online magazines ATYP and Bez návodu. The main result is an yearbook for Autism Awareness Month, published as a special printed ATYP issue, and an online version of interviews between course participants whose preparation they learned. The new skills were therefore directly applied in practice. The yearbook also includes articles on mental health, ableism, inclusion, and self-advocacy. It contains also interviews with project leaders, coaches, peers, and texts about the project. Young people on the autism spectrum also created the graphic design and visuals for the yearbook. Other project outcomes are the successful pilot of a ten-month course self-advocates on the autism spectrum, the establishment of the Slovak online platform Bez návodu, and the organization of the 3rd Autism Conference in Prague, attended by Slovak self-advocates. The work of Slovak self-advocates and the project itself were also presented at the first Slovak online autism conference. All results show that the project successfully created a space for the support of young self-advocates.