DIS-COop - Exchanging Experiences on Nonformal Approaches Reaching Young People with Special Needs or Disabilities

We applied for this project because we felt the need for further specialisation, capacity building and appropriate expertise to work with SEN youth. The project aimed to provide an exchange of experience that would enable each participant to broaden their own area of expertise and develop a complex list of methodologies that any other organisation in this situation could use immediately. We believed that the disadvantages faced by young people with SEN could be counteracted by working in small communities involving civil members, parents, youth workers and experts, where these young people felt safe and got time and space to develop their social, personal skills and inclusion. To reply to these needs a methodological framework and a ready-to-use exercise list supporting civil organisations working with SEN youth or homogeneous youth teams involving SEN target groups was designed. The design was carried out to include the necessary management steps and 4 thematic sessions, namely: Emotional Therapy Line; Physical Therapy Line and Cognitive Therapy Line which led to a compile complex methodology exercise list and a final handbook covering the project partners’ needs.

By implementing the DIS-COOP project, we 1.) Improved the quality of the informal-nonformal educational support of SEN youth with changing experiences and best practices. 2.) Designed and tested a ready-to-use, complex methodological exercise-list for non-specialist youth organisations and cooperating nin-profit organizations operating in the cultural-social sector. 3.) Improved facilitator competences with SEN methods. 4.) Multiplied the spirit of the project theme in a larger social context and contributed to combating stigma, and promoting a positive perception of SEN.

The project implementation included activities concerning the project management steps which were concluded. The project also completed 3 thematic sessions, followed by study visits and facilitator trainings. The sessions introduced methods and techniques of 1.) emotional therapy, 2.) physical therapy and 3.) cognitive therapy for youth with special needs, based on and presented by each partner organisations' experiences. A final handbook collected the good practices and formed a complex methodology out of the techniques. Other 3 multiplier events were implemented and valorised the results.

As presented in our initial project, we realised that as non-specialists, many youth organisations needed to facilitate SEN youth in an inclusive way. We were looking for common ground, for methods that could deal with the "different" - whatever it may be - without medical specialisation but with basic knowledge. CONCRETE OUTPUTS: *3 sessions with 3 learning activities. *Trained facilitators from min. 12 youth organisations. *Designed complex nonformal methodology for SEN youth. *A handbook presented results. *3 multiplier events in the 3 countries.