Introduction
1 October 2023 was the starting date for an Erasmus + project called All living
independently. Partners of the project are EDSA (European Down Syndrome
Association) together with three of its members, AIPD Potenza from Italy,
Down Syndrom Czech, Trisomie 21 Luxemburg .
What is ALI about?
ALI means All living independently.
It includes the design, the development, the test and the diffusion of a training course on independent living of people with Down syndrome (DS). This is to be carried out by the partners in the project.
The starting date was 1st October 2023 and the project will end on 31st January 2025
The output of the project: A course on independent living
By the end of the ALI-project there will be an online training course on Independent living of people with DS. The course will be:
– completely delivered online;
– open to access by anyone without costs, entry qualifications or any other restrictions.
The course is aimed both at professionals and caregivers
They in turn can organize educational pathways for youngsters and adults with Down syndrome, starting from the content and methodologies proposed by the online course..
The content of the ALI-course:
– Basic principles of independent living (main concepts, methods, actors, usual difficulties)
– Personal autonomy (washing, dressing, eating), management of spaces and things. Social rules.
– External autonomy (moving around, using money, communicating, going shopping). The role of parents and of professionals.
Structure and resources of the course
Chapter | PPT | Video | Others files attached | Questionnaire | Feedback questionnaire |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Introduction | |||||
Towards autonomy 1: | 56 slides | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
Towards autonomy 2: | 38 slides | 1 | 18 activities | 1 | 1 |
Towards autonomy 3: | 23 slides | 2 | 2 observation sheet | 1 | 1 |
Towards autonomy 4: | 24 slides | 1 | 1 | 1 |
The authors of the Course
The Course refers to the methodology on autonomy education developed by the Italian Association of Down People (AIPD), adapted to different European realities. The project partners have developed some illustrative activities that help to understand how the course aimed at end users can be concretely implemented.
Who will benefit from the ALI Project?
-
- Families. Independent Living is a “compulsory” dimension for the education of any person with DS, in different levels and modalities, according to the age and personal features of the specific individual.
- VET professionals. Because of the role they play, they are expected to carefully evaluate and guide would- be workers with DS.
- Young people with Down Syndrome, who follow the course. Both personal and external autonomy are necessary . Many job placements of people with DS fail because of a lack of Independent Living skills. The course will exactly deal with these topics.
- Families. Independent Living is a “compulsory” dimension for the education of any person with DS, in different levels and modalities, according to the age and personal features of the specific individual.
At the end of the ALI Project (January 2025) in which the course for professionals and care givers will have been tested in various settings so that it will be available for anyone interested.
LESSONS
