INVITATION to participate on international Autism_PCP conference

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Respected colleagues,

It is a great honor and pleasure for me on behalf of the Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism to invite you to the international conference entitled “People with Autism in the Spotlight – Support through Person Centered Planning”, which will be held on August 25th 2021, on the platform ZOOM starting exactly at noon CET.

This conference is a final event of the 3-year project “A holistic approach to person-centered planning for Autism” (AUTISM_PCP), from the Erasmus + program of the European Commission, with reference number 2018-1-EL01-KA204-047788.

The specific goal of the event is to promote the person-centered planning methodology adapted for people (including children) with autism, which has been developed as a key result of the work of the Autism PCP international consortium in the past three years. Although the main implications relate to social services, the benefits of applying individual-oriented planning in education are particularly significant, especially in the educational transitions of students with autism.

MSSA in the last 17 pandemic months continuously raise bots on educating professionals and parents of children and people with autism spectrum disorder, and will continue to do so in the coming period. This international conference, which will be attended by lecturers from the United States, Australia, Cyprus, Greece and Macedonia, is only one part of that overall educational activity, which will continue in the future.

If you want to take part, it is mandatory to sign up and fill in the Google Form at the following link: https://forms.gle/AgeUC2zq1UXR5XKN7

You can apply by August 20th of this year at the latest. Participation is without paying a registration fee. The conference will be certified, and to get a certificate you need to be present on the ZOOM platform from the very beginning to the end of it.

We will be very glad if you also take part in this important international conference.

05.08.2021                                                                              With respect,

Skopje                                                                            President of MSSA

Autism_PCP conference in Greece – MSSA’s Vice President speech

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Hello everyone,

My name is Ivana Vasilevska Petrovska – and thank you so much for coming to this online conference. On behalf of all my colleagues, I want to say to every parent, teacher and any other professional involved in autism – it is great to have you here!

I’m vice president of the Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism, one of the researchers and trainers who worked on the Autism PCP project for the past 3 years.

This conference is about dissemination of the project results, and so, in this short presentation I will give an outline of:

  • the motivation for this project
  • the purpose of the field research we conducted
  • and the main findings of the articles published

People with an autism spectrum condition are entitled to services that enable participation and access to society on equal bases with everyone else. Furthermore, they are entitled to a voice on all aspects of their life, having to make decisions and not having decisions made for them. We undertook this project in order to explore and adapt the PCP methodology – to the needs of people with autism.

The first step we took in developing the autism PCP approach was a research of good practices.

Complementary to the good practice research, next, we looked at the current conditions for people including children, with autism, across the partner countries. We did a field research, a survey with 127 informants, coming from 4 distinct groups of stakeholders:

  • young people with autism,
  • parents and family members of people with autism
  • teachers and
  • Other professionals, such as: special educators, social workers, psychologists, therapists, counsellors etc.

To facilitate further understanding of the daily challenges experienced by persons on the spectrum and their families, we looked at key topics that are well documented areas of need for persons with autism.

Each topic was discussed in the frame of four questions or sub-topics: (1) is there any intervention or support in place right now (if needed)? (2) What is working? (3) What is not working? (4) What would be required to help?

In this way, we successfully collected a wealth of significant information that was subsequently published in 2 international journals.

The first article that came out is entitled  Environmental Barriers and Facilitators to Participation of People with Autism Spectrum Disorders: stakeholders’ perspective

This title was published in the Journal of Reattach therapy and Developmental diversities. An international journal – indexed in Scopus, that publishes open access and the article is open for anyone interested to read it.

In this study, we identified the most common barriers faced by individuals with autism and highlighted facilitating factors that we then utilized in the development of an autism specific PCP approach.

The barriers, affecting not only the individual with autism, but also family functioning and quality of life, stem from difficulties related to the autism condition- but also from environmental factors. We found that environmental accommodations could significantly reduce barriers resulting from the autism challenges. These accommodations or positive practices balance out the environmental barriers, that we defined as communication, attitudinal, and systemic barriers.

  • According to stakeholders, over half of the individuals with autism required supports to communicate effectively.
  • A significant number of individuals in our sample were not supported regarding challenges in social interaction/communication (29.87%) and isolation/loneliness (53.25%).

Support for alternative means of communication is found to be one of the strategies to facilitate participation.

A very important consideration in supporting social communication and interaction is providing opportunities for socialization.

In relation to anxiety issues, One third of our sample is facing significant lack of necessary support.

And the prevalence of anxiety was (87%) in our sample. This is greatly larger than the prevalence cited in the literature that is (between 11 and 42%).

This condition places people in a vicious circle, as untreated mental health conditions can profoundly worsen autism’s behavioral challenges, and thus, additionally compromise social participation.

We have identified environmental, attitudinal and communicational barriers related to anxiety in persons with Autism, which need to be addressed in an effort of person-centered thinking and planning.

Generally, we found that people with autism are a largely under-served population so our next article was more focused on this issue.

It is entitled PARENTAL PERSPECTIVES ON SUPPORT NEEDS AND AVAILABILITY OF AUTISM SERVICES IN SOUTH AND SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE and was published in the Journal Advances in Autism.

This journal is not open access, but we can share an author’s copy with anyone interested.

This title explored how service delivery systems are responding to the specific needs of autistic individuals, as perceived by parents.

Thematic analysis revealed three broad themes:

  • challenging pathways to service utilization,
  • insufficient service options and providers’ competences, and
  • a lack of continuous and meaningful support across life span.

A concerning portion of close to 50% of perceived needs of children and youth are currently not being met.

Challenges with service utilization includes problems with accessibility of existing services and support, related to time and effort required to advocate for and obtain support as well as information about available options. The significant financial burden on families associated with supporting an autistic individual has been well documented. Increased funding allocated in the form of reimbursement of commercially available services can lift the financial barrier identified in accessing autism services.

Next, our results show a limited range of available services that is not sufficient to meet the support needs of individuals on the spectrum. The most critical areas of needs include management of challenging behaviors, social and communication skills, atypical sensory reactivity, and loneliness and depression. Autistic individuals have diverse support needs and the support systems are lacking specific understanding in meeting those needs.

Findings supporting the third theme emphasize that communities need greater understanding of the heterogeneity in the autism population as well as the changing support needs over time, in order to provide appropriate and meaningful education programs and community and health services to children and individuals across the life span.

The need for a more flexible and individually tailored approach in service provision dominated in the experiences of the caregivers. Individualized and person-centered approach in service provision is considered instrumental in providing appropriate and meaningful programs to meet holistic needs.

Individualization of services inherently requires more personal and parental input in educational planning and service planning in general. Besides input from caregivers, a key consideration to the person-centered approach is meaningful participation of the individuals themselves, in decision-making and expressing aspirations and support needs. We advocate for a shared decision-making approach, based on a collaborative framework between autistic individuals, their families, and service providers in order to enhance individual’s outcomes. It is imperative to devise truly participatory mechanisms attentive to the diversity of voices within the autistic community.

We have shown that people with ASD have unique support needs that are qualitatively different from other special needs. and communities are lacking specific understanding and approaches in meeting those needs. The personalization of support services is a crucial factor to promote health, equity and well-being of persons with ASD. This approach is also considered as an effective practice in supporting children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), to increase social inclusion, independence, choice and autonomy. The insights from key stakeholders’ view point represents indispensable considerations in overcoming barriers to social participation and increase decision making through Person-Centred support for people with ASD.

 “When people not used to speaking out are heard by people not used to listening then real change is made.” (John O’Brien)

This is what PCP can provide for people with autism – to speak out and be heard.

Thank you very much for your attention!

I wish you all the best, greetings from Lake Prespa!

MSSA Vice President

Индивидуално насочено планирање кај лица со АСН

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Почитувани,

Во вторник на 22 јуни на платформата ЗУМ почнуваме со обуките кои ви ги ветивме минатиот месец. Тоа ќе бидат 5 модули од кои за 3 ќе ви бидат обезбедени вебинари, а другите два ќе ги учите самостојно. Се пријавија 46 учесници, а списокот за пријавување е затворен. Иако предвидениот број требаше да биде 20-25, ние направивме отстапка и дозволивме да учествуваат 46 учесници кои за да добијат сертификат мора да бидат присутни на сите 3 вебинари. Во прилог агендата за првиот модул.

Претседател на МНЗА

 

Reimbursement of the money for registration fee

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Dear colleagues and students,

ReAttach Therapy International Foundation already started with reimbursement of your money which you have paid for registration fee for cancelled 2nd ReAttach conference.

Others, who paid by bank directly have been refunded by Drs. Paula Weerkhamp Bartholomeus March 13th, except 3 Macedonian students whose bank account I have asked by email. To transfer we need the Bic/Swift of the bank, the right name for the account, the name of the bank, etc.

All participants who don’t receive the money back, please contact her at reattachfoundation@gmail.com and give her all necessary details. As soon you will contact her, as possible you will get the money back.

Thanks for your understanding.

MSSA President

Cancellation 2nd Scientific ReAttach Conference 2020 in Skopje, Macedonia

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Dear colleagues,

We are sorry to inform you that we have decided to cancel the 2nd Scientific ReAttach Conference on May 29th-May30th, due to the coronavirus outbreak.
We will refund all conference tickets in the upcoming weeks.

Thank you for your enthusiasm for ReAttach and the overwhelming response and the warm welcome of the Macedonian Scientific Society of Autism as co-host of this event.

We especially thank all our invited presenters for their abstract submission. We intend to continue our international friendship. Of course, we will keep you informed about their papers that are coming up, future training, and events.

We would also like to draw your attention to our peer-reviewed academic journal that was founded under the inspiring leadership of Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski: Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities. JRTDD is an open-access journal with a broad scope and a fantastic international editorial board.  You can find it at https://jrtdd.com!

Yours sincerely,

ReAttach Therapy International Foundation
Drs. Paula Weerkamp-Bartholomeus,  President

Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism
Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski, President

2nd ReAttach Conference in Skopje, Macedonia

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Dear colleagues,
We are honored to invite you at the 2nd Scientific ReAttach Conference which be held in
Skopje, Macedonia, May 29th – May 30th 2020.
Conference Program / Abstract submission
In preparation of our final conference program, our scientific committee encourages you to submit an abstract for a lecture, workshop or poster presentation.  The general theme of the 2nd ReAttach Conference is “embracing complexity“. This theme refers to the development of specialized training for ReAttach therapists who work with complex neuro-developmental challenges. The topics below are designed to help provide coherence to the program, but not to be overly restrictive.
  • ReAttach
  • Early Intervention / Special Education
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Neuro-developmental challenges through the lifespan
  • Personal growth and performance
Special opportunities for parents, partners and service users
We feel that research, innovation and clinical expertise must be accessible for all. Therefore a team of experts will be available for free consultations May 31st. 
Early Bird Registration is open.
You can easily register for this event by clicking the link below.
Scientific Committee is very well experienced.
For additional questions you can contact us by email: 
reattachfoundation@gmail.com  and president@mssa.org.mk.
Conference web site: https://www.reattachconference.org  
We hope to welcome you in Skopje, Macedonia!
Kind regards,

ReAttach Therapy International Foundation

Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism

Call for abstracts 2nd Scientific ReAttach Conference

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Call for abstracts

2nd Scientific ReAttach Conference
May 29/30 2020 / Skopje, Macedonia

Embracing Complexity Makes Sense!

We invite abstract submissions for oral and poster presentations at the 2nd Scientific ReAttach Conference / May 29-30, 2020 Skopje Macedonia. The event will be organized by ReAttach Therapy International Foundation and the Macedionian Scientific Society for Autism.

The general theme of the 2nd ReAttach Conference is “Embracing complexity“.
Autism will remain one of the main topics of the ReAttach Conference. A special focus lies on accessible and affordable interventions to support individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Abstract submission should link with one of the conference topics:
1. ReAttach
2. Autism
3. Neurodevelopment
4. Clinical Psychiatry
5. Neuro-Rehabilitation
6. Special Education
7. Motor Imagery

Confirmed Keynote Speakers:

Prof. Michael Fitzgerald, Prof. Dr. Donatella Marazziti, Prof. Alexander B. Poletaev, Prof. Dr. Manuel Casanova, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Ghazziudin, Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski, Dr. Hanna Alonim, Dr. Ashutosh Srivasta, Drs. Paula Weerkamp-Bartholomeus

Conference website

Visit https://reattachconference.org for the latest information about this conference.  You can also find speakers guidelines and rules for abstract submission here.

Paula Weerkamp-Bartholomeus     Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski
ReAttach Foundation President             MSSA President
reattachfoundation@gmail.com           journaljrtdd@gmail.com

A multimodal intervention for children and adults with autism spectrum disorders: ‘ReAttach’

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Paula Weerkamp-Bartholomeus, Ph.D.1, Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski2

1ReAttach Therapy Institute, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, e-mail: info@reattach-therapy-institute.com

2Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Philosophy, University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” Blvd. Goce Delchev 9A, 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, e-mail vladotra@fzf.ukim.edu.mk

 Abstract

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication and restricted and repetitive interests/behaviors, which has considerable impact on daily life functioning. ReAttach is an intervention based on attachment, arousal regulation and training multiple sensory integration processing.

Aim: investigate the effectivity of ReAttach in terms of improvement of daily life functioning.

Method: Eight therapists were trained to perform ReAttach with a group of participants (N=58). Comparison of the mean scores on the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) was conducted with a paired sample t-test.

Results: In this study we have explored the potential of 5 sessions of ReAttach to significantly improve the ATEC scores of participants diagnosed with ASD within a short period of time. The results revealed significant decreases of problems (p<0.001) in the subscales: I. Speech (t=9.96, df=57, p=0.000), II. Sociability (t=13.72, df=57, p=0.000), III. Sensory Cognitive Awareness (t=11.91, df=57, p=0.000), IV. Health / Physical / Behavior (t=11.64, df=57, p=0.000) and total scores of the ATEC (t=15.23, df=57, p=0.000).

We made comparison of mean total scores in various diagnosis within the whole ASD group: Autistic disorder (N=6, age M=18.67, SD±6.92, males were 100%) t=4.78, df=5, p=0.005; Asperger syndrome (N=24, age M=27.75, SD±12.88 males were 70.83%)  t=10.56, df=23, p=0.000; PDD-NOS (N=24, age  M=22.17, SD±11.68, males were 83.33%), t=9.26, df=23, p=0.000; ASD and Intellectual Disability (N=4, age M=26.75, SD±16.17, males were 75%) t=4.40, df=3, p=0.022.

Conclusions: This study confirms that ReAttach has a positive impact on daily life functioning. Practical research confirms the hypothesis that this intervention has a positive effect on various developmental areas described in the ATEC. The results further suggest that people within the entire range of ASD can benefit from ReAttach and the method itself might provide important clues to efficient ASD treatment.

Keywords: autism, innovation, treatment

Citation: Weerkamp Bartholomeus P, Trajkovski V. Multimodalna intervencija za decu i odrasle sa autističnim spektrom poremećaja: „Reattach“. Zbornik rezimea ‡ IV stručno-naučni skup sa međunarodnim učešćem „Aktuelnosti u edukaciji i rehabilitaciji osoba sa smetnjama u razvoju“. Beograd, 24-25 oktobar, 2015; 19.

IMPACT of Parent Education on Families in South-EAST Europe

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Saturday, May 12, 2018: 11:30 AM-1:30 PM
Hall Grote Zaal (de Doelen ICC Rotterdam)
D. R. Preece1, J. Stošić2, E. Theodorou3, J. Troshanska4, K. Mavrou3, L. Symeou3, J. Frey Škrinjarand V. Trajkovski5, (1) Faculty of Education and Humanities, University of Northampton, Northampton , United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, (2) Department of Inclusive Education and Rehabilitation, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, (3) School of Humanities, Social and Education Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus, (4) Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism, Skopje, Macedonia, The former Yugoslav Republic of, (5)Faculty of Philosophy, University of Ss Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, Macedonia, The former Yugoslav Republic of
Background: Autism challenges traditional parenting styles, and can make parents feel deskilled and disempowered, especially if little information or support is available to them. Providing accurate information about autism to parents, and teaching them to adapt their parenting using good autism practice has been shown to be effective in improving personal, educational and social outcomes for individuals with autism and their families (Bearss et al 2015, Farmer and Reupert 2013). However, such support is extremely limited or non-existent within some south-east European countries.

Objectives: A three-year European Union-funded project has been established involving family members, professionals and academics. Its objectives are to develop a core parent autism education curriculum and locally appropriate parent education materials and methods; to provide parent education in three diverse south-eastern European countries (Croatia, Cyprus and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) where diagnosis and service provision are emergent; to develop local parent education teams within these countries to ensure sustainability; and to evaluate the impact of the parent education events upon families attending.

Methods: After reviewing the literature and surveying parental priorities in the three countries, a 12-hour parent education programme and locally differentiated training materials were developed. In total, five cohorts of approximately 20 parents each will receive parent education within each of the three countries. A combined process and outcome mixed methods evaluation methodology (Royse et al 2009) is being used to evaluate the project. Data are gathered via pre-attendance, post-attendance and follow-up (3-month) parent questionnaires – incorporating the CarerQoL quality of life scale (Hoefman et al 2014) – from all participants, semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of parents, trainer focus groups and reflective diaries, and document analysis. We here report on quantitative (n = 108) and qualitative data (n = 20) from parent cohorts 1 and 2.

Results: Quantitative data identify that >90% of respondents have improved their understanding of autism, >80% report improved child communication and >75% report improvements in overall family life, their ability to predict their child’s behaviour and their ability to respond to concerns and comments from the broader family. Carer QoL data indicate increased parental happiness following attendance (p=.001). Key themes from qualitative data are the positive impact of attending the parent education programme, increased awareness regarding sensory and communication issues and improvements in everyday life. Parents also reported that attendance provided opportunities to meet other parents and reduced social isolation.

Conclusions: Data from parent cohorts 1 and 2 identify that parents who have attended the parent education programme have found it beneficial, and that it has had a positive impact on their family life. Key areas of impact have been improvements in communication and improved management of sensory and behavioural issues. This supports the continued and wider provision of parent education within these countries. Further data from cohorts 3 and 4 will have been collected and analysed by the time of INSAR 2018.

Source: INSAR