AWARD Autism World A Real Dimension aims to build a new training system within VET, in order to support the labour market integration of young people affected by Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), involving trainers, educators, company tutors and families. Project partnership: Fondazione Centro Professionale Europeo Leonardo Promoform Associazione Studio L&P (Learning & Progress) A18onlus - Associazione Autismo 18 anni (A18 onlus) Partner 5: Liceul tehnologic "Ioan Slavici" (LIS) Solaris Foerderzentrum fuer Jugend und Umwelt gGmbH Sachsen (Solaris FZU)

1. A.W.A.R.D. “Autistic World A Real Dimension”, funded by the European
Programme Erasmus Plus, aims to build an innovative model in the field of
Vocational Educational Training (VET) in order to support job placement of
young people with autism, directly involving all the stakeholders of the
process: trainers, educators, business tutors and young people with autism.
The aim of the project is to facilitate the employment of young people with
autism
• by strengthening specific skills of trainers, educators and company tutors
and
• by strengthening the family, school and business network.
THE PROJECT

2. Countries and Partners
COUNTRIES INVOLVED
Italy, Romania, Germany
PROJECT PARTNERS
• Fondazione Centro Professionale Europeo Leonardo (Lead Partner)
• Ente di Formazione Promoform
• Associazione Studio L&P (Learning & Progress)
• A18onlus - Associazione Autismo 18 anni (A18 onlus);
• Liceul tehnologic "Ioan Slavici" (LIS)
• Solaris Foerderzentrum fuer Jugend und Umwelt gGmbH Sachsen (Solaris FZU)

3. THE CHALLENGE….
It is estimated that people with autism represent 1% of the European
population and 90% of them are unemployed.
Usually people with autism, even those with good skills, are almost excluded
from the opportunities for training and job accompaniment. At the age of 18,
the logic of inclusive education at school is replaced by the opposite one:
institutionalization or abandonment to the family.
As highlighted by the Recommendations published by Autism Europe (2016)
many people with autism could be included in the labor market if the training
and education really meets their needs, and if the world of business and
training is aware of the potential of people with ASD.

4. AWARD: THE INNOVATIVE APPROACH
AWARD aims at the study and concrete experimentation of training, support and work
support measures that take into account the learning difficulties of people with autism,
especially when they leave schools and they need other forms of social inclusion: a new
training system in the field of VET supporting the work placement of young people with
autism spectrum disorder.
The project intends to identify and develop an approach that takes into account the
strengths of the various models in use in the countries involved in the project and at
European level: a shared approach that finds its validity in the comparison, synthesis and
analysis among different countries, beyond national practices.

5. AWARD: THE INNOVATIVE APPROACH
Training of trainers: the aim is to develop a training model for trainers that allows teachers
and VET operators to combine psycho-educational skills and effective methods of training
in order to operate as a “job coach” with autistic people
Training of company tutors: The model will also directly involve company tutors, providing
specific training. The innovativeness of the "training package" for trainers and tutors will be
the new model born from the comparison and and from the analysis of the effectiveness of the
models in use in the three countries (ABA-Applied Behavior Analysis and TEACCH-
Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children).
Job placement: the model will be developed and validated with a pilot experimentation,
which provides a close connection between the VET agency and the company, between the
teacher and the company tutor. Before the internship, the training of the autistic person will
take place in a simul-enterprise classroom setting, aimed at acquiring the skills to carry out
the specific activities that the young person will manage during the internship

6. AWARD: THE INNOVATIVE APPROACH
The project foresees a drop-down training of trainers in
order to define a system of good practices that can
contribute to create a system of inclusion of people with
autism at European level:
• training of 3 trainers per country through a "learning
activity" in Chemnitz, Germany;
• training of 30 teachers / operators at local level, 10
for each country (Italy, Romania, and Germany)
• training of 45 company tutors (15 per country) on
methods of job coaching with people with ASD;
• involvement of 45 students (15 per country) in a
simul-enterprise/ internship

7. INTELLECTUAL OUTPUT (IO)
The project foresees the realization of the following intellectual outputs:
IO1 - ASD TEACHERS-TUTORS TRAINING SCHEME: the output consists of a guide for the
training of teachers / trainers on the methodologies for supporting the employment of autistic
people, available in paper format and in open source mode;
IO2 – JOB TRAINING FRAMEWORK FOR ASD PEOPLE: the output consists of a guideline on the
work integration model for autistic people;
IO3 – AWARD THE MOVIE: the output is a collection of video material with a dual function:
formative and informative. It will collect video modeling, self-video modeling and a short film;
IO4 –GIOCO: the output is a game aimed at facilitating the learning process of people with autism
spectrum disorders.

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