ESC: Volunteering with disabled people

Associação Qe is a teaching/residential complex for mentally disabled people over 16 years old, comprising a pedagogical centre (for residents and non residents) and a residential centre (for permanent, temporary or occasional use). Most of our clients have a moderate mental disability that covers a diverse of syndromes and pathologies, such as Trisomy 21, Trisomy 8, Autism, Borderline, Cornelia de Lange, Microcephaly, among others. Our goal is to maximize the autonomy and the integration of these very special people, by developing their competences through Individual Development Programs. Associação Qe does not intend to be only a school but a life simulator. Every student integrated in Associação Qe first performs a Evaluation Process that allows the pedagogical team to determine the student´s profile competences in terms of his social, personal and professional competences. Each student has its own annual Individual Developing Program, based on his individual competences. With the support of his Individual Development Program each student has his own activities schedule. By this reason, in Associação Qe students with different individual programs coexist side by side. For example, one student may mainly attend artistic activities (art therapy, theater, etc.) while the other student is carrying out tasks of a professional curriculum. The activities of Associação Qe are based upon art studios, therapeutical activities and professional activities simulators that gather companies (Professional partners) of the various sectors of the economy in a concept of integrated development. Actually we have two professional curriculums available: Food and Beverage/ restocking of goods and Gardening/Animals. Associação QE is located in a 15,000 sq. meters plot, and is composed by an Occupational Centre (for boarding and day clients), a Residential Centre (for boarding clients and temporary or occasional stays), and a Scientific Centre (encompassing all scientific and technological partnerships and their deriving projects). Associação Qe uses Gentle Teaching, an Intervention Philosophy, based upon the human interdependence psychology. It has four basic goals to be conveyed to the persons of Associação Qe: safety, commitment, to be loved and to love. Through Gentle Teaching our team is always concerned in checking how safe the student is, with special focus in his sense of dignity, high self-esteem and inner well-being. The Pedagogical Centre represents an innovative approach towards autonomy, integration and dignity of the mentally disabled people. It encompasses the areas which will allow our people to build a sustainable autonomy project through their Individual Development Program. Actually Associação Qe supports 40 students in full time, 22 of them also live permanently in our residence. We also receive students with special needs from other institutions at weekends and holidays. These students can stay in the residences or simply spend a day at the pedagogical area.