ESC: Welcoming diversity

SPOSA is an abbreviation from the full name of our civic association Spoločnost na pomoc osobám s autizmom Bratislava (eng. Society for Helping People with Autism in Bratislava ). Hereinafter, we will be using the abbreviation SPOSA when referring to our organisation. SPOSA is a parental non-governmental, non-profit organisation in Slovakia. It is a society of citizens joined together with the objective to represent the intents of children, youth and adults with autism. Our organization has been proudly helping people with autism and families with an autistic family members, promoting their interests and needs since 1994. It has nationwide operations through its 20 member organizations operating in individual regions. In the organizational unit of Bratislava, we offer value adding activities to children and adults with autism after school or work. SPOSA is a full member organisation of the international association AUTISM-EUROPE located in Brussels and co-funded by EU. SPOSA’s main goal is the improvement of quality of life of autistic individuals and their families. It is done through transformation of these people from social exclusion to social inclusion, especially through work and employment. We have developed and present the Autism Simulator to parents, experts, and the public during various workshops. The Autism Simulator is a device that allows you to perceive the external world through the eyes of autistic person in virtual reality. Recently, we have also focused on the development of physical and sports activities for children and youth with ASD as they lead to better motor skills, discipline, perseverance, and respect for the rules, which are essential attributes for successful integration. Our target group are: - Individuals with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (Abbrev. ASD) diagnosis and with other special needs - Families with an autistic family member - General public in Bratislava, Slovakia (as a target group for autism awareness and autism acceptance campaigns) - Young international and Slovak volunteers Note: Additionally, through our cooperation with partner organisations in Europe in Erasmus and ESC projects and by sending/hosting numerous young volunteers throughout the years we have been promoting ideas of an inclusive society in a wider aspect, not limited geographically to Slovak republic only. Main activities: - Operation of the community center in Bratislava for people with autism and their families. - Social rehab and worklife skills and self-service enhancements activities for specific clients with ASD in the community center to increase independence of autistic individuals. Our international volunteers that we host in our center usually for a period of 12 months contribute in planning and execution daily activities for our members with autism. - Organization of small trips to castles, museums or nature areas with people with autism and their family members. - Organization of inclusive summer/winter camps for families with an autistic family member and family weekend gatherings for our members and extended community (about 30 summer camps and winter mountain retreats carried out to date). International volunteers attend summer camps via Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programs. - Project targeted specifically at employment of people with ASD to increase their self-competence and quality of life (Project name "Autistic people at work"). - Advocacy and Autism awareness and acceptance campaigns to spread the awareness and advance the rights and quality of life of people with autism in all areas. - Other projects include, art therapeutic workshops for children, youth and adults with autism and family members, webinars and workshops for parents and others. - Recently, we have also focused on the development of physical and sports activities for children and youth with ASD as they lead to better motor skills, discipline, perseverance, and respect for the rules, which are essential attributes for successful integration. We also collaborate with Special Olympics Slovakia in terms of sports activities.