Who are you?
I am Anisa Trpcevska, mother of Adam. He is a nine-year-old child with autism and hyperactivity. As a teacher in a mainstream primary school, I encounter more and more children with autism. I am always surprised by the diversity and uniqueness of people with autism. I often think about how I can help both these students and my son.
Location
Skopje, FYR of Macedonia
Why are you interested in the ESIPP project?
I cannot imagine the horror of being a non-verbal person in a verbal world, sensory burdened in a world teeming of stimuli. Looking for answers, I came across information about the ESIPP project. It prioritises the social inclusion and education of autistic people and how that can contribute to greater employment opportunities which, in turn, will result in a dignified quality of life for them and their families.
What is the project’s most valuable information/tool for you?
Personally, discovering that the visualisation of everything is a key segment for communication (especially in non-verbal autistic people) was the breakthrough of the year. Unfortunately, autism is still largely unknown and, therefore, all these years I was “bombarded” with incorrect and misleading information. It is key to know that we should not talk too much, but that we should communicate with short and clear sentences, avoid abstract concepts, and ask one single question at a time. EUREKA! Suddenly I felt as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
If you have attended any of the different ESIPP training sessions or events, tell us about your experience.
My participation in this project will represent an extra support in the future independence of my son and my students. Since my son has exceeded sensory problems, I will use these sessions to help my students who have sensory problems. With practical implementation, believe it or not, I began immediately.
I just attended my first training in the framework of the ESIPP project but, hopefully, this will not be the last. I really enjoyed the lectures from Ron Fortuna and Angela Capper. I feel as if the struggle for my son’s independence empowerment, ensuring a dignified future and finding ways to communicate with the rest of the world, is starting to bear fruit thanks to the ESIPP project and its trainers Ron and Angela.
