"""TRAINING ON LEARNING DISABILITIES FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS. NEW STRATEGIES AND ICT CONTRIBUTIONS"" As a group of educational advisers, we realized that teachers and parents in our working area had a lack of useful materials, like specific tools and software for pupils with learning disabilities. Although nowadays they are using useful strategies to manage with pupils with learning disabilities and they begin to understand the need of using ICT, they have barriers to use these ICT tools and they need to improve their digital and computer skills, besides knowing the innovative methodologies that may increase pupils with learning disabilities learning.This project has the next main objectives: 1- To develop innovative practices in our institutions, extending the use of ICT tools; 2- To analyse current and new practices in teachers and parents dealing with learning disabilities; 3- To improve teachers competences in ICT and innovative methodologies, specially those that may allow them to help pupils with learning disabilities; 4- To enhance better levels of ICT use in the educational context; 5- To introduce positive changes in the teaching-learning processes through adults training; 6- To increase teachers motivation by using innovative practices; 7- To provide parents a better support about how to deal with learning disabilities towards an ICT training, and 8- To increase the performance at the school of pupils with learning disabilities. The participants are 5 institutions, with a heterogeneous number of staff directly involved in the project (around 5 to 8 members of each team), and indirectly involved, the rest of them. The profile of the staff is: psychologists, pedagogues, ICT and computers technicians and managers.This project was initially thought to create some useful materials to help teachers and parents who have children with learning disabilities (Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Attention Disorder and Hyperactivity or Non-verbal learning desease, because these are the most frequent learning disabilities) in order to increase their levels of learning, to improve their school results and to prevent early school leaving.The main results and activities we intend to achieve are: 1- A critical analysis about how teachers and parents deal with learning disabilities and what do they need and what problems we have to solve out, in order to help, in a better way, to pupils with learning disabilities to gain educational objectives; 2- A methodological guide with useful strategies that may allow us to solve the problems found in the critical analysis out and to give answer to teachers and parents needs, specially those ones that have a disadvantage situation. This guide would include ICT tools to learn better, including specific tools to each learning disability, and general tools, such as activities and software to improve executive functions or memory. Teachers and parents could understand better the contents with the glossary of terms; 3- Designing and developing Courses and Pedagogical materials for teachers and parents. These materials could help to other advisers and adult trainers to organize other training courses about learrning disabilities and ICT in educational context in the future; 4- A videogame for children with lack of executive functions, to train some skills in a highly motivating way, and to motivate teachers and parents to use these tools in the classroom and at home; 5- A portal web ""MULTIFUNCTIONAL INTERNET PLATFORM - European Help-desk for learning difficulties"", containing all the materials, educational issues related links, learning disabilities, as well as local, regional, national and european resources, a support net to people who access to the portal, information and pieces of advice about educational topics (specially ICT tools for learning disabilities), among other materials.All partners involved participated in these products, although each country has been the coordinator of an output. Each material about a specific learning disability had a coordinator aswell. In our opinion, the results have a great sustainability, because all of them are included in the portal www.helpdeskinld.com, an Internet platform open to everybody. In addition to this, we will continue developing courses in the future with our own budget and we have disseminated the results in several platforms: E-twinning, EPALE, our own webs, other local, regional and national webs, press, TV and radio and through our work with other institutions directly, because we are external advisers that visit a lot of schools and educational institutions (Educational Inspection, University, Secondary and Primary Schools, Associations...)"

There are several countries in Europe where the early school leaving is too much high and, unfortunately, even is increasing. This situation is usually preceded by school failure. This is the reason why we are going to try to find efficient strategies to prevent these two problems. The pupils who usually have early school leaving and school failure tend to be pupils with some disadvantages, such as refugees, immigrants, pupils with economical problems, with learning disabilities, pupils whose parents have serious problems and, even, have a high risk of exclusion. We have prepared this project making an evaluation of the teachers, pupils and parents needs and, on the other hand, a meta-analysis of theoretical information about how the inclusive methodologies used by teachers in the educational process and the better collaboration between parents and teachers, could prevent these two problems. We have found that in those schools where teachers use inclusive methodologies, all pupils can learn through their preferred way of learn. So, we propose:1- to study how to help to teachers to reflect about these approaches, and how break the barriers they sometimes have to implement these strategies in the school; and 2- to reflect on how to involve better to these pupils families in their schooling, trying to get an increase of the collaboration between teachers and parents, specially with those parents that have some disadvantages and traditionally didn´t participate in this schooling. The summary of our objectives are: A- To reflect at a European level on: a-the teachers barriers and needs using inclusive methodologies and b-the families in disadvantages involvement, as a way to prevent early school leaving and school failure of their children, trying to help them with our training; B-To analyze our educational systems, laws and daily practices, related to the strategies used to prevent early school leaving and school failure, to know our strong and weak points. C-To find, implement and check new strategies to prevent early school leaving and school failure, and to write the best strategies in a Guide of good practices.The participants directly involved in the project are 6 institutions: 2 schools (Bulgaria and Croatia); 2 psychopedagogical teams (Romania and Spain); 1 research centre specialized in the creation of educational and multimedia materials (Greece) and a local educational authority that has implemented a project to improve their schools through the inclusion of the creativity, social and emotional skills, etc (Portugal).The professionals directly involved are Educational Psychologists, Teachers, Social workers, Educators specialized in the development of workshops to train creativity, social and emotional skills to pupils, researchers, computer designers, artists.Main activities and results. We are going to reflect at an European level about the strategies that we usually put in practice in our schools to answer to all pupils needs. Then, we want to find the best strategies to prevent the early school leaving with these results: 1-Statistical research of the teachers and families needs; 2-Meta-analysis of the best strategies to prevent school failure and early school leaving with the help of the local social authorities and other bodies who work with disadvantaged groups.3-Design and development of some training activities for teachers and families to train them in the skills needed to increase the implementation of inclusive methodologies (teachers) and the collaboration with the teachers to prevent the early school leaving and school failure (parents); 4-Creation and maintenance of an European Inclusive Schools Net; 5-Implementation of “Learning communities” in several schools and 6-Creation and dissemination of a Guide of good practices regarding these problems. Methodology. a-Metha-analysis about how our educational systems deal with early school leaving and school failure; b-Administration of the questionnaires to teachers and parents and meetings with them to know well their actitudes and ideas about how to answer to all pupils needs; c-Discussion groups where firstly we share information about different strategies that the science says that are useful to prevent these problems and then, we make a reflection to find new ways to implement these strategies; d-Observation of good practices in several centres; e-Training activities for teachers and parents to help them to implement these strategies; f-We train them to participate in the European inclusive schools net; We will share and disseminate our results with open licence.We are going to include our training activities (with the improvements obtained in this Project) in our Annual plan of functioning. We´ll keep our Net in the future, encouraging to our teachers and families to join it. We will promote/keep the new ways to collaborate with local social authorities to improve the most disadvantaged families involvement in the school.

<< Background >>Autism affects the life of the individual and his / her family in a very serious way. In recent years, the number of individuals with autism in the world has increased. Although only one out of every 2500 children in 1985, one in every 150 children in 2000, one of every 88 children in 2008 was diagnosed with autism, today one out of every 55 children is born with the risk of autism.Even we do not know the cause of autism, it is possible with effective educational methods to minimize the developmental disabilities of these children by early intervention and to prevent difference between their peers. It has been proved with the trainings on autistic individuals in Europe and Turkey that sport is very effective in the development of autistic individuals. However, the insufficiency and lack of studies for sports education is also noteworthy. With this project, firstly, educators will be taught how to use sports as a tool to develop self-care skills, play, socialization and communication skills of autistic children and good practices in this area will be shared in different countries in order to increase institutional competencies.In order for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in common institutions and regions to integrate with the society, to socialize, to develop their communication skills, to develop their own self-care skills, families and educators who have been trained in these areas are needed. In this context, families and educators will be taught how to contribute to the development of these children by providing sports skills by experts in their field, and their teaching stages and forms.During the preparation phase of the project, the deficiencies identified in the development of social and psycho-motor skills of mild autistic children between the ages of 3-10 will be eliminated, both in institutional terms, in terms of teachers and families. As a result of the trainings, practices, observation of good practices and joint studies, teaching the methods of gaining self-care skills to mild autistic children between the ages of 3-10 through sports, using the techniques of gaining play, socialization and communication skills for mild autistic children between the ages of 3-10. will focus on competence enhancement.<< Objectives >>Individuals with ASD feel love, happiness, sadness and pain like all people, but have difficulty expressing themselves. Like everyone else, they have the right to feelings, thoughts and legal rights. Children with ASD expect to be noticed, understood and accepted by the society both in education and social life within the framework of equal opportunity. Their only remedy is an approach kneaded with love, patience, and understanding, and backed by a well-planned education. With this project, educators will be taught how to use sports as a tool in order to improve the self-care skills, psychomotor, interpersonal relations and communication skills of children with ASD, and good practices in this field will be shared in different countries in order to increase institutional competencies.It has been proven in the trainings for individuals with ASD that sports are very effective in the development of individuals with autism. However, the scarcity and insufficiency of the studies on sports education draws attention. With this project, the coordinative sports training program prepared for children with autism will be taught to the trainers.In this context, the overall aim of the project is to increase the competencies of educators working with mildly autistic children in order to develop the social and psycho-motor skills of these children aged between 3 and10 years.Our specific objectives are:-To teach the trainers the methods of self-care skills to mildly autistic children aged 3 to 10 years by means of sport.-To teach educators the techniques of gaming, socializing and communication skills for mildly autistic children aged 3 to 10 years.-To promote good practices in partner countries among partner institutions.<< Implementation >>A social networking site will be created for dissemination, a bulletin will be prepared, posters and brochures will be printed and the handbook will be printed at the end of the project. The materials will be prepared by the team of relevant institutions through a workshop. Two spot films will be prepared; first at the beginning of the project and second at the end of the project. In order to measure the success, a questionnaire will be conducted for families and joint institution staff, and periodic meetings will be held with the parents and institution staff. After the review of the good practices, a joint action plan will be prepared, followed by a joint trainer training and then practical studies will be carried out for autistic children and families. Four activities were planned to be done with the families of ADS children. At the end of the project, a workshop was planned to transfer the good practices to the institutions.The project participants are educators working for autistic children, parents of autistic children and autistic children aged 3-10. Except the institutions’ own staff 10 autistic children and their parents will be involved in the practices.<< Results >>With the help of our project, the competencies of the trainers working with mildly autistic children will be increased in order to develop the social and psycho-motor skills of these children aged between 3 and 10 years. In order to achieve this, the trainers will learn the techniques of teaching self-care skills, psychomotor, interpersonal relations and communication skills mildly ASD children aged between 3 and 10 years. Good practices for ADS children in the partner countries will become widespread with the examinations, meetings and workshops to be carried out.In this project, by using individual special teaching methods, it will be provided to educate ADS children based on movement rather than class. As a result of the program, ADS children will get the learning outcomes earlier.The program with the help of sportive skills, which is applied in this project, will enable the ADS children to be included in the social life with their family, minimizing their typical and obsessive behaviors and behavior problems.Local Peoples have a negative view of the problematic behaviors of ADS children. With this project, prejudices of local people regarding autism and ADS children will be destroyed. It will accelerate the integration of ADS children with the society at the local level, which will contribute to the development of the society and social health.In addition to intercultural interaction, learning environments in the field will be provided with a uniform functional education model for ADS children in the partner countries participating in the project. As a result of the targeted outputs of the implemented project, it will be an example to the process of educating autistic children based on movement, by providing education in different areas rather than classroom. With the increase of these applications, the number of institutions willing to cooperate will increase.This project will contribute to the education of ADS children, who are a bleeding wound not only in Europe but also in the world, to the integration of these children into social life at a micro level.Our project also promotes solidarity between the public and private sectors. New collaborations to be encouraged in the field of education of autistic children will also contribute to the increase of civil society dialogue in this field.