As part of this project a seminar was held at the University of Malta led by Dr. Anna Contardi. The seminar dealt with How to educate children and young adults with intellectual impairment towards autonomy.
The aim of the seminar was to educate students, educators and other professionals on how children and young adults with intellectual disability can be taught to perform everyday tasks independently. The purpose behind Independent-Living is to educate the members to be autonomous whilst preparing them to become part of the community.
Dr. Elena Tanti Burlo started off the seminar by inviting some children and young adults to share their experiences of the Equal Partners Foundation’s Stepping Out Programme. Presently, sixteen children and young adults are participating in this Programmes.
Samuel Gatt, along with his mother, Anne Marie Buckle, Milos Kojic and Francesco Bileci shared their experience and expressed their wishes and plans for the future. They spoke of skills which they have acquired so far throughout the program such as how to order from a menu, how to calculate a bill, how to catch a bus, how to read the time, how to deal with bullying, how to cook, and how to clean and tidy up.
Ms. Louise Pisani, President of Equal Partners Foundation, spoke about the services provided to both children and adults through a lifespan approach starting from early intervention in childhood, home education in late childhood/early adolescents to the Stepping Out Programme and Tempo Libero in late adolescence and adulthood.
Mr. Alfredo Munoz, CEO of Middlesea Insurance explained that through its Institute of Social Action, one of the goals of Fundación MAPFRE is to carry out social and educational projects and programs related to children in those countries where MAPFRE is present. In Malta, MAPFRE is represented by Middlesea, which is a member of the MAPFRE Group..
Subsequently, Dott. Anna Contardi explained her role within the ‘Assocazione Italiana Persone Down’ (AIPD) and the different services offered by this association. The seminar was concluded by the presentation of video excerpts taken from episodes of “Hotel 6 Stelle”, a tv series which is being broadcast in Italy to promote the inclusion of people with Down syndrome in the work place.
Middlesea Insurance p.l.c. (C-5553) is authorised by the Malta Financial Services Authority to carry on both Long Term and General Business under the Insurance Business Act, 1998. COM 22122014 879
