Increase the skills of Moldovan autism therapists

As you know, the aim of this project is for one of our staff to gain supervisor-level qualifications in therapy for developmental conditions so that we increase our in-house expertise.  Over the last year, we have benefitted from support from a supervisor who has come to spend time with us 6 times.  Like all of our training support, our supervisor is based in Bucharest, Romania, since we cannot access quality training within Moldova. 

This story shows the value of this supervision, and makes us excited about the progress we will be able to make when our staff have this level of support throughout the year.

Over the last year our colleagues report that they are already seeing benefits. They have learnt new methods of evaluating the challenges the children face, so that they can draw up better care plans for each child. They have also structured their record keeping so that they can see clearly the progress their child is making. 

This might seem rather dry, but improving our paperwork has a direct impact on our time with the children - and their parents.  Because our systems are now more structured, the therapists actually spend less time on paperwork now and more time with the children.  They are also able to discuss their assessments more clearly with parents, helping them to see their child from a different perspective.  They have learned new ways of presenting the progress the children have made, so that parents can clearly see even the smallest steps forward.  This is really helpful for parents and keeps their motivation high.  The children benefit so much more when their families are working together with the therapist, since so much more of their time is spent with their family than with us.

And of course, throughout, the supervisor was able to introduce new ideas into the teaching itself, helping to motivate children and bringing visible progress.  It was fantastic to have her along-side us in sessions, so she could give feedback on specific situations.  All our staff feel more confident delivering their sessions to children.

Parents reported, “We are impressed by the involvement and professional skills of the supervisor. She gave unique tips on how to work with our child to promote his progress.” and “We felt involved in the therapeutic process, with feedback and discussions about how we can support progress at home.” 

We wish Ana every success with her studies, and we are very grateful to you for your support so far.