Together with Deafblind People in Romania
5 Years of Early Intervention in Romania – 37,000 Babies Screened for Hearing Impairments
Written by Administrator
This month, Sense International (Romania) celebrates 5 years since the inception of the Early Intervention Programme in Romania. It has been a challenging task from the very beginning – January 2007 – when SI(R) started its collaboration with the first maternity unit included in the programme, in Bucharest.
It has been a challenge mainly because, although the hearing screening of babies was part of a National Health Programme, no hospital was in fact testing the babies because they had no devices for doing this. And those very few hospitals which did have such a device did not collect the data and information was lost.
SI(R) was aware of the importance of early identification of sensory impaired babies. By the time they reached kindergarten or school age, entering the Education Programme, teachers had to face challenges and problems which could have been solved, if intervened in time.
„An optimum and efficient hearing screening in newborn babies will allow the early identification (in the first month of life) of permanent bilateral hearing impairments. An objective diagnosis can be given until the age of 3 months, while an adequate therapeutic intervention can be done until the age of 6 months. This way, the child is given the best chances for a normal development.” Dr. Alexandru Pascu, MD, ENT, Audiologist
In time, the programme expanded covering two more major cities in Romania: Oradea in November 2007 and Timisoara in October 2009. Three screening devices have been donated by SI(R) over the years and 12 medical specialists have been trained in screening techniques.
Almost 37,000 newborn babies from Bucharest, Oradea and Timisoara have had their hearing screened at birth as a result of SI(R) involvement.
Beginning with 2011, through a World Bank programme, all major maternity units in Romania (those having Intensive Care Units) have been equipped with hearing screening devices. SI(R) role, with the support of medical specialists involved in the programme, will no longer be to equip maternities, but rather to collect valuable data and make sure that babies who are identified with sensory impairments receive the proper early intervention services.
Bi-annual meeting of specialists working with deafblind and multisensory impaired children in Romania
Written by Administrator
As it happens every year, October is the month when we meet teachers who have been involved for many years in the education program for deafblind and multisensory impaired children. It is also a chance to meet new teachers who, at the beginning of this school year, started working in deafblind classes.
This activity, organized by Sense International (Romania) twice a year since 2001, represents a discussions platform where teachers receive updated information in the field of educating deafblind children. They also have the opportunity to share ideas and experiences.
The event, “Curriculum for Deafblind / MSI children – between Theory and Practice”, which took place October 28-29 in Bucharest, brought together 52 participants. Besides teachers from all over the country, the meeting was also attended by special guests, such as Mr. James Thornberry, Director of Sense International UK and Mr. Romeo Adrian Cozma, Inspector for Special Education from Bucharest School Inspectorate. On his first visit in Romania, Mr. James Thornberry had the opportunity to meet specialists, beneficiaries and decision makers involved in the projects implemented by SI(R) in Bucharest and Timisoara.
The case studies and presentations held by national trainers and teachers working with deafblind/MSI children put special emphasis on practical aspects. Some of the topics presented included: sensory stimulation with the new born babies, learning by playing and sensory-cognitive educational activities with the little ones, interdisciplinary work, an essential condition for applying the curriculum with the little multi-sensory impaired children, development of basic daily living skills, development of mobility and orientation skills during the physiotherapy sessions. As a novelty element, the Wilbarger Protocol was described as an intervention technique for sensory defensive children.
The meeting was interactive, consisting of a workshop session on Vocational aspects for deafblind/MSI young people. Organisers and participants raised the issue of their future possibilities and opportunities for community integration following school graduation. Teachers suggested areas of activity and trades that could be appropriate for deafblind/MSI youth, presenting arguments to support their suggestions.
On October 29, participants visited the Kindergarten for Children with Hearing Impairments in Bucharest, where SI(R) set up the Early Intervention Support Centre and two deafblind/MSI classes. Participants were presented case studies showing the progress of most of the children who are currently benefitting from the intervention.
This is how the event ended to the guests’ delight! …
We are looking forward to the next one, in March 2012.
Sense International (Romania)
Written by Administrator
Our VISION is a world where deafblind children and adults can become active members of the society
The MISSION of Sense International (Romania) is to work in partnership with others – deafblind people, their families, carers and professional – to ensure that everyone facing challenges because of deafblindness has access to advice, opportunities and support.
The International Helen Keller Week – Deafblindness Week
Written by Administrator
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.” These words belong to Helen Keller, the most famous deafblind person in the world. Despite the fact that she had lost both her sight and her hearing at the early age of 19 months, Helen Keller succeeded in becoming the first deafblind person graduating a university, in 1904. With a support of a very gifted teacher – Anne Sullivan – she learnt English, French, Greek, German and Latin using Braille. Helen Keller wrote many books and articles and she fought for the rights of people with disabilities. She contributed to the opening of many hospitals and centres for blindness prevention all over the world.
In the week of June 27 – July 1 2011, Sense International (Romania) celebrates the International Helen Keller Week, to increase awareness regarding the specific problems that deafblind people must face every day. Deafblindness is a combination of hearing and visual impairments, at various degrees of manifestation that dramatically affects communication, mobility and access to information. Following the awareness campaigns organised by SI(R), deafblindness has been recognised by the Romanian legislation as a distinct disability since 2006.
Since 2001, Sense International (Romania) has been working in partnership with others – deafblind people, their families, carers and professional – to ensure that everyone facing challenges because of deafblindness has access to advice, opportunities and support.
Through the first ever Early Intervention Programme dedicated to newborn babies, SI(R) has opened the gates to hearing and vision screening at birth, so that babies have a fantastic chance of professional diagnosis and adequate rehabilitation programmes. More than 27,000 babies have had their hearing and/or vision screened in Bucharest, Oradea and Timisoara since 2007 and 53 deafblind/multisensory impaired children receive early intervention services provided in 3 Early Intervention Support Centers.
SI(R) is the first and only organisation in Romania to address the issue of Education for Deafblind / Multisensory Impaired Children. Starting from scratch, with no awareness of deafblindness in the country, SI(R) has managed to create a network of 35 classes set up in 15 state special schools for the deaf and the blind in Romania, where 140 deafblind children benefit from good quality education offered by specialists whose expertise is highly appreciated.
With the support of our partners – the Early Intervention Support Centres in Bucharest, Oradea and Timisoara, as well as “Vasile Pavelcu” School Iași, Sense International (Romania) will organise on this occasion a series of activities for deafblind children and their families. Educational and relaxation activities will be organised to emphasise the importance of become more aware of this unique disability and to get closer to our vision – a world where all deafblind children and adults can become active members of the society.
