STEAMing Ahead: Parent Training for Inclusive STEAM Education of Children with Autism

With the implementation of this project, we wanted: -To create age-appropriate STEAM educational materials and resources tailored to the needs of children with autism (ASD) -More children with aut...

With the implementation of this project, we wanted: -To create age-appropriate STEAM educational materials and resources tailored to the needs of children with autism (ASD) -More children with autism and/or neurodevelopmental disorders to have the opportunity to be actively involved in STEAM activities and education. -To provide parents of children with autism with training and resources to support their children's early interest in STEAM. -To have the opportunity to stimulate their interest and develop their potential in these areas. -To increase awareness among parents, educators, and the community about the importance of inclusive STEAM education for children with autism. -Children to improve their cognitive and problem-solving skills. -Parents to be better equipped to support their children's interests in STEAM. -Children with autism to have a stronger foundation in STEAM subjects -Development of strategies to improve the potential for success in future STEAM-related careers, aligned with the increasing demand for STEAM in the workplace -Developing resources to provide parents with accessible, high-quality educational materials will result in better inclusion of children with ASD in education.

-The first activity was Project Management and Kick-off Meeting. During this activity, we created a Project Management Plan, reviewed the Gantt Chart, developed an Evaluation and Quality Assurance Plan, organised Meetings and wrote minutes, developed and conducted evaluation questionnaires, wrote reports and project templates, designed logo and shared social media and templates for the project. During the kickoff meeting, we agreed on all the tasks and timetables. -The second Activity was Fostering Early STEAM Learning: Activity Book, a virtual activity in which we developed and translated a digital guide for parents (PDF) available online. -The third activity was Fostering Early STEAM Learning: Parent Training Activity in the Republic of North Macedonia. Thirteen adult participants (parents and caregivers) and one child with autism took part. -The fourth activity was Dissemination and communication. During this activity, a dissemination plan was developed, a project branding, logo, and templates were created, a project webpage was created, and social media accounts were opened.

The concrete results of the project in terms of the implemented activities came gradually. At the beginning of the project management and the kick-off meeting, we had built a project management plan, a Gantt chart, an evaluation and quality assurance plan, and a dissemination plan that guided us to the concrete results: -A web page available in 4 languages that contains all the information for the project. The page contains Accessibility Tools and can be adapted for visitors with different needs. -Activity Book available in 4 languages -2 Newsletters available in 4 languages, one at the beginning of the project and other after the parent training -2 video materials available in 4 languages: one video about the presentation of the project and the other video presentation of the activity book.