Design consultation and training workshop for new National Academy for Autism.
Apasen International was delighted to co-host a senior delegation visit from the Ministry of Education in Bangladesh with our partner, Phoenix Primary and Secondary School in Mile End, London.
The delegation was led by Professor Salma Begum, Project Director of the new National Academy of Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NAAND) and was part of her team’s research into international best practice for specialist education facilities for children and young people with autism, learning disabilities, and special needs.
Deputy Head of Phoenix School, Veronica Armson, and Zakir Hossain, Senior Trainer, Apasen International, were the lead trainers and facilitated a seven day itinerary that included skills workshops, observations of best practice teaching methods, parent consultations, and visits to residential schools and other organisations providing services to children and young people with NDDs.
The team were particularly interested in the process for diagnosing children and the support provided to their parents and teachers in mainstream schools.
Professor Begum said on behalf of her team:
“Phoenix and Apasen put together an excellent training programme for my team. We were very impressed by the autism friendly design of Phoenix school and really appreciated seeing other educational establishments such as St Elizabeth’s Centre in Hertfordshire. We look forward to continuing this collaboration over the coming months.”
The Government of Bangladesh has identified autism and neurodevelopmental disorders as a national policy priority with an estimated 1.1 million children affected (1-2% of children) of which 90% are out of school (UNESCO). NAAND is part of the GoB’s response to this challenge and aims to be a national centre for excellence in education, health and social care for children with autism and NDDs.
