The second project meeting of "An Autism and Behaviour Management training for P.E. school teachers," or shortly P.E.rfect, took place on 01.12.2023 in Sofia, Bulgaria, and brought together partners from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ireland, Spain, Poland, and Republic of North Macedonia. They discussed the activities of the project implemented so far, as well as future ones.
In the afternoon hours, an inclusive sports festival #BeInclusive took place at the National Sports Academy "Vasil Levski" for the exchange of experiences in the field of adapted sports. Diverse practices were showcased including floor hockey, curling, boccia, sambo, active games, and pickleball. Over 50 athletes with different abilities participated in the sports festival, having the chance to enjoy an active sports day. They represented sports clubs working in the field of inclusive sports: SK BG and Sports for All, SK SOP, Sports, Sambo for Development, SK United Sports for All, SK Adapted Sports, Protected Housing Pernik, 59 Kindergarten "Elhitsa," Mladost District, Sofia Municipality. The event was organized by the Adapted Physical Activity sector at NSA "Vasil Levski," with the support of the Bulgarian Sports Development Association and the Bulgarian Association for Recreation and Sport BARIS. The sports festival was dedicated to December 3 - International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The project "An Autism and Behaviour Management training for P.E. school teachers," shortly P.E.rfect, aims to empower physical education teachers to support the effective inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorders in education by providing them with appropriate skills, knowledge, effective strategies, and tailored training according to local conditions. The P.E.rfect project aims to develop a training program and resources for physical education teachers working with children with autism. The plan involves creating a curriculum, handbook, and e-learning platform to support teacher training. Training sessions for teachers, evaluation of the outcomes, dissemination of resources, along with recommendations to policymakers responsible for national policies in Europe and the Balkans, are also planned.
With its goals and outcomes, the P.E.rfect initiative will enhance the inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder in schools and sports. By training physical education and sports teachers, the project will improve their competence in working with students with autism, thereby expectedly raising awareness about sports activities for individuals with autism spectrum disorders in the EU.
The "An Autism and Behaviour Management training for P.E. school teachers" - P.E.rfect, is being implemented with the support of the Erasmus+ program of the European Union, in collaboration with organizations from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ireland, Spain, Poland, and Republic of North Macedonia.
