A new textbook has been created for parents
and teachers who work with children with special needs. It aims to support
children’s adaptation to a new environment at school. The presentation of the
textbook was organized by the Education Development and Employment Center
(EDEC) on January 30th.

The textbook “Strengthening the transition to
school for children with special needs” is focused on supporting people working
with children of special needs. The textbook aims to help the process of
transition into school. The book is based on the principle of inclusiveness
that implies equal opportunities to study and develop for all children.

The textbook describes successful examples of
a child’s transition at school. While working on the book, the authors investigated
and analyzed the circumstances which hinder the effectiveness of inclusive
education. They also identified the steps which help schools to involve a child
with a special need in the learning process.

During the creation of the textbook, ten focus
group meetings were held. Parents of children with special needs who receive daycare
center and other alternative services participated along with service providers
and representatives of educational institutions. All worked together to
identify existing challenges.

Representatives of educational institutions
from kindergartens, schools, resource centers and other stakeholders involved
in the inclusive education process attended the presentation. The
electronic version of the textbook will be available for free

The textbook was created within the framework
of the project “Equal opportunities of education for children with
disabilities – increased accessibility and quality!” A project summary was
represented by Natia Namicheishvili, Executive Director of the Education
Development and Employment Center (EDEC), on January 30th as well.

“The project aims to support children
with disabilities to receive inclusive education. The textbook is a practical
guide to simplify the process of transition to school “, said Natia
Namicheishvili.

The project was implemented by the Education
Development and Employment Center (EDEC) from April 2018 to January 2019 with
the financial support of the European Union and the Civil Society Institute.