Equity and Social Inclusion Through Positive Parenting

Autism is a lifelong condition which affects about 1% of the population (or approximately 7.5m European citizens) as well as those who live with them and care for them.

The presence of autism can be extremely challenging to parents and other family members, and autism has been identified as causing greater family and parental stress than any other disability. The condition can challenge traditional parenting styles and cause parents to feel deskilled and disempowered. The presence of autism within the family can negatively affect the educational achievement, employment opportunities and social inclusion of mothers, fathers, siblings and the individuals with autism themselves.

Teaching parents to understand the condition, and to work effectively with schools and other professionals, has been shown to be effective in improving outcomes for individuals with autism and their families. However, though such parent education programmes have been developed in e.g. Western Europe and the USA, there is little or no availability of such programmes or materials in many areas within Europe, for example in the Balkan/Eastern Mediterranean region.

Helping parents to understand their children with autism and to effectively manage their behaviour will have significant benefits regarding social inclusion, quality of life, educational achievement, employment and equality of opportunity. As such, this project will contribute to the development of a more equitable and socially inclusive Europe in both the short, medium and long terms.