Social and educational inclusion of young people with autism spectrum disorders is a big issue for our societies, while the prevalence of the spectrum of autistic disorders continues to increase in Europe and to raise questions regarding public policies. It is at the same time a matter of well-being for young people and their families, taking into account their differences, and the respect of these differences within the society. Empowering young people and children is also necessary for them, their close relatives and whole community. Young people with autism spectrum disorders encounter major difficulty to take part in social and school activities. Most professionals use current methods consisting of identical protocols for all young people. Our experience that we shared during the first European seminar showed the need to redesign conditions of inclusion, especially taking into account the positions and interests of those young people and children afflicted with autism spectrum disorders and their relatives. Sharing knowledge between several professionals is necessary to define a new know-how that will lead to a better integration of young people and children. This process of inclusion, which is highly interesting but more difficult to implement, will be at the end more efficient for social action and learning opportunities. Experiences will be shared between the project partners and families in order to 1/ present this new process of inclusion to the greatest number of school actors 2/ compare it with what is happening on the ground. The partners network was created during a European seminar in 2018. The partners are professionals from specialized institutions working with children and young people with autism spectrum disorders (from France, Spain, Italy, Belgium and Bulgaria) and researchers in psychology and education sciences (France, Bordeaux and Rennes). The consortium members will closely work with associations of families and young people likely to contribute for a stronger impact of the project on current practices. The project will aim, through exchanges and sharing experiences, to draft a general framework on school inclusion and then a guide for school professionals working with young people with autism spectrum disorders. An educational video, consisting of a short film presenting testimonials and experiences, will be another production. At the end of the project, a more scientific book will complete this work and will make the link with what was produced before, during the previous project. Partners will meet in regular working seminars, conferences and multiplier events. A dedicated website and social media pages will facilitate project dissemination. From the results of this project, a new impetus, taking into account the wishes and capacities of young people and children, should give them the opportunity to participate in the social life and find their own place in educational and school institutions.
Inclusion was born in the second half of the 20th century in Scandinavian countries and became an ethical guideline for the UN and UNESCO. This has led to the evolution of the rules of operation in the social field, especially in Europe. It seemed to us, based on the testimonies of the young people and families, but also of the professionals welcoming them, that we should not slide down the slope of the inclusive utopia, but bring a pragmatic value through this project by identifying the difficulties and the limits. This project was therefore a review of the very different school systems in the European countries, of the varying temporalities, and of the hopeful initiatives. The objective of the project was to establish a new concept of inclusion. The intellectual productions aimed at this objective by valorizing the testimonies and illustrations that encourage reflection from their diffusion. The final production of a more thought-provoking book would complete the process. The aim was to mobilize the reflection of families, teachers and other professionals from the experiences and works proposed. This was also to raise awareness among the public authorities in each state.
This project was born from the experience of an Erasmus seminar that took place in Spain at the initiative of an association of families of children with autism. It brought together families, young people, professionals and researchers from different countries. A book, published by Garamond in Spain, was the result of this work. Responding to the European commitment towards the inclusion of children in society and in the school field, it seemed important to us to continue this work which brings together professionals, families, young people concerned and researchers to question this inclusion. The work focused on a place that is emblematic of this inclusive will. Bringing together different countries was also the possibility to confront the experiences and the paths chosen in these different countries. The choice to speak of reasoned inclusion marks the first specific feature of this project, responding to the experience of each of the partners. Inclusion is not forced, but rather a co-construction in which each partner must take a step towards the other. In this way, inclusion becomes an action that moves the fracture lines of society and also responds to the very conditions of its irruption in the social field.