AutiBridge set out to improve the quality of pre-primary education for autistic pupils by equipping early childhood educators with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need. The project aimed to enhance educators' capacity to identify and respond to the individual needs of autistic children, and to foster innovative, evidence-based teaching practices. Specific goals included developing four practical educational modules covering key areas such as organisational skills, transition support, autism-friendly classroom environments, and alternatives to handwriting. The project also aimed to produce a Best Practice Guide consolidating proven strategies for communication, social skills, sensory integration, behaviour management, and academic engagement. A further objective was to create AutiScintilla, an open, multilingual, mobile-accessible online educational platform, to serve as a sustainable hub for continuous professional development. Beyond training resources, the project sought to build a transnational community of practice connecting pre-primary educators with autism specialists, fostering ongoing knowledge exchange and collaboration across Europe and beyond.
The AutiBridge project was developed in response to a significant gap in pre-primary education: early childhood educators across Europe lack access to specialised training and resources to effectively support autistic pupils. With autism diagnoses rising and evidence confirming that early intervention is critical to long-term development, the absence of appropriate educator preparation leads to suboptimal learning experiences and can hinder the social and academic growth of autistic children. Teachers without the necessary skills also face increased professional stress and reduced job satisfaction. The partnership was inspired by collaborative local activities between the Greek kindergarten MELETEIO and the autism support association M.A.M.A., whose joint work in Veria highlighted the need for a broader, international initiative. By bringing together schools and specialists from Greece, Portugal, and Latvia under the Erasmus+ framework, the project aimed to pool cross-border expertise, exchange best practices, and develop freely accessible tools to address these shared educational challenges at a European level.