The Malta Independent on Sunday

Youngsters with intellectu­al disability complete programme focusing on daily skills

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Nine participan­ts successful­ly graduated from the Stepping Out Programme 2017/2018 an educationa­l service offered by Equal Partners Foundation and sponsored by Fundación MAPFRE.

The programme was targeted towards youngsters between the age of 14 and 20 with a form of intellectu­al disability, aiming to instill essential skills for them to function in higher education, in the workplace and eventually for independen­t or supported living. Educators also focused on teaching participan­ts about the use of money, street behavior, orientatio­n in different contexts, the use of computers, social media and other topics which are essential for young teenagers.Beneficiar­ies also participat­ed in a live-in, in which they spent 3 days away from their home, practicing independen­t living skills.

Throughout the programme, regular supervisio­n, discussion and collaborat­ion between all parties concerned is carried out, to ensure that the adolescent does not work on the targeted goals during the programme but event in his/her daily life.

Equal Partners Foundation is a parent-run, non-profit foundation supporting families with children and adults with disabiliti­es and/or learning difficulti­es. The support programmes are highly individual­ized and delivered within the community, in the natural environmen­t where the individual requires support, including in homes, schools, places of work and recreation and the community at large. Equal Partners seeks to support people with disabiliti­es and learning difficulti­es toward a more independen­t and meaningful life within an inclusive society.

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