COM'IN - Promoting communicative development in children and adolescents with intellectual developmental disabilities to support their inclusion

<< Background >>The social inclusion of people with disabilities is an EU priority. People with intellectual development disorders (IDD - a neurodevelopmental disorder that includes impairments in intellectual and adaptive functioning) are most at risk of exclusion because most of them have communication difficulties, and the more communication difficulties they have, the more difficulties they have with self-determination, social inclusion and interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, the professionals who work with them express a need for training in communication skills. Communication difficulties entail a risk of exclusion, as communication skills are essential for learning, working, forming relationships and engaging in different social contexts. Supporting communication is therefore essential to promote the social and professional inclusion of individuals, and trained professionals are essential to this support. It was with a view to developing this support for professionals in Europe that we decided to submit this project and bring together 8 organisations from 5 European countries.<< Objectives >>The COM-IN project aimed to improve the social participation of young people with intellectual development disorders (IDD) by developing the training of professionals working with them. At present, there are still major differences in the way professionals support the communication skills of young people with IDD. The aim of the COM-IN project was to develop tools (guide, training module, MOOC) for professionals so that they can help young people to develop and improve their communication skills on a daily basis. << Implementation >>The four main activities announced when the project was submitted have been carried out: - The implementation of a survey of European professionals on the services provided to support the communication of young people with IDD. The survey and its protocol were developed by the consortium on the basis of the partners' experience and current scientific knowledge. The results were analysed and shared by the consortium. Given the importance of data on young people with IDD for scientific and public authorities, the data collected is made freely available to encourage its re-use. The second phase of the project was carried out taking into account the results of the survey. This phase is devoted to three complementary aspects to provide professionals with knowledge and skills on how to support communicative skills in young people with IDD. - The production of a guide, - Creation of a training module - Creation of a MOOC << Results >>The first outcome of the project (PR1) is an awareness-raising survey on the communication needs of young people with IDD. The questionnaire, designed in English by the project partners and translated into 5 languages (French, Spanish, Catalan, Greek and Finnish), was distributed in five countries (France, Belgium, Spain, Greece and Finland). More than 500 professionals responded to this questionnaire. The second project outcome (PR2) is a guide with a version for younger people (aged 10-18) and a version for older people (aged 18-25). Entitled ‘Reinforcing everyone's right to communicate - A guide for professionals to support the communication skills of people with intellectual development disabilities’, it comprises 57 pages and 4 sections.The third output of the project (PR3) is a training module comprising 6 sections. Each of these sections includes slides and a document for the trainer. They include a presentation of knowledge and practice activities. The fourth outcome of the project (PR4) is a MOOC whose structure follows that of the training module (PR3). The content and activities have been adapted to a digital format.