Augmentative communication language Makaton adapted to the local settings will be applied in the Republic of Moldova, based on a method developed by the British Makaton organization. Thus, a work group recently approved by the Ministry of Education will identify, within six months, the core vocabulary of this language, adapted for our country. The vocabulary will contain 450 words with symbols and signs for every word. It will be then integrated into the professional practice as a work tool for children and adults with communication problems. In this context, a three-day’s foundation workshop for the Moldovan implementation team is currently running in Chisinau, moderated by British experts.
Viorica Marţ, main specialist at the Ministry of Education, mentioned that the Ministry is implementing a series of activities within the National Inclusive Education Development Program for years 2011-2020, covering school inclusion of children with disabilities, including those with sensor disabilities. “The residential care system reform launched in 2007 contributed to the essential decrease of the number of these institutions and to the children’s reintegration into mainstream education and community settings, because it is well-known that the place of these children is in the family. The implementation of Makaton language will contribute to securing the access to educational services for children with multiple communication problems, including those with hearing difficulties, even since their kindergarten age”, said Mrs. Marţ.
Daniela Mamaliga, director of Partnerships for Every Child (P4EC) said that the implementation of this language in our country is possible due to the support of the European Union, offered within the project “Increasing the access of children with special needs to community support and educational services in the first years of life”. “We want this language to become a work tool used by professional in the area, contributing to the improvement of the life quality of children and adults with communication problems”, underlined Daniela Mamaliga.
In her turn, Teresa Cutmore, Makaton expert, specified: “This language has been implemented in Great Britain for over 20 years, and it is an efficient communication tool for children and adults with attention, listening, speech understanding difficulties, speech and learning disorders, and it is very good that Moldova has decided to implement it”.
The project “Increasing the access of children with special needs to community support and educational services in the first years of life” will be implemented in the Republic of Moldova in 2016-2019, covering five pilot regions of the country: Cahul, Calarasi, Falesti, Nisporeni, and Ungheni. Its overall objective is to ensure the access of children with special needs, aged 0-7, and their families, to support programs developed within the project. The programs will be aimed at capacity-building of parents and professionals, and offering this category of children better chances for their own potential development in the first years of life.
The project will be implemented by P4EC, in collaboration with the British consortium of MellowParenting and HealthProm, supported by the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family, Ministry of Education, and the local authorities of 5 pilot regions.
The 680000 Euro project is funded by the European Union.