The situation of Early İntervention System of the children with disabilities in Azerbaijan.
See the evaluation report.

“Early Intervention for children with special needs and their families” project is being implemented with support of Ministry of Health from January, 2007. The project located in  Children’s Neurological Hospital.

The main objective of the project is developing a system that connects primary health care facilities and established medical facilities in order to improve Early Intervention for disabilities and developmental delay in children.

Our goals:

• To introduce theory and practice of Early. Intervention at primary health care level.
• To apply modern rehabilitation and evaluation methods in medicine.
• To introduce concept of family support to development delay and disability rehabilitation.

Outputs:

1. UAFA staff and international specialists hold meetings at the hospital in order to promote Early Intervention principles and the project activities.  During the year we had 30 meetings with doctors, distributed more than 75 awareness leaflets.
2. UAFA selected staff for participation in project: 8 persons in Child Neurological Hospital.

1. UAFA staff and 5 international specialists trained the selected staff.
2. UAFA provided to the Early Intervention Service necessary toys, equipment, posters and leaflets

Development of equipment base:

• Special toys and equipments.

Special toys (for cognitive, imaginary, fine and motor development skills) and equipment for rehabilitation work were brought.

• Creation of toy & equipment library – parents are able to borrow toys and equipment to take home as part of their child’s rehabilitation process

Cooperation with hospital staff:

• UAFA staff members held regular meetings to inform institution staff about the project activities.
• Consultations are being held every day, from 10.00 to 12.00. Three UAFA staff members take part in the consultation. Children with developmental delay and their parents were sent to consultation by Child Neurological Hospital staff. During one year 124 children and their families have benefited from consultation service.
• In 2009, 35 children have received one year’s regular individual therapy, 1-2 individual sessions per week. Video evidence of their progress is available.
  • In practical work with the Hospital doctors practical experience is being shared and theoretical materials repeated.
    • During these processes families are referred to several governmental and non – governmental alternative services.

• For 3 weeks (April), 2 specialists from Germany - child neurologist professor Gunter Selbek and child physiotherapist Claudia Selbek - gave lectures on topics -“Child Cerebral Palsy” and “Epilepsy”. In these seminar classes more than 30 doctors of Child Neurological Hospital and Child Rehabilitation Centre participated. At least 20 patients of Child Neurological Hospital and Child Rehabilitation Centre participated in consultations with these specialists.

• During 23-24 October trainings were provided for participating doctors about Metabolic and Neurodegenarative diseases, given by Professor Banu Anlar from Child Neuropathological Department of Hajitepe University, Turkey.  71 doctors attended this training.

• 16 December 2009 seminar classes about “Active therapy” were provided by by child development specialists, Dr Semra Shahin and Dr Arzu Yukselen from Turkish Hajitepe University.  43 doctors participated.

• Children with special needs and their parents used a newly established library at the Early Intervention Service which consists of toys and equipments.

Next quarter (January - June 2010) steps:

• Develop the experience of staff in hospitals.
• To choose two nurses from Child Neurological Hospital to lead sustainable development of Early Intervention Service. Selected nurses, following theoretical and practical trainings, will apply work and methods to replace UAFA workers. During project period trainings will be supervised.
• To increase quantity of individual sessions

To lobby “Early İntervention” policy at national level.