August 28 through 30 marked the II International
Forum of Inclusion: Discussing Inclusive for People with Autism and Multiple
Disabilities. Health professionals, educators, and family and friends of people
with different abilities participated in the forum organized by Rio de Janeiro
State University (UERJ) and the Ann Sullivan Institute of Brazil, which has
followed the philosophy and model of CASP since 2000.
CASP was one of the main guests invited to
explain its practices and methodology. Dr. Liliana Mayo, Director and Founder
of CASP, and Elizabeth Tijero, the Coordinator of the Program of Inclusion,
represented CASP, presenting the topics “How people with autism and multiple
disabilities economically support their families in Peru” and “Inclusion to
Life: Experiences of the Ann Sullivan Center of Peru,” respectively. Also, Dr.
Judith LeBlanc, Ph.D., Head Consultant of CASP, gave an excellent presentation
titled “Why the education of people with autism and multiple disabilities is
successful through a Functional Natural Curriculum.”
The main objective of this event, which occurred
in the main auditorium of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), was to
train the participants to be able to give more qualified and effective
attention to people with autism and multiple disabilities in Brazil, a sector
that represents 2 percent of the Brazilian population (around 4 million
people). Therefore, inclusion becomes an important topic of today. This forum
also served as an environment for sharing and discussing different points of
view among inclusive practices in Brazil with people with different abilities
and their families.