P.E.rfect

On October 1st, 2024, at the "Vasil Levski" National Sports Academy in Sofia, a national training was held under the title "An Autism and Behaviour Management training for P.E. School Teachers" (P.E.rfect), organized by Bulgarian sports development association. The event aimed to improve the competences of coaches, sports specialists and physical education teachers for working with children with autism spectrum disorders in order to include them more effectively in the education system and sports activities. The training provided participants with practical and theoretical guidance that will help them integrate these students into the learning environment in the most appropriate way.

The European Week of Sport #BeActive takes place annually between 23 and 30 September, and during its 10th edition, which took place in 2024, all residents and guests of Sofia had the opportunity to be part of the biggest sports celebration in Europe. The European Week of Sport is an initiative of the European Commission that has been taking place in September across Europe since 2015. The week, which takes the form of an awareness-raising campaign, promotes the many benefits of sport and physical activity and is open to all, regardless of age, background or physical condition.

From June 28 to July 1, 2024, an international training titled "An Autism and Behaviour Management training for P.E. school teachers" (acronym P.E.rfect) took place in Elche, Spain. The event brought together 5 coaches and physical education teachers per country from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ireland, Spain, Poland, and the Republic of North Macedonia. The main goal of the training was to discuss effective tools and strategies for including children with autism in the educational system, tailored to local conditions. Participants also reviewed and tested a specially developed e-learning platform created within the project.

The second project meeting of "An Autism and Behaviour Management training for P.E. school teachers," or shortly P.E.rfect, took place on 01.12.2023 in Sofia, Bulgaria, and brought together partners from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ireland, Spain, Poland, and Republic of North Macedonia. They discussed the activities of the project implemented so far, as well as future ones.

On November 20, 2023, a meeting was held in Sofia, gathering specialists from the Adapted Physical Activity sector from Greece and Bulgaria. Students and the leading lecturer in Adapted Physical Education, Professor Christina Evangelinou, who has been in the Physical Education and Sports Department at the Aristotle University branch in Serres since 2003, participated. Renowned Bulgarian specialists in inclusive sports, Stefka Djobova and Ivelina Kirilova, presented the "Adapted Physical Activity and Sports" program at the NSA "Vasil Levski," which is increasingly attractive for sports professionals.

On 15.11.2023, in the town of Karlovo, the SONIC START sports festival - 15 YEARS TOGETHER and BEYOND with 15 challenges for 15 teams in 15 activities took place, marking the anniversary of a socially responsible company providing successful reintegration for children and adults into society. Representatives of the BSDA took part in the event and supported the celebration of Community facility for people with intellectual disabilities in Banja town - an institution with which BSDA has been successfully partnering for over 10 years.

The #BeActive European Week of Sport took place between September 23 and 30, 2023, with all residents and guests of Sofia having the opportunity to become part of the largest sports celebration in Europe. The European Week of Sport is an initiative of the European Commission, held in September throughout Europe since 2015. Through the week, conducted in the form of a campaign to promote physical activity, the numerous benefits of sports and physical activity are popularized, and everyone, regardless of age, origin, or physical condition, can participate in it.

In the period 23-26 March 2023, in Dublin (Ireland) was held the first offline project meeting of an innovative action, aiming to empower sport experts in school system, working with kids and youngsters from the autistic spectrum. An Autism and Behaviour Management training for P.E. school teachers is an Erasmus+ co-funded initiative, aiming to influence on better inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorders in schools and in sports also. By training P.E. teachers this project will influence their key competencies for working with students with ASD and, training a group of P.E. teachers will have a big impact on other P.E. teachers in each partner country. This will have an impact on raising awareness for sports activities for people with autism in the EU.

The first partners meeting of “An Autism and Behaviour Management training for P.E. school teachers” with project acronym P.E.rfect has been delivered on 06th of January and gathered project partners from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ireland, Spain, Poland, The Republic of North Macedonia, which has discussed project launch and preparation actions.

“An Autism and Behaviour Management training for P.E. school teachers” with project acronym P.E.rfect aims to empower physical education teachers to support the effective inclusion of children with autism in education, by providing them with appropriate skills, knowledge, effective strategies and locally-appropriate training. The project will learn from what is currently taking place within partner countries.