We are happy to share with you the latest news regarding events which make SENSE. On Saturday, April 12, the National Conference “Early Intervention for Children with Deafblindness – 20 Years After” took place, an event dedicated to reflecting on the progress made, but also on the current challenges and needs in the field of early intervention in Romania. The event was organised by the Sense International Romania, in partnership with the Special Kindergarten for the Deaf No. 65 Bucharest, the “Vasile Pavelcu” Special Technological High School in Iași, the School Centre for Inclusive Education Cristal Oradea and the School Centre for Inclusive Education “Constantin Pufan” Timișoara.

In the first part of the conference, a panel discussion was held dedicated to analysing the activity of early intervention centres with the directors Laura Bălăngean – Director, School Center for Inclusive Education “Constantin Pufan” Timișoara; Coca Marlena Vasiliu – Director, Special Technological High School “Vasile Pavelcu” Iași; Ramona Vesa – Director, School Center for Inclusive Education Cristal Oradea; and Maria Tansilav – Director, Special Kindergarten for the Deaf no. 65, Bucharest.

The successes and joys of these 20 years were discussed, as well as the challenges encountered, all with an emphasis on collaboration and mutual learning. Among these, the following were mentioned: the small number of early intervention centres in the country, the need to train specialists, but also the legislative obstacles.

The importance of collaboration with other institutions was also emphasized: child welfare and social protection departments, school inspectorates, specialist doctors, CJRAE, etc.

Another important point brought to the fore was the clear idea that early intervention is not the equivalent of a nursery (creche); it is not a place where the child is dropped off and picked up later, but a process in which both the child and the parent work closely together. Early intervention has two direct beneficiaries, the child and the parent, and the earlier the intervention starts, the greater the chances that each child will reach their full potential.

Looking back and into the future

The second part of the conference was dedicated to presentations by representatives of the four early intervention centers: Monica Marin, Carmen Alexandru, special education teachers at the Special Kindergarten for the Deaf no. 65 Bucharest; Eva Oprea and Gyöngyike Lakatos, special education teachers at the School Centre for Inclusive Education Cristal Oradea; Gabriela Jianu, psychologist at the School Centre for Inclusive Education “Constantin Pufan” Timișoara and Mara Apostol, special education teacher and Mihaela Aionesa, physiotherapist at the “Vasile Pavelcu” Special Technological High School in Iași.

The presentations took us on a journey through time, starting in 2007, when the first early intervention centre was opened, until today. The working models developed in each centre, the progress made by the children, the ways of involving parents and siblings in the therapeutic process and the importance of their involvement, the existing needs and future development directions were highlighted.

All the valuable experiences shared during the presentations were crowned by the messages of gratitude sent by the parents that moved us and showed the profound impact that early intervention has.

“For me, as a mother of a special child, it was a real breath of fresh air. I received support, a kind word, I learned that there are other parents with the same fears and anxieties as mine, I found a family where no one is left out.”

“I learned things that helped me and continue to help me and I want to thank you! My life changed radically the moment I discovered you.”

“We always carry you in our hearts with gratitude and love, the centre being for us more than a place for therapy. It was a space of support, understanding and hope. Here, my daughter took her first steps towards progress, and I, as a mother, felt that we were not alone.”

“The time spent at the centre was valuable and full of emotion. I met wonderful, dedicated and passionate people, who knew how to see beyond the difficulties and bring out the potential of my child.”

The event was more than a conference – it was a celebration of the community built around early intervention all these years and a source of inspiration to continue fighting for the best possible start in the life of every child.

Beyond all this valuable information and experiences, we also wanted to convey a message of hope for those who want to open early intervention centres in other cities.

We thank all the guests and speakers who shared their experience and contributed to the depth of this conference. We also thank the over 80 participants present for their interest and active involvement, as well as Ms. Ioana Tufar, who provided interpretation in Romanian sign language.

We are happy to share with you the story of the campaign “I Too Sense Music! – Music Therapy for Children with Deafblindness and Multisensory Disabilities”, carried out in partnership with 23 special schools across the country. The campaign began on December 3, on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and continued until January 2025.

Since 2019, December 3 has become an occasion to celebrate through sensory activities, and this year we have chosen to carry the tradition forward through music and vibrations. How else could we have done this better, if not with the help of musical instruments? We provided each partner school with a set of carefully selected instruments, so that children could explore sounds and vibrations, transforming music into an experience that stimulates their senses, creativity and self-confidence.

For two months, 546 students and 280 adults – teachers, parents and volunteers – joined the activities, discovering the magic of music together. They sang, played, sang carols, and experienced beautiful moments together.

The campaign is a tribute to Professor Vasile Adamescu (1944-2018), a deafblind person, a dedicated promoter of this cause and former member of the Board of Directors of the Sense International Romania. Here is what Viorel Micu, the professor’s interpreter, told us about his connection with music:

“Can music mean anything to people who are deafblind? Our instinct would be to think that it doesn’t. However, Professor Vasile Adamescu, a person with profound deafblindness, demonstrated that music can be perceived just as well based on vibrations. In music education classes, teachers showed him instruments and how they manage to make noises. He could perceive these noises through vibrations, by touching objects around him, or even the musical instrument itself.

Also, teacher Florica Sandu, the one who unmuted him and trained him, showed him dance styles, taught him to waltz, to dance tango, to dance a hora. And Vasile Adamescu, based on vibrations, managed to do this.

So, as we know, music has a strong therapeutic character on people with special needs, but also on able-bodied people. Music unites, creates new connections between people.”

On December 3, 2024, we organised the online workshop "I Too Sense Music - music therapy for children with deafblindness and sensory disabilities", in which more than 100 participants signed up. Together with Carmen-Venera Pătruțescu, psychologist, and Alex Lupo, therapist, musician, composer and performer, part of the Sense Arts and Wellbeing program, we delved into the secrets of music therapy, learning together about the beneficial effects of music. Patience, curiosity and passion for music are the main ingredients in music therapy, as Carmen and Alex told us.

One of the most valuable results of this campaign is the promise of the schools to continue the music therapy activities beyond this campaign. We can say that music knows no limits and can become an essential support in the personal and social development of children with sensory disabilities, turning every sound into a step towards a more accessible and harmonious world.

The costs related to these endowments are covered by the donations and sponsorships received by Sense International Romania from companies. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for always being with us!

Between November 4-29, 2024, we organized the first in-depth training program in deafblindness approved by the Ministry of Education, with 18-20 transferable professional credits.

The course was an intensive one, with both a synchronous component, with two weekly meetings on the Zoom platform, and an asynchronous one, on the organization's e-learning platform, cursuri.surdocecitate.ro, totalling 60 hours.

The 20 trainees, special education teachers from all over the country, deepened their knowledge about deafblindness and learned techniques and methods for working with deafblind children. During the live sessions, they shared the challenges they face in the classroom and, together with the team of trainers, sought solutions and received encouragement.

The theoretical information was complemented by case studies and numerous practical examples from the experience of the four trainers, accomplished professionals and long-term collaborators of our foundation: psychopedagogue professor Mara Apostol, psychologist Gabriela Jianu, psychopedagogue professor Eva Oprea, asst. univ. dr. Ioana Tufar. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their dedication and for the passion they always invest in what they do!

With this training course, we fondly remembered our mentor Vasile Adamescu, a supporter of the organisation's programmes and a true promoter of the rights of deafblind people in Romania. We continued the tradition of recent years and offered six scholarships to special education teachers who work or want to work with children with deafblindness or multiple sensory disabilities.

We finished the training programme with many emotions, gratitude and enthusiasm for future projects!

"Perfect specialists; I learned a lot from the trainers and, most importantly, THE ATTITUDE with which they transmitted them remained in my soul: the joy of sharing, the pleasure of a job well done and the value built with each example provided. Appreciation and esteem!" (L.T.)

"The course is absolutely necessary for any professional who works with students with deafblindness or multiple sensory deficiencies. No matter how much experience you had before this course, you will update information, learn new techniques and be able to observe working methods and tools from practical examples." (C.R.)

"Thank you for the extraordinary experience and valuable information. Each course contributed both to enriching knowledge and to understanding the needs and challenges faced by children with deafblindness." (C.V.)

At the beginning of August, we organised in Predeal the workshop “Beyond Senses”, part of the “Global Inclusive Education Project”, funded by Nelumbo Foundation and Sense International UK. It was a special meeting, attended by 8 members of our group of people with deafblindness, formed over time, alongside 2 family members and a Romanian sign language interpreter. During the workshop, they debated the idea of ​​establishing an association of people with deafblindness that would actively campaign for their rights and beyond.

Deafblindness taught me about patience, about acceptance, first of all, acceptance of myself, and after that it taught me about acceptance of others. It taught me gentleness towards myself, and after that, gentleness towards others. – Oana

The first half of the first day was dedicated to the Global Resource Hub, an integral part of the “Global Inclusive Education Project”, developed by colleagues in the UK. The Hub, which will become a valuable resource for people with hearing and vision impairments, was presented to the group, which provided important feedback and suggestions. After the discussions, the participants filled out a questionnaire, and all the information collected was sent to the UK team.

I am with a group of friends, also deafblind, trailblazers with whom we want and hope to succeed in creating a strong group and association. - Crina

In the second part of the day, discussions focused on the opportunity to establish an association of deafblind people. After debates and consultations, the group decided to take this important step. Three of the participants, Oana, Iulian and Crina, took responsibility for founding the association, establishing its name, goals and objectives, with the support of the other members. The evening ended with a barbecue organised by the participants and a basketball game, strengthening the bonds between them.

The second day of the workshop was dedicated to exploring nature. We travelled by train to Azuga, where we took a gondola ride up the mountain, enjoyed spectacular scenery, fresh air, and a delicious picnic. This nature experience was the perfect opportunity to continue discussions about the association in a relaxing and inspiring setting. Upon our return, the participants were greeted with a surprise Arabic-style dinner, which was enthusiastically received by all present.

At the meetings with Sense I always felt like I was in a big family. – Oana

The workshop “Beyond Senses” was a wonderful experience, which strengthened the group and brought the dream of an association dedicated to people with deafblindness even closer to reality. The activities carried out helped the personal and collective development of the participants, transforming this meeting into a valuable opportunity for learning, collaboration and mutual support.

Finally, we thank the participants for their commitment and energy, which inspire us every time to continue. We also thank Monica Cătuțoiu, a Romanian sign language interpreter, for her help in communication, and the Medieval Guesthouse in Predeal for their hospitality and constant support.

What thoughts do you have after the meetings with Sense?
With the thought of change! With the thought that it can be better! - Iulian