The third edition of the Initiation Course, an introduction to the world of people with deafblindness

"You don't necessarily need words to reach the soul of a child or adult with deafblindness/multisensory impairments". Trust, empathy and care guide and nourish our interactions, and these words appeared often in the conversations held during the initiation course in deafblindness, organized by the Sense International Romania Foundation between February 27 - April 14 2023.

The third edition of the online course brought together 34 participants, students, psychologists, social workers and specialists from the child protection system, but also parents living in Bucharest, Oradea, Iași and Arad.

For seven weeks, every Monday evening, during the online sessions, they learned about the main types and causes of deafblindness, notions of anatomy and physiology of senses: vision, hearing, tactile, how to assess a child with deafblindness, which are the main tools and types of intervention, including early intervention for small children, how people with deafblindness communicate, notions on orientation and mobility in the context of deafblindness, social and personal development of people with deafblindness and particularities for adults and elderly persons with deafblindness.

The three trainers, psychopedagogue Eva Oprea, psychologist Gabriela Jianu, university assistant doctor Ioana Tufar, specialists with more than 20 years of practical and theoretical experience, warmly guided the participants during the entire course.

Once again, Sense Internațional România Foundation offered the opportunity to access the course free of charge, through the ”Vasile Adamescu” Scholarship, to 4 participants, among which there were also two mothers.

"For me and my child this training program is very important. Petre is 26 years old now and I think he could have been more independent if I had known before all the things I am learning now. As a parent of a child with deafblindness, I too need more education", says S.T., the mother of a youngster involved in the foundation's projects since 2018.

"This course helps you understand and adapt to your new life. It's useful information you need to be able to move on," says S.B., another scholarship beneficiary and the mother of a 4-year-old deaf child.

The participants also appreciated the dedication of the three trainers, who shared their experience and made the course content accessible to both people who already work with children with deafblindness/multisensory impairments, and to those who are at the beginning on this path.

"The trainers showed a lot of professionalism, dedication and patience in explaining the course in a way that all participants can understand"- C.N., participant Initiation Course in the Field of Deafblindness, 3rd Edition

"I warmly recommend this course to everyone interested in the field of deafblindness. I's a well-structured training program, designed and presented in a professional manner. Throughout the course, a team of professionals, organizers and trainers, helped us and shared their knowledge and experience accumulated throughout their career in the field of deafblindness"- G.L., participant Initiation Course in the Field of Deafblindness, 3rd