our goals
Key changes must occur in two key areas: education and employment. Social exclusion begins at school and continues in the workplace for the many years that follow.
::education
From elementary school, and sometimes even in preschool, children with neurodevelopmental differences feel marginalized. Why? Because they are marginalized and excluded—both inside and outside the classroom. Often, their own parents struggle to understand or accept their differences. Most educators lack the necessary training to support these students effectively. Society as a whole tends to remain indifferent.
Our educational system fails to support these neurodiverse children to learn, grow and reach their full potential. Teaching methods are designed without considering their specific learning needs. As a result, these children often feel incapable of keeping up, participating, or achieving success in the classroom. This affects their behaviour, leading to feelings of hurt, causing them to withdraw and feel isolated. They become unwanted, often rendered “invisible” to both teachers and peers.
Outside the classroom, they find it very hard to integrate into peer groups. They often spend recess alone and are rarely invited to extracurricular activities or parties. While others engage socially, they find themselves watching from the sidelines, often through platforms like TikTok.
As a consequence, these children are more likely to drop out of school than any other demographic group. In our country, this distressing statistic ranks among the highest in Europe.
::employment
As they reach adulthood, individuals with physical disabilities and neurodevelopmental differences encounter significant barriers in their pursuit of employment.
Law 2643/1998 mandates that businesses operating in Greece with more than fifty employees must allocate a percentage of their workforce to individuals with a disability. Although the legal framework is in place, it is not effectively enforced. The inclusion of diverse individuals in the workforce and, by extension, in social life requires more than just legislation. What is urgently needed is the creation and practical implementation of a realistic action plan by the relevant authorities.
An effective Supported Employment framework, similar to those in other European countries, needs to be established and implemented. Supported Employment helps individuals with diverse needs to secure and maintain paid positions in the open job market. A key element of this approach is the presence of “Job Coaches,” who assist individuals in finding employment and support them through the different stages of their job. As the individuals adjust to the work environment, the Job Coaches gradually step back, allowing for greater independence.-
