Rehabilitation and integration Rehabilitation and integration programmes:programmes:

Let’s get together - Pula 2008Let’s get together - Pula 2008

Welcome to our Centre!

* member of European Down Syndrome Association

Center for rehabilitation Down syndrome centre Pula is first and only Center of that kind in Croatia and southeastern Europe. Center was founded in year 2005 under the jurisdiction of Government of Republic of Croatia and Ministry of Health and social welfare. Main goal is to give support to all persons with Down syndrome and their families regardless of their age and place of residence.Center is member of EDSA (European Down Syndrome Association). Centre has founded EDSA office Croatia.

Center is situated in city center of Pula, near hospital, main stream school and school for persons with special needs and nearby city beaches.Centre has large yard, litlle pine park, outdoor playgrounds for kids, streetball playground, outdoor teraces and many free space for safe playing. Of course there is enough accomodation for families ,bulit-in kitchen, EDSA club in which we play table tennis, table football, drink coffee and tea.For everybody who want to be stronger and healthier we have kinesiology room where you can enjoy and work out

* Centre in general terms

* Programmes that Center offers

Physiotherapy;

Physiotherapy;

Hydro therapy in the sea or hydro therapy in the swimming pool with hot sea water;

Kinesy therapy, recreation activities, sport;

Learning of self – care tasks and caring about enviroment workshop;

Excange of family experiences;

Creative workshops;

Support of speach development and form of alternative communication;

Programmes of acquiring working skills;

For whom:

    * For all persons with Down syndrome, their families and their friends without difficulties in development * For everybody who want to share and obtain new experiences    * For everybody who want to build new bridgeworks of friendships * For experts of all profiles * For students who want to obtain new knowledges

Centre’s programes apply EDSA guidelines according chronological age of child;

* Center performs all programme activites

continuallty,

* Programmes are made individually according childrend recquirements;

* Minimal recommended form of rehabilitation is arrival on 10 days programme continually;

* Programmes are intended for persons with Down syndrome and their families;

* Center tend to use integration as a working model, for socialisation purpose;

* Main programmes postulates:

*Medical manual massage

*Basic test of motor abilities*Advanced test of motor abilities*Basic test of fine motor abilities*Advanced test of fine motor abilities

- Testing – Bart index;- Counceling parents of medical manual masagge and other individual exercises acording recquirment;- Training parents for applying basic technics of medical manual massage and exercises.

* Hydro therapy

- Summer means going to sea beach- swimming exercises - Other seasons means going to hospital in Rovinj and exercises in the pool with hot sea water.

- Increasing muculature tone;

- Improving motion coordination;

- Increasing immunity sistem;

- Socialization, integration.

*Recreational and sports activities

Children with Down syndrome, when they are 12 years old , will be tested if they would be athlets or amateurs

- Obesity prevention;- Hart and blood vessels disease prevention;- Socialization and integration.

* Self – care and enviroment tasks

-To be independent;- To be polite;- To develop practical skills ;- To participate in community life.

* Exchange of family experiences

Relax and exchange experiences;- Take time for yourself;

- Make friendships;

- Speak without parents.

* Creative workshops

-Relentless in work;

-Developing their skills;

-Enjoyment in performed

-Fantasising as any other child;

-Create, socialise and have fun;

-Create their fanatasies

* Speech and communication

- If there is no word, there is sign;

- It’s important to communicate.

- Early logopedic support;

- Logotherapy, counseling parents;

* Integrated approach;

*PAPO programme(6 moduls), implemented in

parternship with Secondary vocational school “Eugen

Kumičić”- Rovinj;

* Goal is to prepare children for work in supported employment in local

community.

* Programmes of acquiring working skills

* Center’s partners:- European Down Syndrome Association;

- Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Republic of Croatia;

- City of Zagreb;

- City of Pula and County of Istria;

-City of Umag;

- School of Medicine, University of Rijeka (Croatia);

- Children’s hospital Kantrida, Rijeka;

- School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Department of Biology and Medical Genetics;

- Teacher college in Pula;

- Secondary vocational school “Eugen Kumičić”- Rovinj;

- Hospital for orthopedy and rehabilitation “Prim. Dr. M. Horvat” – Rovinj;

- Albanian Society for County of Istria;

- Down Syndrome Kosova;

- Slovak Down Syndrome Society;

- UMRO Rijeka – club “Srce”

and

Many returning families...

And because of that

• Cause of our work is:

- Improve quality of life of persons with Down syndrome and their families.

If You want You can join in our programmes and conntact us at:

Tel/fax: +385 52/222-204www.downcentar.hr

e-mail: info@downcentar.hr