ACCESS DAY CARE CENTRE ACTIVITIES

ACCESS will work with other stakeholders and partners to run a day care centre for autism and other mentally disabled children and adults and will later work with stakeholders to streamline Autism curriculum to other mentally disabled education as the needs for this special group are not clearly defined in current education set-ups in Tanzania

Different age groups will be trained in different skills as appropriate to ensure that they develop vocational skills and use it to improve the quality of life once they are weaned off from the centre’s activities. Excursions and educational visits will be part of the educational plans so that the disabled children are not socially isolated, but be able to learn from their environment for their future support.

Addressing Access of health services in Tanzania

Through improving community – health facility linkage - families can access services therefore reduce the associated community isolation and inhibition of

Health Centre in Tanzania

 mentally ill children and their families. Improving linkages starts with giving the right information to the family at the level of the community; being able to discuss the best available option for the families to follow to ensure that they get the best available services possible at that level. Improving access ensures that the other community stakeholders are involved and meaningfully educated on how to accept and improve the quality of life of autistic children and adults and other mentally ill children and adults. Improving access ensures that related diseases such as malaria, HIV and other infestations are addressed for the disabled communities through screening and treatment to improve their health and general well-being.

What is Autism Community Care and Empowering Social Service Project ?

Autism Community Care and Empowering Social Services - ACCESS is a non-governmental organization, non-profit and voluntary that offers support primarily to parents of children, guardians and children/adults affected by autism and falling within signs and symptoms of autistic spectrum disorder in Tanzania. Other families that have children/adults with other mental health disorders such as Dawn’s syndrome and mental retardation are also supported by the organization. The overall goal is to form a network of parents that will directly interact and advocate for improved services of children/adults affected by the autistic spectrum disorders and other chronic mental conditions or disabilities.

Skills building clubs within ACCESS;

ACCESS will work with different educators to design special skills building clubs offered to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), autistic and other mentally ill children. The skills area expected to be addressed are carpentry, tailoring, and animal keeping, bricks-making and gardening. Different age groups will be trained as appropriate to ensure that they develop vocational skills and use it to improve the quality of life once they are weaned off from the centre’s activities. Excursions and educational visits will be part of the educational plans so that the disabled children are not socially isolated, but be able to learn from their environment for their future support.

Institutionalizing Autism education in National education curriculum

ACCESS work with other stakeholders and partners to open a day care center for autism and other mentally disabled children and adults and will also work with stakeholders to streamline Autism curriculum to other mentally disabled education as the needs for this special group are not clearly defined in current education set-ups in Tanzania.

Some of autistic children learning in our day care center.

AUTISM ACCESS DAY CARE CENTER AT MBEZI BEACH, KINONDONI - DAR ES SALAAM,TZ