The institutional visit has allowed us to share with the Department of Education and Professional Training a pioneering model that integrates education, health and social support to guarantee access to learning and participation for students with complex neurodevelopmental disorders, cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities.
The Aspace Catalunya Foundation received a visit this Friday from the Honorable Mrs. Esther Niubo, Minister of Education and Professional Training of the Generalitat of Catalonia, who has been able to learn first-hand about the comprehensive care model that the entity promotes to respond to the educational, health and social needs of children and young people with high complexity.
The visit also included the participation of the Susana Tarapiella, general director of Inclusive Education and Student Welfare; Anna Terra, manager of the Barcelona Education Consortium, as well as representatives of the Board of Trustees, the General Management and the management team of the Foundation.
A model that makes access to education possible in highly complex contexts
During the tour of the Montjuïc facilities, the minister was able to discover different educational, healthcare and neurorehabilitation spaces that are part of the Aspace Catalunya model.
This way of understanding care allows children and young people with complex support needs to access an education adapted to their reality, with the support of interdisciplinary teams that work in a coordinated manner to promote their development, well-being and participation.
The visit included the Aspace Special Education School, the Day Hospital for 3 to 21 years old, Petit Aspace, a day hospital specializing in early childhood, and the neurorehabilitation spaces, where support technology and specialized interventions contribute to improving learning opportunities and the quality of life of the people treated.
The Aspace Special Education School, a key piece of the comprehensive care model
The Aspace Special Education School is one of the pillars of the entity's comprehensive care model. Specialized in the care of children and young people with complex neurodevelopmental disorders, cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities, develops an educational proposal that integrates learning, healthcare and the therapeutic supports necessary for each student in a coordinated manner. This coordination allows us to respond to very specific needs that are difficult to address in other educational environments, guaranteeing the right to education, participation and personal development of all students.
In this way, Special education schools continue to play an essential role within an inclusive education system, especially for those children and young people who require high-intensity support and continuous specialized care. In the case of Aspace Catalunya, This function takes on a unique dimension thanks to the integration of professionals from the educational, health and social fields who work together. to offer a global response to the needs of each student. This interdisciplinary model facilitates access to learning, promotes well-being and contributes to generating more opportunities for participation and quality of life for both children and young people and their families.
This comprehensive care model has been recently recognized with a special mention in the 17th edition of the Cercle d'Economia Foundation's Education Award, one of the benchmark awards in the Catalan educational field, which has distinguished the Aspace Catalunya Special Education School for its ability to integrate education, health and social care for the benefit of children and young people with complex support needs.
The voice of families and professionals
One of the central moments of the day was the meeting with families and professionals, who shared experiences and reflections on the impact of comprehensive care in the daily lives of children and their family environments.
In practice, this model translates into better coordination between the educational and healthcare sectors, earlier detection of needs and a more tailored response to each situation. For families, this means having continuous and specialized support that provides security and facilitates reconciliation with healthcare and educational processes.
Alba Project: a commitment to the future for integrated care
The visit ended with the presentation of the Alba Project, the new healthcare infrastructure that the Aspace Catalunya Foundation is developing in Montjuïc.
This new facility, of more than 5.300 square meters, will strengthen the capacity to respond to the sustained increase in demand and consolidate a pioneering model of integrated care for people with complex neurodevelopmental disorders, cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities.
"Aspace Catalunya has been working for decades to ensure that no child or young person with complex support needs is excluded from the educational, therapeutic and social opportunities they need. The Alba Project represents a step forward to consolidate this comprehensive care model and prepare us to respond to future challenges.", said Elena Puigdevall.
A strategic country project that represents a step to continue moving towards more specialized, sustainable and coordinated care, capable of responding to current and future challenges in education, health and social rights.
With this institutional visit, the Aspace Catalunya Foundation strengthens collaboration ties with the Department of Education and Vocational Training and continues to promote shared work spaces to move towards care models that guarantee more opportunities, more equity and a better quality of life for people with complex support needs and their families.
The minister's visit has also served to highlight the contribution of special education schools in providing care to students with more complex support needs, as well as the importance of having integrated models that combine education, health and social care to guarantee a response tailored to the rights and needs of each person.
