Who we are
Training with purpose,
care with dignity.
Welcome to Ageing-Autism, a European initiative dedicated to improving the lives of autistic individuals as they age. By defining professional competencies and delivering targeted training, we aim to ensure that ageing autistic adults receive the care, support, and dignity they deserve.
About the Project
Project title: Active Ageing: Specialised Training for Professionals Supporting people with Autism in their Ageing process
Project acronym: Ageing-Autism
Project number: 2024-1-PT01-KA210-VET-000253342
Duration: 01/10/2024 – 30/09/2026 (24 months)
Field: Vocational Education and Training
As autism is a lifelong condition, the needs of autistic individuals evolve as they age. Yet, ageing remains an overlooked stage in autism support.
The Ageing-Autism project (2024–2026) seeks to address this gap by developing professional profiles, identifying best practices, and designing evidence-based training tailored to the ageing autistic population.
Led by a partnership across Europe, the project focuses on both health and social support, promoting inclusion, quality of life, and professional excellence through vocational training and community engagement.
Autism+ Specialisation
Project objectives
The main goal of the Ageing-Autism project is to define the professional profile and competencies needed to deliver effective, evidence-based support to ageing autistic individuals.
By identifying needs, mapping best practices, and analyzing successful interventions, the project will develop and test a pilot training program for professionals. This will lay the groundwork for a new professional specialisation focused on ageing and autism.
Recognising that most existing research focuses on medical aspects, this project shifts attention to social support and care models. It aims to fill a major gap in professional training, contributing to greater inclusion and diversity in education and vocational fields—aligning with key European priorities.
PARTNERS
United for a Cause
FPDA – Federação Portuguesa de Autismo (Portuguese Federation for Autism) is a non-profit NGOPD (Non-Governmental Organization for People with Disabilities) registered nº48 under Portuguese law, which includes 13 NGOs all over the country (Portuguese Associations for people with autism) including
Portuguese islands, Açores and Madeira. FPDA was founded in 2003 but replaced a national NGO that was founded in 1971 in Lisbon.
The member associations of FPDA are independent non-profit NGOs that work together on projects, courses, campaigns, and other activities. Their objectives, values, and principles are similar to those of FPDA: Inclusion, Non-discrimination, Solidarity, Representatively, Association, and Partnership. They support about three thousand persons with autism and their families, giving advice and promoting services.
The Mission of FPDA is to fight for the rights of people with autism and their families and represent its member associations near national and international organisations.
FPDA follows the rights presented in the Charter for Persons in the Autism Spectrum, approved by the European Parliament as a written Declaration (1996) and also the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and approves and disseminates the Position papers of Autism-Europe.
Contacts:
FPDA-Federação Portuguesa de Autismo
Email address: fpda@fpda.pt
Website: www.fpda.pt
Fundación Miradas is an organization oriented to the assistance and protection of autistic people and their families. Founded by the Asociación Autismo Burgos (Burgos Autism Association) in 2013, this foundation aims to support, and safeguard individuals diagnosed with autism by improving their quality of life and taking a variety of actions intended to defend the rights of individuals subject to their “guarda de hecho, “curatela” or representation.
Fundación Miradas develops different initiatives that promote awareness, knowledge, study, and research on autistic people and their families.
Fundación Miradas has extensive experience in conducting research and developing innovation and development projects, providing support to families and individuals with autism, designing and delivering specialized training programs to professionals, families, and autistic people. FM delivers advanced specialization courses on autism issues for autism professionals, basic autism training courses for professionals and university students, and training for relatives of autistic people. In this sense, it is worth mentioning the constitution of the Cátedra “Miradas por el Autismo” (Chair on Perspectives on Autism) in collaboration with the University of Burgos. Fundación Miradas has experience also has experience of participating in projects with other organisations both nationally and internationally.
Contacts:
Fundación Miradas
Email address: fmiradas@fundacionmiradas.org
Website: www.fundacionmiradas.org
Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) offers diverse programs with 28 bachelor, 12 master, and 4 teacher education programs, catering to over 8000 students and 700 staff. Focused on sustainable professional higher education, HAMK contributes to regional, national, and global applied research and development. The institution prioritizes international education, RDI projects, and mobility, playing a key role in regional internationalization. HAMK, unique
in offering sustainability programs in Finnish, strategically collaborates for international activities. The School of Professional Teacher Education (SPTE) at HAMK provides teacher training programs, emphasizing vocational teaching and pedagogical qualifications. The Edu Research Unit enhances SPTE and overall pedagogical development, positioning HAMK as a leader in modern pedagogy. Ongoing negotiations target an EGF level of 7 with the Ministry.
HAMK, a leading educator in Finland, excels in teacher education, particularly in training special education needs teachers and guidance counselors. Their commitment is evident through annual publications covering pedagogy and special needs pedagogy, showcasing a dedication to continuous learning. HAMK fosters inclusive and supportive environments in education, extending equal opportunities to autistic spectrum individuals.
Contacts:
Häme University of Applied Sciences
Email address: hamk@hamk.fi
Website: www.hamk.fi