Any family that suspects that a given child may have an ASD should check with his or her paediatrician. Subsequently, if the psychologists, psychiatrists and neurologists of the Basque Public Health Service – OSAKIDETZA confirm the presence of symptoms compatible with ASD, they will refer the family to GAUTENA, so that we can initiate a process of formal diagnosis and possible treatment.

Clinical diagnosis is very important and is complemented by the establishment of a psychological profile of each person which enables us to define both his or her strong points as well as the areas that need to be improved.

Through the treatment provided we aim to reduce the difficulties generated by ASD and foster personal development. By establishing the bases which lay the groundwork for the adaptation of these children to their environment (and vice versa), we help develop their skills, with the crucial assistance of those around them, with the aim of gradually increasing their autonomy and improving their quality of life.

The psychiatrists and psychologists in the GAUTENA team design the therapeutic interventions included in each individualised programme, which is elaborated in collaboration with the child’s family. In addition to the services which focus on the clients themselves, we also provide advice and support for those living with them, particularly their schools, thereby ensuring a coherent response to their needs and taking advantage of the natural opportunities that arise during the normal course of the day to foster their progress and development.The frequency and intensity of the treatment provided, which is arranged in collaboration with the Basque National Health Service –OSAKIDETZA, is agreed upon with each individual family, depending on the specific needs of the client to be treated. When other health, educational or social services are required, access to such resources is managed by the members of the medical-psychological team, who will assume responsibility for the required administrative procedures.

Our special education services are co-ordinated with the Basque Government Department of Education, Universities and Research. Therefore, it is their area educational innovation and advisory teams, called Berritzeguneak, that decide, in collaboration with both the family and ourselves, which support resources are required by each student, and authorise the recommended alternative.

To ensure that all students with ASD living in Guipúzcoa receive an education programme suited to their specific needs.

Many students with ASD benefit from diverse adaptations of the ordinary education system, while others require a more drastic, group-based alternative established by GAUTENA almost 25 years ago, named ‘stable classrooms’.

As their name indicates, these classrooms provide stability in regards both the environment and the specialist staff working in them, as well as stable co-ordination with other necessary resources. They are targeted at those students for whom the ordinary curriculum cannot be adapted, or who can only share a small part of it, thus rendering it inadequate for their future adult lives.

All our stable classrooms are open and located in ordinary schools, thereby striving to ensure that children with ASD receive their education in the least restrictive environment, and close as possible to their homes.Every student has an individual support programme revised annually by all the professionals involved in the case and the student’s family. The programme covers both the more academic aspects of the curriculum, such as mathematics, reading and writing and social science, natural science and technology, as well as other aspects equally vital for developing each student’s capacities: communication, self-care skills, self-management, social skills…We take the chronological age of the student in consideration at all times, and adjust the contents accordingly. Thus, for example, with young people we begin to work on those aspects related to their passage into adulthood, such as autonomy, finding a job, emotional-sexual relations and housework…

There are generally between three and six students in each stable classroom, along with a teacher, an educator and two carers who come in to help out at certain times of the day. All of these people are specialised in the field of education for ASD and are in turn supported by our medical-psychological team, as well as by the educational coordinator responsible for GAUTENA’s education service.

This service for adults with ASD is co-ordinated with social services. Anyone who thinks that a family member may require this type of support should contact either their local social work public agency or GAUTENA directly.

If appropriate, we will pass on the request to the Guipúzcoa Provincial Government’s Base Centre where it will be assessed and the necessary support established.

The aim of the service is to provide the necessary support to all Guipuzcoan citizens presenting ASD, in order to facilitate their comprehensive development as adults. Although it is important to help them find a job, other aspects such as their personal development, the gaining of the skills required to participate in community life and the continuation of their training after leaving formal education are also vital.

Adults with ASD are by no means all the same, having widely different interests, personal circumstances and support needs.

As a result, in many cases, the support mechanisms need to be provided individually or in very small groups. Each person accessing the service is provided with a customised support plan which is revised on an annual basis by all the professionals involved and the person’s legal guardians. The client him or herself is also involved as much as possible in this process.

Our aim is to help them lead an interesting life; to have experiences that provide them with knowledge and satisfaction. In certain cases, persons work in different centres but come to our day centres in order to learn and improve their personal, professional or social life. In others, clients come to our day centres during the day so that, with more intense and specialist help, they can engage in activities in both the centre itself and the community. Such activities cover many different areas, including knowledge of their environment, use of sporting and cultural facilities and other available resources. Our goal is to help persons with ASD to enjoy an similar active life that the rest of the population has. At the day centres we only carry out key activities that cannot be carried out in community environments, always with the aim of creating opportunities for learning and participating, with the support of professionals who ensure clients´ well-being and a satisfactory quality of life.

Community housing is arranged in collaboration with social services. Anyone who believes that a member of their family requires, or will require in the short or medium term, a service of this type, should first contact GAUTENA in order to inform us of their needs, and subsequently, with our guidance and reports, should contact the Guipúzcoa Provincial Government’s Programs´ Service. The Provincial Government team will, in collaboration with us, decide on the support resources required by each person and authorise the agreed alternative.

We aim to ensure that all adults with autistic spectrum disorders in Guipúzcoa can live, like the rest of us, in their own home. Housing is a key aspect of life and the majority of people with ASD are not capable of living alone without supervision. However, we know how to help them and have been doing so for years; ensuring that they enjoy a high quality of life thanks to the special support provided: professionals specially trained in the field of autism, and a customised support plan that is annually agreed upon with the person’s legal guardians, a process and in which the client him or herself is involved as much as possible.

The people to whom those of us at GAUTENA provide support are very diverse, with widely different life aspirations, circumstances and needs. For this reason, we strive to customise our support as much as possible. Over the years, we have managed to establish a number of different community groups.

Some homes are reserved for older persons while others tend to attract younger people. The size of the group can vary and while some homes or flats are located in the quieter parts of the town, others are situated in more central, lively areas. Having a wide range of resources enables us to improve, day by day, our ability to customise the solutions we offer, thus enabling each individual to develop their own personal life-style.

In all our homes, residents go out in the morning to their respective activity or work centres and then return at the end of the day. With the support of our staff and many other people in the community, they are actively encouraged to engage in the normal activities of home life: going shopping, looking after their clothes and the house, cooking, establishing relations, making decisions, having a certain degree of privacy, pursuing hobbies and enjoying their leisure time. Their house, their community home, becomes a very important part of their lives and having good resources in this area is vital for everyone.

The leisure and free time service is provided in collaboration with the social services and the youth and sports services of the Guipúzcoa Provincial Government.

Nevertheless, in order to participate in the leisure and free time activities that we organise, a fee is required, but it is always easily affordable for the families involved.

GAUTENA informs the families of the different activities that may be of interest to them by means of the various campaigns carried out (holiday outings, summer camps, extracurricular activities…) Furthermore, we are happy to respond to any support or guidance request regarding clients’ participation in the initiatives proposed by other community resources.

We aim to ensure that all those presenting ASD do participate in the programmes offered by their communities. For this, we try to ensure that the range of activities allows for possible participation of those who require special adaptations, and we advise and collaborate with the organisers in order to ensure satisfactory inclusion. At the same time, GAUTENA offers internally a series of free time activities that complement the general offer; thereby enabling people with a high level of dependence to make the most of their leisure time.

The Leisure and Free Time Service encompasses people of widely different ages, interests and characteristics. For this reason, we need to diversify our offer and adapt it accordingly. The service carries out most of its work by encouraging the participation of our members in activities organised by the community, i.e. the Provincial Government, local councils, religious institutions, youth clubs and schools…

If a person with ASD requires support in order to participate satisfactorily in one of these activities, we alert the organisers accordingly. Furthermore, we also help finding and training those people responsible for providing this individualised support. Alongside this, GAUTENA also organises a wide range of activities aimed specifically at people presenting ASD. These initiatives are run both during the school year (extracurricular activities such as sports, swimming, weekend groups) and, especially, during the holidays.

At Easter, Christmas and in the summer time, a number of different leisure activities are organised: camps, short breaks, day camps, walks…These activities always take into account participants’ age and specific needs. A significant part of the activities are carried out thanks to the collaboration of VOLUNTARY WORKERS. The Leisure and Free Time Service is responsible for welcoming and monitoring all volunteers participating in the different GAUTENA services

Based upon the previous service definition, we can identify the following target individuals:

• INDIVIDUALS WITH ASD who are participating, or have participated, in other services provided by our entity.
• The FAMILIES of the individuals with ASD that GAUTENA serves
• VOLUNTEERS and COLLABORATORS who approach GAUTENA intending to establish a relationship with the entity
• COMMUNITY RESOURCES, aiming for the existing resources within the community to provide the necessary supports so that those with ASD can actively participate.
• GAUTENA itself, in terms of aspects such as communication and membership base.

Our Family Support Services are provided to three different –but related– collectives:

• PEOPLE WITH ASD: Support for those with ASD; reaching the different profiles in need of support with special programs which are adapted to those who need them.
• FAMILIES: Standing by the family over its entire lifecycle; providing supports designed to improve quality of life.
• GAUTENA AND ITS SURROUNDINGS: Support for the entity in terms of communication, volunteer participation, and networked support in relationship with community resources.

LAGUNBIDE – SUPPORT FOR PERSONAL JOURNEYS

A program aimed mainly at those who do not participate in the rest of the entity’s services and who, in general, have limited support needs.  This program places priority on educational, occupational, and social guidance, which is mainly provided in standardized environments:

• EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT (HEZIBIDE): Educational support and guidance for people with ASD who undertake their education in ordinary environments and do not participate in the GAUTENA Education Service.
• OCCUPATIONAL ENVIRONMENT (LANALDE): Identification of needs, personalized guidance, and support in terms of access to the working world – both on the ordinary job market and in terms of the different protected and adapted inclusive employment opportunities.

SELF-MANAGERS

Creation of spaces for people with ASD to share their worries, foster their social skills, develop their abilities to reflect and express their opinion, and feel like members of a group.

FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM

1.- ONGI ETORRI (WELCOME)

A program to accompany the family when joining the association.

2.-INFOSENIDE (INFORMATION)

A program through which the families of those served by GAUTENA are provided with information concerning resources, means, etc. in hopes of better taking advantage of the special intervention programs, services, organizations, and activities which exist both within and outside of the association. This program revolves mainly around two central axes.

3.- AHOLKU (ORIENTATION)

A program in which every family receives orientation on a strategy which is adapted to their needs, circumstances, and expectations.

4.- ELKARBIDE (MUTUAL SUPPORT)

A set of activities designed to provide families with help in developing their abilities, strengthening the bonds of the family system, and basic training to get individual and family behaviour to be safe, creative, effective, and enriching – in addition to providing a starting point for mutual support.