Name: Emilija Zafirova Petkov
Profile: Special educator and rehabilitator
Country: North Macedonia
Why are you interested in the project?
I am a special educator and rehabilitator and I work with children with different disabilities.
Every child is an individual specific to himself or herself in a special way. In order to be successful in my work, I have to unravel the enigma that every child has to offer, to find their way of learning. It’s just like solving an enigmatic puzzle. You will certainly solve the puzzle if you are good at observing, quite patient, flexible, creative and well informed.
I always try to be well informed. I follow all the news, researches and new approaches in working with children with disabilities. Of course, I realised that the ASD-EAST project offers a lot of news and information needed for my further training and education. Through the project trainings, I will receivefurther education and willenrich my knowledge. Only then will I be successful in working with children with disabilities.
What is the project’s most valuable information/tool for you?
As I said before, I always try to learn more about children with disabilities. Еvery day, I research new approaches, techniques, and methods in working with children, and I always apply them. Sometimes I find success, and sometimes I do not. Sometimes I get discouraged and go back to analyse my actions. Where was I wrong? Is it good for the child? Is it а real job for the children? Many questions I did not always find answers to.
Through ASD-EAST and through the training I attended, I found answers to many of these questions. Training has made me more confident in my job. I learned a lot, guided me in my work, systematized my previous knowledge and made me a better expert. It is a great asset for any special educator and rehabilitator.
Do you have any suggestion?
It would be good to have a book or a manual from the trainings that are being implemented. That way we as experts will return to the material and content more easily, and we can recommend it to other profiles that are affected, eg. parents, colleagues, teachers, etc.
