My Experience in the Green ASC VET Project
Participating in the Green ASC VET – MetaAutism project was one of those experiences for me in which professional interest, personal commitment, and collaboration with people from different fields could come together in a meaningful way. I participated in the project as an external collaborator – a volunteer, involved in various activities – from providing feedback on the activities and characteristics of the developed applications to reviewing materials and documents.
It was a great pleasure for me to participate in the project meeting of the teams from Croatia, Denmark, Hungary, Portugal, Belgium, and Germany in Heidelberg. In addition to the quality of the team and the great diversity in experiences, professional backgrounds, and ways of thinking and functioning, what particularly impressed me was the atmosphere. The collaboration was not formal or burdened by different roles and positions, but rather open, creative, and stimulating. There was a lot of exchange of ideas, building upon each other’s suggestions, but also that playful, friendly teasing that often creates space for new and unexpected ideas.
I collaborated most closely with members of the Croatian project team. Particularly important to me was the participation of team members in teaching students in the Master’s programme in Education and Rehabilitation. Sharing insights and experiences from the project enabled students to broaden their perspective on the possibilities offered by new technologies, but also to critically reflect on their actual value in the lives of people on the autism spectrum. I consider it important that future education and rehabilitation professionals do not view technology only as a ready-made tool that they will one day apply in their practice, but also as an area in which they can themselves participate in creating new ideas and approaches. The experience of the Green ASC VET project can show students that innovative solutions are not developed only within technical fields. Professionals who provide daily support to people on the autism spectrum have knowledge about their needs, interests, possible challenges, and the context in which a particular technology will be used. During their studies, students of Education and Rehabilitation also acquire knowledge about how to actively involve the people themselves in processes that concern them and empower them to express their needs, views, and wishes, and to ensure that their voices are truly heard. This knowledge is important for the development of technology that will not only be technologically interesting, but will genuinely respond to the needs of its users. I consider such collaborations in teaching extremely valuable because I believe that one of the important tasks of educating future professionals is not exclusively to transfer existing knowledge and insights, but to create space for questioning, exploring, connecting different fields, and designing new solutions.
The joint work on designing learning outcomes for teachers in vocational education was also inspiring. Our experiences from the Teaching and Clinical Centre of the University of Zagreb Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, as well as research findings, show that teachers are often not sufficiently familiar with the specific characteristics of learning, thinking, and behaviour of children on the autism spectrum. At the same time, they lack knowledge about teaching methods for students who receive, experience, and process information in different ways. The quality of education therefore often depends on the individual effort, motivation, and sensitivity of each teacher, while systematic support is lacking. Teachers are also faced with a large number of contents and learning outcomes that they need to achieve, and are often limited by spatial and material conditions. That is why I found the work on learning outcomes for vocational school teachers particularly stimulating. The collaboration with members of the Croatian team also resulted in the idea of a micro-credential for subject and class teachers, which is currently being developed. For me, this is one of the concrete examples of how project collaboration can grow into something that has the potential to have a long-term impact on practice.
The collaboration with Mr Željko Habek also left a strong impression on me. His innovative spirit, exceptional persistence, extensive experience, and different perspective were an inspiration to me. Such collaborations show me why connecting different fields is so important. I believe that bringing together technical and social sciences, new technologies, and the inclusion of people on the autism spectrum, together with genuinely recognizing their needs, can significantly contribute to the quality of education, employment opportunities, and ultimately the quality of life of people on the autism spectrum.
I would also like to reflect on the applications developed within the project. Virtual reality can provide a safe, predictable, and adaptable environment in which a person can practice different skills, repeat certain situations without real-life consequences, and gradually prepare for real-life situations. This is particularly important when we know that unpredictable social situations and sensory overload can represent a significant challenge for people with autism. The results of the evaluation of the developed applications further convinced me of the potential of such technologies. Both people with autism and professionals positively evaluated the technologies used. The VR Interview Master application, intended for practicing job interviews, helped people on the autism spectrum feel more prepared for a real interview. The 360° VR video, which enables users to become familiar with different occupations and workplaces, was also evaluated very positively – all participants stated that it was useful for them to see and experience a workplace in such a way. What I find particularly interesting is that the simulator results simultaneously demonstrate how important it is to develop technology together with its users. Although both professionals and people with autism rated its overall usefulness very highly, they differed in their assessment of certain technical and sensory aspects. For example, people with autism rated the sensory load as higher than the professionals did. This is an important reminder that technology must be accessible, adaptable, and developed with the participation of the people for whom it is intended, while recognizing their actual needs. Through the project activities, it is evident that incorporating the perspectives and real needs of people on the autism spectrum is one of the important principles that the Green ASC VET project team strives to follow.
And to conclude, for me, Green ASC VET is not just a project about new technologies. It is a project about people and creating a platform for creative collaboration, as well as conditions in which diversity will not be an obstacle to education and employment. The most valuable experience for me was precisely seeing how knowledge from different fields can be connected, how ideas can be built upon, and how we can learn from one another. Such collaboration can then result in something new and valuable.
Jasmina Stošić, Associate Professor
University of Zagreb Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences