Early Intervention Centers (EIC)
EICs are designed for parents of younger children (from birth to 7 years of age), provide support to families with children at risk, including children with ASD. It is ideal to use their services at a time when you have not yet established a diagnosis and are waiting for an appointment in one of the specialized diagnostic centers. Early intervention with the help of experts has a positive effect on the further development of the child. A team of psychologists, medical educators, physiotherapists and other specialists is at your disposal within the EIC.
Specialized centers dealing with the diagnosis of autism
They provide comprehensive diagnostics of ASD using standardized methods, re-diagnostics, elaboration of special pedagogical recommendations for the school, assistance in developing an individual educational program for the purpose of child integration. They provide therapies according to the needs and age of the child. They also implement educational activities for families with children with ASD.
Centers of Pedagogical – Psychological Counseling and Prevention and Centers of Special – Pedagogical Counseling
They focus on children of preschool and school age, who are already in the education system. They provide counseling to children and their legal representatives through a school psychologist, a special pedagogist, depending on the staff available at the counseling center.
An overview of state and private centers included in the network of school facilities of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Slovak Republic can be found on the website of the Research Institute of Child Psychology and Pathopsychology https://vudpap.sk/en/odborny-portal/zlozky-systemu-vychovneho-poradenstva-a-prevencie/
Therapeutic centers
They focus on supporting the complex development of the child, use various forms of therapies tailor-made for the child, focus on communication, elimination of unwanted behaviour, improvement of motor skills, self-care. The aim is to achieve maximum independence of the child. These can be the following therapies: Music therapy, Snoezelen Basal Stimulation, Art therapy, Canistherapy, Sound therapy, Sensorimotor training and others.
In the case of children with autism spectrum disorder, we recommend focusing on interventions in the form of ABA therapy, which supports the child’s learning and desirable behaviour through highly individualized interventions.
Clinics of clinical speech therapists and specialized speech therapy centers
Aimed at diagnostics, therapy and counseling for people with impaired communication skills. List of workplaces of clinical speech therapy: http://www.skizp.sk/pracoviska-klinickej-logopedie/pracoviska-klinickej-logopedie
Social service facilities, daycare centers
Social services are intended for those who are dependent on the help of another person in self-service, social activities, etc. This is a special aid scheme which falls within the scope of Slovakia’s VUC (Higher Territorial Unit; essentially regional governments). The founders are self-governing regions; this service is also provided by non-public social service providers.
Social service homes are facilities that provide services such as accommodation, meals, social counseling, various forms of therapy (work therapy, art therapy, music therapy), leisure activities/hobbies, physical activities, social skills training.
Daycare centers – provide clients with meals and offer work therapy and leisure activities/hobbies.
Some of the facilities offer the possibility of using a relief service, which is intended for a person who cares for a person with an autism spectrum disorder. The purpose of the relief service is to give that person the necessary rest in order to maintain physical and mental health.
The provision of social services is not directly related to the disability decided by the Social Insurance Agency and to the severe disability, which are within the competence of the Social Affairs and Family Labor Offices. It is necessary to request an assessment of dependence on social services at the office of a Higher Territorial Unit (VUC).
Overview of social services facilities in the founding competence of individual self-governing regions:
Bratislava self-governing region
Banská Bystrica self-governing region