Short Bio

I have a PhD in humanities and I am an educator and animator as well as a lecturer at the Department of Social Pedagogy and Educational Research Methodology at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. I also am the initiator and implementer of activities which create a conscious and friendly academic environment for autistic people. Moreover, I hold the position of Expert for Educational Support of People on the Autistic Spectrum at the University.

My EPALE

I signed up to EPALE on the recommendation of my fellow ambassador and was impressed with the quantity and quality of material that can be found on the platform. Later, I invited this friend to meet my students to talk about EPALE, on two or more occasions, to different groups. These were students from the Faculty of Social Sciences who were preparing for social work. Unfortunately, I still cannot find the time to take full advantage of the platform. Hopefully this will change.

My Story

I am the mother of a child who is on the autistic spectrum. He lives alone and copes with his life just as well as any other young person. When he was younger, I and several other parents of autistic children started a self-help group to support each other and share our experiences. Then, as a lecturer at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, I was invited to the School of Social Animators, who work with people with disabilities. I gave a lecture on the functioning of autistic people.
I liked the energy and mindfulness accompanying this education so much that I enrolled at the school and I had to do an animation project as part of my graduation. I chose a topic which I knew inside out - supporting people on the autistic spectrum. I implemented this project at my university. I diagnosed autistic students there. According to the official statistics of the Center for People with Disabilities, there were three autistic students at the university in 2013. The educational offer for the academic community that would raise awareness of what autism is and how to support autistic students was also minimal.

I started working with the Center as a volunteer and, for instance if there was any need to negotiate with teachers or support an autistic person reporting to the center, they were referred to me and we looked for solutions together. I saw how big the need for action in this area was. I was also convinced that the number of autistic students would increase.

In 2017, I received an invitation from the University to join an already formalized cooperation. I became an expert in educational support for people with autism.

I support students in understanding their rights, in their relations with teachers and in what they need at any given moment.

I conduct trainings for academic teachers about autism, what problems autistic people face and what resources they have, how to work with them and how to support and understand them. In April, for the World Autism Awareness Month, together with my students from the Volunteer Science Club, we promote awareness about autism. We organize various initiatives, events, film screenings and workshops. By and large, I only train volunteers on the autistic spectrum so that they understand what they address during the campaign, but this year students talked me into giving a lecture on autism which was open to everyone. Over a hundred people came and instead of the planned two hours we extended the training to four as the discussion was so lively. A lot of people wrote to me later on with various reflections or questions, including how to work with an autistic friend or colleague in a group.
I also run activities outside the University and train pedagogical councils, specialists and parents in the issues of understanding and supporting autistic people. I attend scientific conferences both as a participant and a speaker. My area of interest is families with an autistic person. I like it very much.
Recently, I have started studying Transcultural Positive Psychotherapy. I am training to become a consultant, and then perhaps a psychotherapist in the field of positive psychotherapy. This involves looking at a person holistically, taking into account not only their difficulties, but also their unconscious resources, abilities and skills. The students who visit me have various problems and needs, not only educational ones. Some are lonely, cannot cope with other people or have problems at home, etc. I need additional knowledge that goes beyond education.

I am also a laureate of a national literary competition for a story about people with autism. In 2014, in recognition of my efforts to create a friendly environment for people with autism, I received an award in the Worthy to Follow competition in the category of social animator, and the title of Olsztynianka Roku 2014 in a poll run by the Gazeta Wyborcza daily paper. I am friends with many autistic people, and I value these relationships very much.

Did you get inspired by this story? Let us know below in the comments and get the chance to win an EPALE unique gift!

5 users per month (May-November 2021) from those commenting a 2021 Community Story will be picked at random and will receive a gift. Comments must be relevant and related to the topic to be eligible.