New grant for a co-creative project that strengthens social inclusion of children on the spectrum. Autistic children co-develop an innovative pedagogical method together with teachers/pedagogues, researchers and parents

THE VELUX FOUNDATION awards DKKR 4,060,732 to Langagerskolen in Århus for the project CollaboLearn: Playful Learning for Life. The project will develop a new pedagogical method for playful social learning together with autistic children and their adults.

CollaboLearn is a collaboration between Langagerskolen, a large public school that specializes in autism, and researchers at the Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University. The project combines recent insights into play, learning and pedagogical documentation with a new theoretical understanding of autistic sociality. Thus, the project blazes a new trail for using basic research to find innovative solutions to strengthen the social inclusion of all citizens in our welfare society.    

The grant from THE VELUX FOUNDATION makes it possible to enhance the existing partnership between Langagerskolen and the Interacting Minds Centre, AU. A strong and stable partnership between practitioners and researchers is invaluable in developing sustainable social entrepreneurship anchored in the everyday lives of autistic children and their adults.

The project is steered by Jens Frostholm (director at Langagerskolen, Aarhus Municipality), Andreas Roepstorff (professor & director of the Interacting Minds Centre, AU), Ella Paldam (Carlsberg Foundation postdoctoral fellow, IMC, AU), Line Gebauer (Psychologist and assoc. professor, Dept. of Clinical Medicine, AU), Tina Tønnesen (school consultant at Langagerskolen), and Stine Strøm (play facilitator & analyst).

“Langagerskolen is pleased to announce our partnership with the Interacting Minds Centre in this project that develops a new playful pedagogy for social learning in autism. The project empowers autistic children to take part in social groups - and thus strengthen their social inclusion. We believe that the close partnership between academics and practitioners creates a strong knowledge foundation that will be an asset in our work to enhance social access with autistic citizens.” - Jens Frostholm, director at Langagerskolen.   

The project begins January 1st 2021 and is funded by the Velux Foundation (link).

Contact

Ella Paldam, Postdoc
Interacting Minds Centre
School of Culture and Society

Line Gebauer, Associate Professor
Langagerskolen
Department of Clinical Medicine