DOPSA NS

Extended Name: Drustvo za podrsku osobama sa autizmom Grada Novog Sada (on Serbian national language) or DOPSA NS, Society for Support of Persons with Autism of the City of Novi Sad.

Country: Serbia

Address: Bate Brkića 12, City Novi Sad, Postal Code 21000

Telephone: +381643339874, +381605477012

Website: www.autizamns.org.rs

DPOSA exist since 1999 and it was registrated at 2001. Chairman of Board of the Society DPOSA is Mara Bosnjak. DPOSA have more than 100 member, the members are children and adults with autism, theirs parents and siblings, and some (voluntary) experts. The Society is organizing educational workshops for children with autism spectrum disorder. DPOSA is often organizer in trainings and seminars for employees in education and upbringing.

From 2016-2018 DPOSA was organizer for accredited training for employees in education and training – “Inclusion of children with autism spectrum and peer support”. Also, our society provides support through education and training workshops for parents of children with autism spectrum in the fields of education and upbringing, health care, social and legal support.

For years we maintain collaboration with the Autism Clinic and Asperger Syndrome, Montreal, Canada (Clinique Autisme et Asperger de Montreal, Canada) who held two conferences in Serbia on the sexuality and socially emotional life of people on the autism spectrum, specific programs and strategies to help make educational inclusion and integration more successful. For many years, the DPOSA connected autism and art, organized many workshops of fine arts, sculpturing, photography, music and dance, and also organized visits to the theater, cinema, fortresses, galleries and exhibitions.

Staff

Dr Otilia Velisek-Brasko

Dr Otilia Velisek-Brasko is a college professor at Preschool Teachers Training College Novi Sad (Visoka škola strukovnih studija za obrazovanje vaspitača Novi Sad) for the seminars about inclusive education, children’s play and methodical practice of environmental discovery.

She is a supporter of the inclusive education movement, have a PhD in this field, and she still researching inclusion more than 10 years. She believes in inclusive education, because everyone has a right for quality education, as well as for inclusion in a social context. She published two monographs and a lot of scientific articles about inclusive pedagogy in Serbia.

She participated in UNICEF projects and Erasmus + at the Preschool Teachers Training College Novi Sad.

She is an active member of DPOSA Novi Sad, as an expert and as a parent and have a personal experience as a parent of a child with ASD.

Marija Svilar

Marija Svilar has a bachelor degree in Special education and rehabilitation (inclusive education) and is currently writing her master paper on autism spectrum disorder.

She works with children with autism on daily basis, treatment in early intervention for five years

For two years, she worked as teaching associate at Preschool Teachers Training College Novi Sad (Visoka škola strukovnih studija za obrazovanje vaspitača Novi Sad) in seminars about inclusive education

For a few years, she worked with teenagers and adults with autism spectrum disorder in preparation for independent living with support

She wrote several scientific articles about inclusive education, early intervention, inclusive literature and held TEDex talk in Novi Sad on topc “What we really know about autism?”

She is volunteer in DPOSA since she was a student, she held workshops for children and adults with autism, participated as a lecturer in seminars and training organized by DPOSA