Cyril and Methodius University- Skopje

The Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (UKIM) is a public higher education institution and the first state university in the Republic of Macedonia. UKIM is comprised of 23 faculties, 5 research institutes, and 4 public scientific institutions and offers high-standard teaching and research in all scientific fields – natural sciences and mathematics, technical and technological sciences, medical sciences and health, biotechnology sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts. Nowadays, over 60.000 domestic and foreign students are following the first, second, and third-cycle studies. Every year there are more than 10.000 students who are enrolled in all three cycles of the university, making UKIM the biggest University in R. Macedonia in terms of student numbers. Over 3.100 teaching, research, associate, as well as administrative staff participate in the realization of the teaching and scientific process. The University has produced around 150.000 graduated high-professional staff; 10.000 candidates obtained Master’s and Specialist's degrees and around 3.000 candidates obtained the doctoral degree in all teaching and scientific fields. The Faculty has 71 full professors, 26 associate professors, 8 assistant professors, and 2 assistants. The four-year studies in special education and rehabilitation are realized according to special curriculum and programs, and the graduated students get the title of graduate special educator and rehabilitator. This professional profile is trained to perform rehabilitation and educational process with children with visual impairment, hearing impairment, intellectual disabilities, autism, motor impairments, ADHD, and other behavioral problems in rehabilitation institutions, special and inclusive schools. Also, the Special Education Specialist profile is included as a member of the professional teams of regular kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, health, and social care institutions. The Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation and the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje have realized more than 50 field researches in the graduate thesis, 10 master thesis, and a great number of study research assessing the developmental abilities and characteristics, play, physical activities, and preferred games in all types of disabilities, including the persons with an autism spectrum disorder. We have results showing social inclusion, quality of life, leisure time, preferred play, preferred toys as well as creating appropriate playground and games, and age-appropriate toys for stimulating different skills. All persons included in the project team have Ph.D. degree in the field of special education and rehabilitation and has huge experience in the work with persons with different kind of disabilities, working in special schools for children with intellectual disabilities and autism. One of the members has visited a play therapy program in Germany participating in the Tempus-inFocus project and is a lecturer for play therapy. They participate in different domestic and international projects about persons with disabilities.

RCA Software Project Team of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University

Dr. Olivera Rashikj CanevskaCoordinatoroliverarasic@fzf.ukim.edu.mk

Dr. Olivera Rashikj Canevska, the coordinator for Macedonia, was graduated with a diploma thesis "Sexual Abuse of People with Mental Retardation" in December 2006. In the academic year 2006/07 she enrolled in postgraduate studies at the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation, in the field of Motor Disorders and she completed her studies in 2009 with the master thesis "Sexual Development, Education and Sexual Abuse of Persons with Disabilities in the Republic of Macedonia". In 2009, she announced her doctoral thesis entitled "Assessment of Independence in Performing Everyday Activities and the Need for Occupational Therapy in People with Multiple Sclerosis" at the Faculty of Philosophy. From January 2007 to April 2012 she was engaged at the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation as a demonstrator, from December 2010 to December 2011, she worked as a special educator and rehabilitator in the special elementary school "Dr. Zlatan Sremec". In August 2018 she was elected as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation and she is responsible for several courses: Methodic of work with students with motor impairments, Occupational therapy, Creative therapy, Early intervention of children with motor impairments, Inclusive culture, politics, and practice, etc. One of the fields of interest is applying play therapy in children with disabilities as well as analysis of the play in children with different types of disabilities.

Dr. Aleksandra Karovska RistovskaResearcheraleksandrak@fzf.ukim.edu.mk

Dr. Aleksandra Karovska Ristovska completed her education at the Faculty of Philosophy, the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation at ‘Ss. Kiril and Methodius’ University. With the master thesis ‘A child with cochlear implant in inclusive classroom’ she completed her studies announced her doctoral thesis entitled ‘Comparative analysis of the structure of the American and Macedonian sign language’. She works at the Special Education and Rehabilitation Institute in Macedonia for the subjects: Psychomotor Reeducation, Assessment of psychomotor development of children with Intellectual disabilities, Neuropsychology with psychomotor reeducation, Early Intervention and Specific Learning Problems. She is co-author of four books and two monographs’, and has many published articles in the field of Special Education and Rehabilitation. Dr. Karovska Ristovska is Head of an International Science Project: Erasmus + Key Action 2 project “Fostering Accessible Learning Management Systems-FAST” (Partner countries: Portugal, Lithuania, Denmark, 2018-2021). She was the national coordinator of an international project "Improving University Programs for Comprehensive Sex Education" - Faculty of Philosophy and Rutgers Institute, The Netherlands, 2014-2015. Participated in 8 national projects and 3 international projects.

Dr. Natasha Chichevska JovanovaResearchernatasac@fzf.ukim.edu.mk

Dr Natasha Chichevska Jovanova is a graduate of the Belgrade Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation in 1994, where she later obtained her M.Sc. (2001). She obtained PhD degree in 2008 on the Faculty of Philosophy. She introduced subjects “Methodic of early treatment and preschool education of children with disabilities”, “Methodic of education of mild mental retarded pupils”, “Methodic of educative working with persons with severe and combined disability”, “Somatopedy”. She is member of the Macedonian Association for Autism. During the past years she participated in preparing and realization of a many scientific-expert projects including the projects: “Advancement of the carefulness and treatment of the children with disabilities” in the frames of Ministry for labour and social work and GTZ, “Improvement of the life conditions for persons with cerebral palsy” leaded by Handicap International (2000), “Modernization of the education” by TEMPUS (2006/07).

Prof. Dr Goran AjdinskiTrainergoran@fzf.ukim.edu.mk

Prof. Dr. Goran Ajdinski was born on June 13, 1968. in Skopje. He graduated at secondary medical school in Skopje. After serving his military service, he enrolled at the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation – intellectual disability group at the University of Belgrade (academic year 1988/89). He graduated from the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation in Belgrade on January 1, 1992. In the same year he enrolled in postgraduate studies of the group for intellectual disability, and completed his master's thesis entitled "Early detection, diagnosis and treatment as a prerequisite for successful rehabilitation of mentally retarded persons" obtaining his master's degree on December 16, 1994. In the period 1993-1995 he worked as a teacher in the POU "Dr. Zlatan Sremac" for students with mild disabilities in Skopje. In the beginning of 1995 he was elected and employed as a junior assistant in the studies of special education and rehabilitation at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje. During 1996 he was elected in assistant (in the subjects Structural Special Education and Rehabilitation Methodology and preschool education of children with disabilities). He defended his doctoral dissertation entitled "Developmental characteristics of the mild intellectual disabled students in relation to their achieved success at school" on June 13, 1998. at the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation in Belgrade and obtained the degree of Doctor of Special Education and Rehabilitation. He was elected in an assistant professor during the month of February 1999 in the subjects Structural Special Education and Rehabilitation and Diagnostics. In December 2003 he was elected in an associate professor in the subjects Fundamentals of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Structural Special Education and Rehabilitation and Special Education and Rehabilitation. In November 2008 he was elected in a full professor in the fields of science: general special education, oligophrenology and special education and rehabilitation diagnostics. In the period 2001-2005 he was the head of the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation. In the period 2005-2009 he was the head of the Postgraduate Studies of the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation. In the period 2009-2017 he held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje. He is the winner of the state award "St. Kliment Ohridski “December 8, 2015, in the field of education. He is a member of the commission for international cooperation at the Faculty of Philosophy.

Prof. Dr Natasha Stanojkovska TrajkovskaTrainernatasa.stanojkovska@fzf.ukim.edu.mk

Prof. Dr. Natasha Stanojkovska-Trajkovska was born on August 31, 1979, in Kumanovo. She finished high school in Kumanovo, and received higher education at the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje. In the academic year 2003/2004 she enrolled in postgraduate studies in the field of Intellectual Disability and Autism. In 2010 she defended her master's thesis on "Children with special educational needs placed in foster families in the Republic of Macedonia". She applied for a doctoral dissertation in December 2013, and on March 13, 2015 with the thesis "Effects of non-institutional care for children with moderate and severe intellectual disability" she gained a scientific degree - Doctor of Special Education and Rehabilitation. From January 2004 to December 2005 she was engaged as a demonstrator at the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje with engagement for performing the exercises in the subjects Home educational work, Vocational orientation and work training and Methodology of working with people with disabilities. On December 28, 2005 she was elected as a junior assistant and continued her professional and scientific development as assistant at the same institute. In June 2015, she was elected in the Assistant Professor in the scientific fields (disciplines): methodology, protection and assistance to the disabled, special education and professional orientation and training, and in 2019 year was ellected in associate professor.

RCA Software Project Team of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University

Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University

Cyril and Methodius University- Skopje

Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski

Piriteknoloji Company