Elisa Genovesi

melissawashington46
May 18, 2022
1 min read

Updated: Jun 21, 2024

Promoting the Inclusion of Children with Developmental Disabilities in Regular Schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Education services for children with developmental disabilities are a key part of the multisectoral integrated care model that SPARK aims to develop. Eli Genovesi’s PhD project has led to the co-development of MIDDLE, “Mainstreaming and Inclusion for children with Developmental Disabilities in Learning in Ethiopia”. MIDDLE is centred around a teacher-training programme and aims to promote effective inclusion and support of children with developmental disabilities in mainstream primary schools and kindergartens in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. MIDDLE was developed in collaboration with over 80 local stakeholders, and subsequently piloted and evaluated. Results indicated that it was overall feasible, acceptable, appropriate, and perceived as effective.

Project Phases

Phase 1: Synthesis of inclusive education strategies

We synthesised 32 qualitative studies selected through a systematic review in order to understand teachers, pupils and caregivers’ perspectives and experiences of strategies used to include children with developmental disabilities in mainstream school classrooms in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Team (Phase 1): Dr Rosa Hoekstra (Co-investigator, PhD supervisor), Prof Charlotte Hanlon (Co-investigator, PhD supervisor), Dr Judith McKenzie (Co-investigator), Akhina Gaches (Research Assistant)

Click to see team

Phase 2: Review of existing resources

We conducted a systematic review of the academic and grey literature in order to map existing resources for (self-)education and training of teachers and non-specialists in low- and middle-income countries on developmental disabilities. Further details about the review can be found here.

The team (Phase 2): Dr Rosa Hokestra (Co-investigator, PhD supervisor), Prof Charlotte Hanlon (Co-investigator, PhD supervisor0, Dr Bethlehem Tekola (Co-investigator), Ishtar Yao (Research Assistant), Emily Mitchell (Research project student), Areej Panju (Research project student), Michal Arad (Research project student), Victoria Diamant (Research project student)

Click to see team

Phase 3: Exploratory study

We have interviewed local stakeholders to understand:

The education needs of children with developmental disabilities in Ethiopia
Suggested interventions to meet these needs within mainstream schools
Factors that can ease or hinder the intervention implementation in Addis Ababa

Group photo of 5 women and 4 men, one woman standing in front of the rest with two white boards on either side of her, the rest of the group sitting on chairs in front of her. — Workshop Discussion, 10th June 2022

Our first stakeholder workshop was held on the 10th of June 2022 at Addis Ababa University. We defined the goal of our intervention development project and explored the needs to be addressed to meet such goal.

Handwritten poster. The text is “Include Children with DD in existing schools through 1) special education classes providing full education 2) inclusion in regular classes when possible (Kokebe Tsibah model) (in Addis Ababa with potential for scale-up)” — Poster outlining the goals set by consensus during the workshop

Handwritten poster with several sparse bits of writing. These are: Awareness & training for teachers, school staff, school management Awareness for typically developing children Incentives for teachers Government incentives for schools Teaching of vocational skills Plan for the future Government support Budget & resources: assistive devices, education materials, toys & objects Stakeholder involvement with a framework Psychoeducation for families Rights-based approach Support for caregivers Continuous awareness raising at all steps (responsibilities, condition, legal aspects) Acknowledgement for services offered by schools and centres Capacity building (continuous training & support) Holistic support for children Support addressing other needs (e.g. healthcare) Advocacy campaigns (medica, national, community) Clear ownership and responsibilities Monitoring, supervision and follow-up of teachers (Resource centres and itinerant teachers) Awareness for teachers and school staff Transportation Facility accessibility (e.g. toilets, ramps) Monitoring & evaluation system (data) Specialist professionals Special attention to DD (policy, curriculum, training, resources, budget!) — Brainstorming of the needs to be met

The team (Phase 3): Dr Rosa Hoekstra (Co-investigator, PhD supervisor), Prof Charlotte Hanlon (Co-investigator, PhD supervisor), Merhsa Kinfe (Project coordinator), Dr Fikirte Girma (Co-investigator), Ikram Ahmed (co-investigator), Dr Moges Ayele (co-investigator), Winini Belay (research assistant), Amanda Chen (research project student), Olivia Burnigham (research project student)

Click to see team

Phase 4: Programme development

We aimed to intervene to promote the schooling of children with developmental disabilities in mainstream schools, based on findings from previous phases and in collaboration with local stakeholders.

We conducted 5 intervention development workshops with representatives from the following groups in Ethiopia:

Ministry of Education, Addis Ababa Education Bureau, Non-governmental organisations, Autism-center managers, Autism-center teachers, Regular-school principals and vice principles, Regular-school teachers, Families, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Paediatricians, Education consultants

In the stakeholder workshops, we have used Theory of Change, a collaborative method to develop an intervention plan. We then developed MIDDLE based on stakeholder input.

CORE INTERVENTION COMPONENTS:

Community and staff awareness-raising session
12-session teacher-training programme, with supervision and provision of resources for health referrals, needs assessment, lesson plans, and Individualised Education Plans
Reorganisation of the special unit (setting up multiple class groups) and inclusive education pathway (to allow for children with milder support needs to be included in regular classes)

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES (Principals' discretion and lead):

Fundraising and community involvement in improving infrastructure
Encouraging students to include awareness raising content in existing student-lead radio programmes
Revising the safeguarding protocol to include relevant provisions
Providing a setting for caregivers' support groups

Flipchart papers stuck to a wall and a door. On them, some red writing, some back writing and pink sticky notes. Please contact me if you would like a typed version of the content — Theory of Change Plan Built in a Stakeholder Workshop

Click here for more information on the Theory of Change Map

Group photo of 22 women, 15 men and one child in front of a white wall. Some are standing, others are kneeling in the front — Workshop group photo, 19th November 2022

Group photo of 7 women and 11 men in front of a white wall, all standing — Workshop group photo, 22nd November 2022

Group photo of 19 women and 3 men standing in front of a porch at the entrance of a building. Some are looking another way. One woman wearing a bright yellow blouse is looking down patting a large fair brown dog. — Workshop group photo, 17th December 2022, Nia Foundation Joy Center for Autism

The Team (Phase 4): Dr Rosa Hoekstra (Co-investigator, PhD supervisor), Prof Charlotte Hanlon (Co-investigator, PhD supervisor), Winini Belay (Research Assistant, Project coordinator), Dr Fikirte Girma (Co-investigator), Ikram Ahmed (Co-investigator), Dr Moges Ayele (Co-investigator), Lee Tesfaye (Co-investigator), Dr Dureti Kassim (Co-investigator), Mengistu Wolde Mekuria (Co-investigator), Dr Tigist Zerihun

Click to see team

Phase 5: Pilot study

We have pilot tested the programme in 4 mainstream primary schools in Addis Ababa and evaluated implementation outcomes and perceived effectiveness using qualitative data and process indicators previously determined based on the intervention plan.

Results suggested that implementing MIDDLE is overall feasible and positive effects were reported in the overall inclusivity of school communities, the development and school experience of enrolled children with DD and the outreach of unschooled children with DD in the community.

ree — Teacher training session 14th October, facilitated by Liya Tesfaye

ree — Teacher training session, 14th October

ree — School community awareness raising session, 24th September

ree — Material built for a concrete teaching exercise during teacher training, 21st October

The Team (Phase 5): Dr Rosa Hoekstra (Co-investigator, PhD supervisor), Prof Charlotte Hanlon (Co-investigator, PhD supervisor), Winini Belay (Research Assistant, Project coordinator), Dr Fikirte Girma (Co-investigator), Ikram Ahmed (Co-investigator), Dr Moges Ayele (Co-investigator), Lee Tesfaye (Co-investigator), Dr Dureti Kassim (Co-investigator), Mengistu Wolde Mekuria (Co-investigator), Dr Tigist Zerihun

Click to see team

Public Engagement

A public engagement half-day event for parents at two primary schools was held at Addis Ababa University on 22nd December 2022 and facilitated by Dr Tsegereda Haile Kifle. The event was attended by around 40 caregivers of children with and without developmental disabilities, accompanied by two special education teachers.

In the workshop:

We presented study findings from phases 3 and 4
We invited caregivers to give further input on needs for achieving inclusion
We facilitated the sharing of values and expectations among caregivers
We facilitated collaborative problem-solving relative to inclusion in their schools

Participants greatly appreciated being given a platform to discuss their needs and called for further opportunities for collaborative work towards improving the education of children with disabilities.

View of a University room, with white ceilings and walls and green and beige seats. The picture is taken from behind part of the audience, of around 25 people, some of whom are wearing bright pink, green, blue veils and sweaters. They are facing the facilitator, wearing a dark suit and yellow blouse, who is listening intently while the slide projected behind her says “Reflection and Discussion”. — Public Engagement Event, 22nd December 2022

About Eli

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/elisa-genovesi

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PhD supervisors: Dr Rosa Hoekstra & Prof Charlotte Hanlon

See funding information

Eli’s PhD is funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) through the London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (LISS DTP). Additional funding external to SPARK and the LISS DTP is provided by a Thematic Research Grant from the British Institute of Eastern Africa (for phase 3) and the British Federation of Women Graduates Ida Smedley Maclean Fellowship awarded by Graduate Women International (for phases 4 and 5), and King's College London Centre for Doctoral Studies (for public engagement).

1 Comment

Nov 09, 2022

Hello everyone, this is Eli, thank you for your interest in this project. I will be in Ethiopia for fieldwork over the next six weeks, stay tuned for updates!

And please leave a comment right here with feedback or fill in this super-brief feedback survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCcK9WJTiU7vrfvUtVE-0a0DEnWKv_Ki7zgZOuBtfhz_GDnA/viewform?usp=sf_link

You can also contact me for questions at elisa.genovesi@kcl.ac.uk