Concept as a provider of child and youth welfare services 

PART A - PROVIDER

The White Unicorn – Association for the Development of an Autism-Friendly Environment (registered association / e. V.) was founded in 2015 by autistic people, according to UN guidelines with an existing 2/3 majority of autistic people in voting processes and board composition, and operates as a registered, non-profit association.

§ 2 PURPOSE AND TASKS OF THE ASSOCIATION, NON-PROFIT STATUS

(1) The purpose of White Unicorn e.V. is to represent and promote the interests of autistic people, to strengthen self-confidence and self-determination, to cultivate good morals, and to create an autism-friendly environment.

(2) All partisan political endeavors are excluded.

(3) White Unicorn e.V. pursues exclusively and directly non-profit purposes within the meaning of the section "Tax-privileged purposes", § 51 to 68 of the Tax Code (Abgabenordnung). The purposes of the association are:

1. Education, popular and vocational training. The purpose of the association is education, popular and vocational training in the field of the life of autistic people, in that the association, as an interest group, conducts events itself. Beyond the legally established regulations for the support of autistic people, the association pursues the goal of ensuring guaranteed professional quality in the sense of peer counseling, in dealing with autistic people, by employees of the association itself as well as other organizations, as well as in dealing with autistic people by autistic people, parents, relatives, and interested parties. The statutory purpose is realized in particular by:

a.) Education of autistic people, parents, relatives, and interested parties by association members, linked to one or more counseling center(s) of the association, with regard to education, popular and vocational training

b.) Counseling and networking of autistic people, parents, relatives, interested parties, and professionals through internet presences maintained by the association

c.) the conducting of meetings, lectures, and courses, as well as events to which the association invites and which are carried out by the association members

d.) further training and supervision of professionals through courses or personal counseling offered by the association and carried out by the association members

2. the promotion of youth welfare. The statutory purpose is realized through services and assistance especially for autistic children and adolescents according to SGB-VIII, §§ 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 35 on the basis of § 35a. Appropriately qualified members of the association provide these services in the sense of the activity as interest representatives of autistic people.

3. Science and research. The purpose of the association is also the promotion of research, teaching, and further education in the field of the life of autistic people, in that the association is intended to serve as a platform for joint projects and concrete cooperation as an interest group with corresponding institutions. Beyond the legally established regulations for the accompaniment of autistic people, the association pursues the goal of securing the professional quality of employees in dealing with autistic people, which is guaranteed by university education to Bachelor/Master/Doctor/Professor, through autistic people. The statutory purpose is realized in particular by:

a.) Support and implementation of model trials and projects which correspond to the interests of autistic people. The support is provided through the employment of scientific staff, the provision of premises and financial and material resources as well as other necessary measures.

b.) Scientific verification of practically relevant working hypotheses of the interest representation, in cooperation with colleges, universities, and research teams.

c.) The scientific results of the association resulting from the research will be published promptly in scientific works.

d.) All scientific teaching and lecture events of the association are accessible to the general public.

4. the promotion of welfare. The statutory purpose is realized in particular by:

a.) Counseling and networking of autistic people, parents, relatives, and interested parties, by association members at one or more counseling center(s), as well as internet presences, especially for children and adolescents

b.) Exercised honorary care to a special degree as an interest group for autistic people within the meaning of § 66 of the Tax Code (Abgabenordnung), for the health, moral, educational, and economic well-being. Also prevention and remedy of endangerment of autistic people in the areas of learning, communication, as well as mental and physical health.

The register entries are recorded at the District Court (Amtsgericht) Charlottenburg under the number VR34973B. The association serves the development of an autism-friendly environment and has the goal of implementing inclusion for autistic people in all areas of life. Due to the increasing pathologization and stigmatization of autistic people, the association considers it urgently necessary to counteract this through corresponding offers.

PART B – FACILITY / SERVICES

1. Type of service legal bases

Welfare The association operates according to the Tax Code (Abgabenordnung) § 52 Non-profit purposes. Appropriately qualified members of the association provide these services in the sense of the activity as interest representatives of autistic people. The guidance, counseling, and support of the persons active on a voluntary basis according to § 73 is guaranteed. Child and adolescent autistic people have a claim to specific help due to the constant threat of being disabled by the burden of barriers.

Child and Youth Welfare: Outpatient Pedagogical Service Within the meaning of SGB VIII § 78, White Unicorn e. V. cooperates as a private provider of child and youth welfare according to § 75 with a peak association of welfare (AWO) and strives for coordination and supplementation within the working groups. The statutory purpose is realized through services and assistance especially for autistic children and adolescents according to SGB VIII §§ 27, 30, 31 on the basis of § 35a. The association works social-space-oriented as well as according to the principle of life-world orientation. Thus, the use of aids is supported (telepresence system, guide dog, remote school material...). The association offers support in the form of projects (financing so far via: Senate Administration, Ministry, Youth Welfare Office, Aktion Mensch, foundations), which are free of charge for families and their children, which are partly based on donations and honorary work, as well as the provision of outpatient pedagogical and therapeutic offers, for which corresponding individual agreements as well as provider contracts and agreements are concluded.

Education, Upbringing: Development of aids as well as a barrier-adjustable pedagogical architecture The goal in the school sector is to enable autistic children who live under disabling circumstances a successful school attendance by granting aids as well as a barrier-adjustable pedagogical architecture. Among other things, this makes it possible to secure the right to education and upbringing according to § 2 School Act. The administrative regulations of the respective states (Länder) are taken into account. For this purpose, provider contracts according to the framework agreement for supplementary promotion and care as well as the framework agreement for supplementary school help and care can form a basis, as can individual agreements with the respective authorities. Examples: The association carried out e.g.:

• Project Remote School/Moving Learning, for the evaluation of the accompanied and ZFU-certified aid "remote school material" (Financed by Senate Administration)

• Project Quiet Hour, for the reduction of barriers in sports (Financed by Aktion Mensch)

• Project Emicol, Emotion in Colors, therapy offer (Financed by Aktion Mensch)

Research Science The development of an autism-friendly environment is scientifically accompanied, also through cooperation with universities and scientific institutions. In this context, practically relevant working hypotheses are scientifically verified and researched, and as an educational and upbringing provider, the knowledge generated herewith is published.

2. Framework conditions incl. total number of places The content of the assistance is always oriented towards the principles of inclusive participation in community life in the sense of reducing the burden of barriers and achieving a so-called state of rest, which is a prerequisite for autistic children to develop resilience. However, the level of support required by the child, their family, and their environment, such as daycare and school, must be considered individually.

Support in the assistance for families of autistic children takes place—depending on the assistance planning (participation planning SGB IX)—on-site at a facility such as a school or in the association's premises and/or in the child's direct environment. The work includes intensive work with the child's caregivers, as well as detailed preparation and follow-up, in order to jointly guarantee an inclusive design of the social space.

In the school sector, such as inclusion assistance, supplementary promotion and care, as well as supplementary school help and care, among others, a limitation in the number of places for autistic children depending on the circumstances (age of the child, previous stress factors, etc.) is a prerequisite by the very definition of inclusion; however, through the correspondingly open concept with an inclusive claim, it also offers other children the opportunity to participate in this offer, which is designed to be barrier-free for autistic people.

3. Spatial and structural requirements The association works in premises at the locations of the facilities, as well as in its own rooms when these are required. Depending on need, additional space is rented in accordance with the specifications or, if necessary, acquired over time.

4. Additional offers In addition, the association is a provider of model trials and projects for the inclusive schooling of autistic children in the education sector.

5. Personnel The provider's personnel can be composed of volunteers, psychologists, curative and social educators/social workers (at least with a B.A. degree), rehabilitation educators, as well as nursery teachers and peer support speakers.

6. Cooperation and participation There is very close cooperation and feedback with the board of the association in the sense of participation of the children's interest representatives, which is considered a central aspect of the association's work. To this end, contacts are maintained at the UN level as well as the federal level. In addition, the association cooperates primarily with the specialists accompanying the children (diagnosing psychiatrists) and can draw on the contact persons of its peak association, the AWO.

7. Documentation system In accordance with the quality goals and key processes to be defined, documentation is carried out in addition to the continuous recording of content in the form of development reports and protocols of every appointment.

PART C – RANGE OF SERVICES

1. Age group The offers are aimed at children and adolescents aged 0-18; if applicable, young adults up to the age of 21 also fall under the target group (cf. § 41, para. 1), as well as adult family members.

2. Target group, incl. admission and exclusion criteria

• autistic children and adolescents

• as well as the families of the autistic children

• a relationship of trust must be present

• agreement, as well as cooperation on inclusive social space design

• before the start of the assistance, a needs assessment with the responsible Youth Welfare Office or School Office/School Supervision, the family, and the association is necessary

PARTE C – OFFERTA DI SERVIZI

1. Fascia d'età Le offerte si rivolgono a bambini e giovani di età compresa tra 0 e 18 anni; eventualmente rientrano nel gruppo target anche giovani adulti fino ai 21 anni (cfr. § 41, comma 1), nonché familiari adulti.

2. Gruppo target, incl. criteri di ammissione ed esclusione

• bambini e giovani autistici

• nonché le famiglie dei bambini autistici

• deve essere presente un rapporto di fiducia

• accordo e cooperazione per la progettazione inclusiva dello spazio sociale

• prima dell'inizio dell'aiuto è necessaria una valutazione del fabbisogno con l'Ufficio per la gioventù (Jugendamt) competente o l'Ufficio scolastico/Sovrintendenza scolastica, la famiglia e l'associazione

3. Pedagogical task

a) Goals The primary goal of the association White Unicorn e. V. is to make inclusion possible for autistic people of all ages in all areas of life. Accessibility is the priority in social space design. Specifically, this goal involves counteracting sensory (neurodiversity), social, and ultimately societal barriers, primarily in the sense of diversity (social model of disability).

• Value orientation in the sense of variety/diversity in autism-friendly social space design for the controllability of barriers

• Enabling healthy development (stability, resilience) while respecting needs (framework conditions, state of rest)

• Respectful, appreciative communication in boundary-respecting interaction within a community (incl. retreat space) with the opportunity for potential development and self-determination

• Strengthening the family and social environment, through which a significant relief for all involved is experienced

All pedagogical outpatient services of the association developed individually for the children, which emerge as meaningful and necessary during their implementation following the assistance plan meeting, thus offer support in working towards inclusive participation in community life and take this into account. Overridingly, the principle is to capture the life reality of the children and adolescents, which is why a further goal must be added to the aforementioned points:

• Peer counseling by adult autistic people to capture the life reality of the adolescents

b) Pedagogical mission statement The association White Unicorn e. V. understands autism (according to Walker 2015) as a genetically determined human neurological variant. Autism is a developmental phenomenon, which means that it begins in the womb, is innate, and has a profound influence on development at various levels throughout the entire lifespan. Autism causes characteristic, atypical ways of thinking, moving, interacting, as well as sensory and cognitive processing.

The association fundamentally rejects pathological perspectives of autistic people, such as those forming the basis of current classification schemes. In contrast, the association's perspective is based on the fact that disability arises from the burden of barriers in the environment of autistic people, and therefore accessibility is required to enable a so-called state of rest, which promotes the development of resilience and thus quality of life. All of the association's offers are intended to work towards this state of rest and thus the development of resilience. This stands at the center of our understanding of autistic people. Due to the currently prevailing burden of barriers for autistic people, the offers are conceptualized in such a way that existing traumatization can be counteracted through appropriate methods and the design of the environment, and a healthy development is made possible while recognizing diversity.

c) Professional orientation and methodical foundations At the center of our work are the needs of autistic people. Primarily, our aim is to create an autism-friendly environment together with caregivers to guarantee space for any development by promoting a state of rest as well as self-efficacy. It is essential to ensure that resilience can form, which is supported pedagogically and, in terms of assistance, also therapeutically. As instructors in the sense of peer counseling, it is a central task of adult autistic people to model appropriate behavior and action in society and to serve as role models in interaction with non-autistic people. In this process, we provide counseling to the autistic children as well as their parents, teachers, and other caregivers, as well as the institutions, so that they can fulfill their educational and care mandates.

From our perspective, imparting empathy toward autistic children and adolescents and knowledge about their resulting way of perception and being requires certainty in action regarding the fulfillment of the individual autistic person's needs. Therefore, it is particularly important to us in our work to establish a high degree of practical relevance and everyday orientation in order to make inclusion possible in the sense of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as unrestricted participation and involvement in all activities of human life. Fundamentally, we align our way of working with the principles of potential development, which very clearly embodies inclusive thought.

Due to the burden of barriers that most autistic people are exposed to, it is necessary to maintain a particularly mindful approach, especially in communication, as found in non-violent communication. To be able to develop the individual way of communication, a barrier-sensitive, autism-friendly environment is a prerequisite.

The pedagogical support assists in:

• provision of accompanied aids (such as remote school materials, assistance dogs, stimming materials and technology, disability technology…)

• design of pedagogical architecture as well as other measures to reduce barriers in the social space

The care includes the methodology according to the following support concepts:

1. Communication To enable the individual way of communication to unfold, a barrier-free, autism-friendly environment is a prerequisite. It is essential for this that the people in the child's environment are empathetic toward them, i.e., they approach the child continuously with love, respect, and mindfulness, in order to then find a common level of encounter. This involves following the child—what they like to do and what needs they show—so that the child understands they are accepted for who they are. Accepting the child as the being they are is the basis for mutual understanding. Communication can thus unfold individually in the games and activities that the child chooses for themselves because they find enthusiasm in them. In this way, the child learns to master problems themselves and grows as a personality. Such an empathetic understanding for children, which is generally described as "empathetic understanding, non-judgmental responsiveness, i.e., the genuine understanding of a person," is what needs to be developed in the measures. The family, daycare, and/or school must be changed in such a way that the pathology caused by mistreatment disappears and the child develops stability in their own unique way of communication.

Goals in Communication

• The environment acts supportively for the autistic child to use their own unique way of communication confidently. This avoids pathology in the area of speech and allows resilience to be acquired. Our basic assumption is that every child communicates.

Promotion through: The environment only needs to provide the space to unfold individually in communication within a protected framework and must therefore be designed to be barrier-sensitive.

• Resilience in communication, to clearly formulate and represent one’s needs. Children are to be accepted as authentically communicative beings.

Promotion through: Individual boundaries and personal areas must be maintained as a protective space both externally and for internal dialogue.

• A positive self-concept, through assessment of oneself, the body, one's own abilities, self-confidence, and trust in oneself.

Promotion through: Attention is directed toward what is important to the child. The communicative interaction is to be designed in the spirit of "Gütekraft" (the power of goodness). This involves both the development and application of non-violent actions as well as a decision for a value (justice, freedom, etc.) and the individual's responsibility to make value-based decisions and bear their consequences. This requires courage, "soul force," the effect of a power. It is characterized by qualities that determine attitude, way of life, relationships, actions, and communication: patient, constructive, creative, active and offensive, transformative, just, diverse, truthful, non-injurious, process-oriented, self-determined, voluntary.

• The development of the self also creates a need to be treated with esteem and respect within the framework of human dignity, so that children can perceive their own sensations, feelings, and states of being.

Promotion through: It is necessary to discover the children's way of communication and to accept their way of communicating.

• To communicate confidently, the environment must encourage the children to be allowed to be as they are.

Promotion through: A child-friendly environment is necessary with opportunities for creativity, play, and learning, while taking into account known barriers that can be identified for each child through observation and conversations with the child, parents, and/or other caregivers. Obstacles can thus be easily removed. The capacity for optimism—to be and be allowed to be oneself—can now be promoted because the child is accepted in their unique being. The child can thus learn that it is realistic for them to be listened to, regardless of how they communicate. From our perspective, this is important to strengthen self-confidence, experience a positive sense of self, and use communication—both verbal and non-verbal—confidently.

2. Learning Over time, children learn the connections of life. However, this can only happen in close connectedness with others while mindfully and respectfully safeguarding needs such as the need for rest, retreat possibilities, and occupying oneself as part of a community, and much more. The mother first, later expanded to the world, the child has the opportunity to effect change, to understand, and to shape. Yet this is only possible in a process of discovery and self-development connected with others, under the recognition of diversity. Only if other people important to the child, such as the mother and the family, enter into a lively relationship with them and engage in a mutual process, is it possible for both sides to recognize and discover one another. This is made possible—also for autistic children—exclusively through relating, comparing, mirroring, empathizing, and thereby recognizing and getting to know oneself. The more intensive the relationship is—honest, accepting, lovingly attentive, with respect for otherness—the more intensive self-recognition becomes possible, thereby opening up the possibilities of the world, living in it, and shaping it.

Applied to school, this means it is a barrier-sensitive place that conveys security. Security, above all, in the area of emotional balance in cooperation with the families. It is elementary for development that this can occur. Through the necessary time the autistic child needs for tasks, without pressure, through an individual learning style that corresponds to the thinking, feeling, and acting of the child, within the community of the class, surrounded by empathetic people, and accompanied by the teacher, the adventure of knowledge—discovering and experiencing the world—creates the possibility of learning.

3. Resilience Without this distance, people confuse what is their own with what belongs to others; they allow themselves to be influenced by others, lose the connection to themselves and their own desires and needs, and become dependent. Consequently, autistic children do not have the opportunity to get to know their way of being and to learn how to integrate this way of being into a self-determined life.

When autistic children and adolescents learn to better define their boundaries, they develop resilience: (precisely this is required in communication, learning, as well as mental and physical health.) Mindfulness toward oneself, the ability to become aware of connections, to recognize barriers, to find solutions to problems, and to counteract pathological developments. See: Fear of Autonomy by psychoanalyst Arno Gruen, Autonomy Training by medical sociologist Ronald Grossarth-Maticek, Resilience Training by psychiatrist Dr. Langlotz.

This prevents them from shaping their own lives according to their own needs and insights. They do not live self-determinedly—autonomously—but are determined by others. This creates stress, leads to conflicts in relationships, and the suppressed anger is directed against themselves or destructively against others. Often, a deep sadness, a sense of meaninglessness toward life, and even self-harm can already be observed here, because these children and adolescents do not know why this is the case. They are too young; they require a sense of responsibility in how they are treated to learn how to maintain this responsibility toward themselves.

4. Solution Strategies

• Self-determination

• Healthy distance (boundary setting) toward others

• An individual inner space to maintain a

• Connection with what is one's own (perception, feelings, needs)

• This makes it possible to shape one's life more according to one's own convictions and needs. This leads to more:

• Serenity, satisfaction

• Respect for oneself – and others!

• Conflict resolution skills. And it strengthens

• Resilience, it

• Protects against bullying.

d) Networking / Environmental orientation The individual life-worlds of the child and the families are to be regarded by us with priority and examined under inclusive principles.

4. Duration (under the special proviso of § 36 SGB VIII) Many autistic children already suffer from the consequences of the burden of barriers. It can only be considered on an individual basis how long each child requires to recover from these consequences and to be able to become an active part of the community again. Fundamentally, however, it is to be assumed that such processes are to be planned for the longer term until an inclusive educational qualification is acquired. Nevertheless, the temporal duration of assistance should be decided individually.

5. Services

a) Content, scope, and structure of the service (description of care, promotion, or other aid services, number of places, group size) Through the use of assistance provided by White Unicorn e. V., the burden of barriers affecting the autistic child is to be reduced as far as possible so that a so-called state of rest is achieved, stress levels are lowered, and resilience can thus develop. This enables the acquisition of practical competencies that are beneficial for a self-determined life.

Central aspects for this are:

• Implementation of inclusive thought in all areas of the child's life

• Design of an autism-friendly environment to, for example, individually develop communication and potential

• Strengthening the parental role and expanding parental competencies, taking into account the needs of the autistic child

• Reduction of anxieties and stress-related trauma through appropriate offers

• Provision of aids and accompanying the development of a pedagogical architecture in educational institutions

• Strengthening the personality and imparting an autistic self-image through feedback with adult autistic people

The assistance should be utilized and designed flexibly according to the need and severity of the issue and should be formally defined accordingly through an individual assistance plan.

b) Staffing (number of positions, qualification) Services provided via youth welfare are implemented by educators (at least with a B.A. degree), therapists, and nursery teachers with the appropriate professional orientation and the fundamental ability to work with autistic people as members of the interest group in the sense of peer counseling. Furthermore, a desire for constant advanced and further training is required, which is supported by the provider.

c) Facilities and investments necessary for operation, material equipment, location, spatial conditions The services take place either on an outpatient basis in the child's direct environment, via remote materials, remote written communication, telepresence, and/or in the premises of White Unicorn e.V.

d) Supervision, counseling, further training

• Internal: Due to the qualifications of the pedagogical management, as well as the peer counseling provided by adult autistic people, internal supervision and coaching of future employees are guaranteed. In addition, regular team meetings, collegial consultation, and internal training sessions will contribute to the ongoing qualification of employees in their work.

• External: Training in self-reflection regarding one's own work and finding relief is guaranteed through external support for the employees. Further training is coordinated with employees but remains a fixed component for quality assurance.

e) Documentation

• detailed, thorough preparation

• continuous documentation and review

• reflection on processes and adaptation

• processing and development of action strategies

• creation of development reports

PART D – QUALITY DEVELOPMENT OF THE RANGE OF SERVICES 

The development of process quality begins with the admission procedure/start of assistance. Goal: Transparent presentation of the offer so that parents, children, adolescents, and institutions recognize and perceive it as adequate help. Comprehensive information for parents, including establishing contact with the Youth Welfare Office so that help can begin promptly.

• Self-motivation of parents to seek the offer

• Child-environment analysis to ensure the offer is appropriate for the case

• Ensuring personnel and spatial capacities

Criteria for goal achievement:

• Parents formulate the clear need to the responsible Youth Welfare Office

• Parents, children, and adolescents can identify with the offer

• Agreed time goals are achieved within the participation planning according to SGB IX (Assistance Plan Procedure)

The development of structural quality takes place by ensuring the continuity of care. Goal: Guaranteeing continuity of care. Measures and procedures for goal achievement:

• No fluctuation of specialist staff; i.e., ensuring that one person guarantees continuity

• Fixed appointments

Criteria for goal achievement:

• Verifiably documented appointments

• Proof of qualification according to the agreed staffing levels

The development of outcome quality relates to the goals agreed upon in the service description. The goals desired in the assistance planning are achieved within the agreed period. Developmental and change processes in children and adolescents are taken into account during the ongoing assistance process.

Measures and procedures for goal achievement:

• Involvement of parents, children, and adolescents in the design of assistance for barrier-sensitive social space design within participation planning in an appropriate manner

• Documentation of the case progression and the work process (aids and barrier reduction in the social space)

• Regular reflection on case progressions and processes both within the organization and with the responsible Youth Welfare Office

Criteria for goal achievement:

• Evaluation and statistics during the course of measures via protocols established in the participation planning for children/adolescents and their families

• Stable acceptance of the offer vs. fluctuation and termination by the family

• Decrease in anxiety and overload, documented by therapeutic/psychiatric accompaniment

• Development of resilience in a state of rest through barrier sensitivity, recorded via a questionnaire on the perceived satisfaction of all family members and social space participants. The focus here is on the needs of the child/family in the sense of family assistance.