KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Today, the teaching staff of the ASPU Faculty of Special Education had a meeting with Alvard Poghosyan, UNICEF Education Officer, and Armine Ter-Ghevondyan, Education Project Assistant at UNICEF.

During the meeting, Armine Avagyan, Dean of the Faculty of Special Education, introduced lecturers involved in education programmes and familiarized the guests with the process of programmes to be implemented by the Faculty with the support of UNICEF. At the same time, she expressed hope that the meeting would be productive and would contribute to achieving definite agreements.

Alvard Poghosyan, UNICEF Education Officer, presented in her report the programmes implemented by UNICEF in the inclusive education system in Armenia.

Lecturer Edita Gyonjyan, who was involved in a one-year programme “Training of Specialists working in the Field of Inclusive Education and Strengthening of Continuous Professional Development,” presented a report about the study of international best practices of professional intervention in case of children with developmental disorders. Lecturer Emilya Tadevosyan, another participant of the same programme, presented a preliminary report on development of diagnostic criteria for developmental delays and disorders.

The UNICEF representatives highly praised the work done until now, discussed future steps with the specialists of the education sector and agreed to meet again to discuss training-related issues before the first planned visit to Syunik Marz (province).

During the meeting, the participants also discussed a two-year programme implemented with the University of Minnesota.