Its members co-established the first civil association helping the autistic children - the Society Supporting Autistic Persons (SPOSA, 1996) and contributed to the establishment and development of the first autistic center in Slovakia - Andreas Autistic Center. The previous activities of the civil association are the top achievements of the whole life work and effort helping the autistic population in Slovakia. It was critical to make professional evaluation of the autistic children's needs to be housed outside of the busy towns, close to nature and have opportunities for various activities adequate to their handicap, mental and working skills. We selected lands, purchased properties, which are owner occupied with their total size of 5 ha. The organization has a strong regional support of municipality bodies and mass support of the regional population to build Drahuskovo. It has also been proved by the decision of the Local Authority - Krajne (October 18, 2007) and willingness and interest to co-participate in the development of this project in the region.

The members of the civil association are experienced with implementation of "tangible" projects for mentally handicapped children from other partnerships, memberships in other companies and their jobs (physician, social worker, teacher, manager).

Description of the project

The aim of the project of the Community Home for persons suffering from autism and similar disorders - Drahuskovo - is to develop the conditions for the meaningful life and work of its clients - the handicapped people and children's home leavers. In both cases the solution is sheltered housing and development of sheltered workshops for its clients.
Both groups of our clients (handicapped and CHH) are persons lacking a lot of skills and practical activities in a certain area and from certain reasons. We have created a model and mechanism for development of the clients' work and social habits especially. The processes, which are key for the operation of the community home are defined as main, supporting and complementary processes. The main processes include the basic activities to be applied for the human resources development of our clients:
The major ones are: 1. baking bread, 2. cooking, 3. baking bakery products and cakes, 4. laundry sorting and washing, 5. cleaning, 6. gardening, 7. farming, 8. pottery, 9. work in the creative workshop, 10. art and music therapy.
The outcome of such activities is that the handicapped client will be able to perform the basic life activities and working tasks alone or with a little assistance. The client from the CHH collects social and working habits in the family environment and receives ability to help and take care of handicapped people and gets the opportunity for further education (bachelor and master study).
01 - to build a new building for accommodation of the handicapped clients and clients from the CHH, 02 - reconstruction of the existing old building (workshops, pottery, baking, cooking, movement games, option to accommodate students or parents), 03 - interior of the building, 04 - to develop the conditions for indoor activities (pottery and multifunctional workshop, baking, cooking), 05 - to create the conditions for outdoor activities (gardening, farming, plant growing), 06 - funds for the initial operation of the Drahuškovo.

At present the autistic people have no opportunity to live in the community environment. Along with the special schools included in the obligatory school attendance there is no systematic solution for teaching the autists standard working habits, social interaction and working skills. This is the target of the activities to be performed in Drahuskovo. Finally, it will help the parents with autistic children who can stop never-ending care of their child and go back to their meaningful work and use their previous social and working habits being aware of the fact their child is in a calm environment with a meaningful work and life.

The Drahuskovo creates the family environment for the second part of our clients (children from CHH), gives them opportunity to learn the meaningful working habits and subsequently to receive further education and thus become indepedent in the society and allocate themselves in the society.