U okviru projekta HEARTS pri Domu zdravlja sa stacionarom Žepče djeluje stručni tim koji čine logopedi, psiholozi, fizioterapeut i defektolog, a svojim zajedničkim radom pružaju sveobuhvatnu podršku djeci s razvojnim teškoćama i njihovim obiteljima. Od početka projekta u tretmane je uključeno 353 djece, dok je pruženo ukupno 6.873 stručnih usluga. Iako su liste čekanja za uključivanje u tretmane i dalje prisutne zbog velikog broja potreba, vidljivi su značajni pomaci.
Posebno se ističe činjenica da je broj djece na listama čekanja u područnim ambulantama prepolovljen, što potvrđuje da su projektne aktivnosti doprinijele boljoj dostupnosti usluga i učinkovitijem odgovoru na potrebe lokalne zajednice. Vrijednost projekta potvrđuju iskustva roditelja koji svakodnevno prate napredak svoje djece.
“ Za nas, obitelji, koji živimo izvan grada ovakva usluga je neprocjenjiva. Nekada smo zbog jednog tretmana morali izdvojiti gotovo čitav dan. Danas terapeuti dolaze u našu područnu ambulantu, što nam štedi vrijeme i troškove, a mom A. omogućuje redovne tretmane. Lijepo je znati da i djeca u manjim sredinama imaju priliku dobiti stručnu pomoć.”
“Najvažnije nam je što više nismo sami. Stručnjaci su nam objasnili kako pomoći djetetu i pokazali da se uz pravilan rad i upornost mogu ostvariti veliki pomaci. Danas naše dijete lakše komunicira, sigurnije je i s veseljem dolazi na tretmane.”
“Od prvog susreta osjećali smo razumijevanje i podršku. Svaki mali napredak za nas predstavlja veliki uspjeh, a stručni tim je dao konkretne smjernice za rad kući.”
Tijekom provedbe projekta primjetan je i porast svijesti roditelja o važnosti rane intervencije. Sve veći broj roditelja prepoznaje važnost pravovremene procjene i uključivanje djeteta u stručne tretmane čim se uoče prvi znakovi odstupanja u razvoju. Takav pristup značajno povećava mogućnost djetetovih komunikacijskih, motoričkih, emocionalnih i socijalnih vještina te doprinosi kvalitetnijem uključivanju u svakodnevni život.
Pozitivne promjene uočavaju i članovi stručnog tima koji svakodnevno rade s djecom. Navode da je sve veći broj roditelja koji pravovremeno uključuju svoju djecu u tretmane što im omogućava da prepoznaju razvojne teškoće u najranijoj dobi i započnu ciljane intervencije kada su učinci najveći. Jednako važan dio njihovog rada je suradnja s roditeljima. Kada roditelji razumiju ciljeve terapije i aktivno sudjeluju u provođenju preporučenih aktivnosti, napredak djece je brži i dugotrajniji.
U okviru programa rane intervencije poseban naglasak stavljen je na savjetodavni rad s roditeljima, koji predstavljaju ključne partnere u poticanju djetetovog razvoja. Roditelji su educirani o važnosti pravovremenog prepoznavanja razvojnih odstupanja, razvojnim karakteristikama djece te ulozi svakodnevnih aktivnosti u poticanju komunikacijskih, motoričkih, kognitivnih i socioemocionalnih vještina. Stručni tim je pružao individualizirane savjete o načinima poticanja razvoja kroz igru, svakodnevne rutine i svakodnevne situacije uz demonstraciju konkretnih vježbi i aktivnosti koje mogu provoditi kod kuće. Također su savjetovani o stvaranju poticajnog okruženja, kvalitetnoj interakciji s djetetom, te načinima podrške razvoju govora, jezika, pažnje, samostalnosti i socijalnih vještina. Kontinuiranom suradnjom i osnaživanjem roditelja nastojalo se osigurati da se terapijski ciljevi provode i izvan stručnih tretmana, čime se značajno povećava učinkovitost rane intervencije i ostvaruje dugoročniji napredak djeteta.
Stručni tim za rad s djecom s poteškoćama u razvoju
JU Dom zdravlja sa stacionarom Žepče
Projekt „HEARTS“ je odobren za financiranje u okviru programa prekogranične suradnje INTERREG VI-A IPA Hrvatska-Bosna i Hercegovina-Crna Gora 2021. – 2027. Trajanje projekta je 30 mjeseci, a ukupan proračun za sve projektne partnere iznosi 1.716.255,00 €, od čega EU financira 85% dok 15% sufinanciraju partneri na projektu.
“This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Žepče Development Agency and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.”
Žepče, 24.7.2026.
The HEARTS Project Raises Parents’ Awareness of the Importance of Early Intervention
As part of the HEARTS project, the multidisciplinary team at the Žepče Primary Health Care Centre with Inpatient Unit consists of speech and language therapists, psychologists, a physiotherapist, and a special education teacher. Through their collaborative work, they provide comprehensive support to children with developmental difficulties and their families.
Since the beginning of the project, 353 children have been enrolled in therapy services, with a total of 6,873 professional interventions provided. Although waiting lists for therapy services remain due to the high level of need, significant progress has been achieved.
A particularly noteworthy achievement is that the number of children on waiting lists in the satellite outpatient clinics has been reduced by half. This demonstrates that the project activities have improved the accessibility of services and enabled a more effective response to the needs of the local community. The value of the project is best reflected in the experiences of parents who witness their children's progress every day.
“For families like ours who live outside the town, this service is invaluable. We used to spend almost an entire day travelling for a single therapy session. Now the therapists come to our local outpatient clinic, saving us both time and money while allowing our son, A., to attend regular therapy. It is reassuring to know that children living in smaller communities also have access to professional support.”
“The most important thing for us is that we no longer feel alone. The professionals explained how we can help our child and showed us that, with the right approach and perseverance, significant progress is possible. Today, our child communicates more easily, feels more confident, and happily attends therapy sessions.”
“From our very first meeting, we felt understood and supported. Every small step forward is a great success for our family, and the professional team has provided us with practical guidance on how to continue supporting our child at home.”
During the implementation of the project, there has also been a noticeable increase in parents’ awareness of the importance of early intervention. More and more parents recognize the importance of timely developmental assessment and enrolling their child in professional therapy as soon as the first signs of developmental delay or difficulty are observed. Such an approach significantly enhances the child's opportunities to develop communication, motor, emotional, and social skills, while also supporting better inclusion in everyday life.
The members of the multidisciplinary team, who work with children on a daily basis, have also observed positive changes. They report that an increasing number of parents are seeking support for their children at an earlier stage, enabling developmental difficulties to be identified in early childhood and targeted interventions to begin when they are most effective. Equally important is the close collaboration with parents. When parents understand the goals of therapy and actively participate in implementing the recommended activities at home, children's progress is faster and more sustainable.
Within the early intervention programme, particular emphasis has been placed on counselling and supporting parents, who are recognised as key partners in promoting their child's development. Parents have received education on the importance of early identification of developmental difficulties, child developmental milestones, and the role of everyday activities in fostering communication, motor, cognitive, social, and emotional skills. The multidisciplinary team has provided individualized guidance on promoting development through play, daily routines, and everyday situations, while also demonstrating practical exercises and activities that parents can carry out at home. Parents have also received advice on creating a stimulating home environment, fostering high-quality interactions with their child, and supporting the development of speech, language, attention, independence, and social skills. Through continuous collaboration and parental empowerment, the programme aims to ensure that therapeutic goals are reinforced beyond formal therapy sessions, thereby significantly increasing the effectiveness of early intervention and contributing to more sustainable, long-term developmental outcomes for children.
Multidisciplinary Team for Children with Developmental Difficulties
PI MCIŽ
The “HEARTS” project has been approved for funding under the INTERREG VI-A IPA Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina-Montenegro cross-border cooperation program 2021-2027. The project duration is 30 months, and the total budget for all project partners is €1,716,255.00, of which the EU finances 85% while 15% is co-financed by the project partners.
“This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Žepče Development Agency and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.”
