Autism Association for Overseas Families
in The Netherlands

Parents and professionals
working together for children
with autism

Outline of Sociaal Pedagogische Dienst (SPD)  services/organisation

(Notes prepared by the AAOF)

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Report of the Talk given by Representatives of the Sociaal Pedagogische Dienst (SPD) to Members of the Hague Support Group and the Autistic Association for Overseas Families (AAOF) on Wednesday, 11th June 2003

Three Consultants from the Den Haag bureau of the Sociaal Pedagogische Dienst for Zuid-Holland Noord (SPD) attended the meeting as follows:

Elly Hoogeveen
Ines Hoonhorst (Consultant specialising in autistic spectrum disorders)
Mabel Renzen

This report uses information from the meeting and also information from the SPD’s website (www.spd.nl) in order to provide a detailed information sheet on the SPD.

Important Note: Later on this year (2003) the SPD will be changing their name and their remit.  They will be known as the MEE, but as yet they do not know in what ways they will be changing their structure or working practices.  This report is based on how the SPD are run at the moment.  

What is the SPD?

The SPD is an independent organisation who provide general information, advice, support and help to people with difficulties or special needs and to their parents and carers. You can contact the SPD directly – there is no need for a referral from your doctor / huisarts.

The SPD is financed by the AWBZ, the Dutch state-funded health system, which means that the SPD's services and support are free.

When you contact the SPD, their staff will first try to give you an immediate reply. If specific or complex questions are involved, counselling or a series of appointments may be necessary. If the SPD are unable to help you they will advise you where you should go for the help required.

The SPD consultants are familiar with different cultural backgrounds (including people with a Muslim background).  They can bring in approved interpreters – at no cost to yourself - if there are language problems.

The SPD is arranged as follows:

SERVICES DEPARTMENT
The SPD Services Department is made up of different expert consultants who are specially trained to provide advice and support to people with a physical disability or a chronic illness.   These specialist consultants include: Care Consultants, Information Providers (who can advise on aids, laws, procedures and regulations, housing, convalescence and education), Job Consultants, Consultants for physically handicapped people and Consultants for recreation and leisure opportunities.

Care Consultants
A Care Consultant can advise you how to care for people with special needs.  In some cases - if you need some direct advice or practical information - just one consultation will be sufficient, however in other cases more consultation may be necessary - for instance if you are looking for specific services or support for your child.  The Care Consultant will investigate the support options offered in your region.  If the support you need cannot be found near your home, then the Care Consultant may be able to offer alternatives.

Job Consultants and VTV-Consultants
Job Consultants answer short questions on finding and keeping a job.  The VTV (short for Vrijetijdsbesteding en Vorming) Consultants coordinate and support recreation and lesiure opportunities for people with learning difficulties or special needs.

SUPPORT DEPARTMENT
The SPD Support Department is run by a multi-disciplinary team and deals with all sorts of questions about help or support for people with special needs and their environment. This includes the following kinds of support:

• Vroeghulp: Early intervention, developmental stimulation and guidance at home, for infants and their parents.
• Praktische Pedagogische Gezinsbegeleiding (PPG): Home-based family support and guidance, advice and support on training problems.
• Begeleid zelfstandig wonen (BZW): Supported independent living.
• Psychosociale Hulpverlening: Psycho-social counselling in the process of accepting and responding to problems.
• Vrijwillige pleegzorg: Fostering or respite care - preparation for and guidance in placing a child with foster parents for varying periods of time.
• Groepswerk: Group meetings - courses and series of discussion evenings on various themes, for parents and/or relations or for people with special needs themselves.

The SPD can provide you with more information on each of these forms of support. They can also keep you informed on developments if you wish.

Information Centres
The SPD has free information centres - where you can find, for instance, addresses of organisations in your region; information on specific handicaps or syndromes; information on how to apply for special facilities or allowances, etc.  You may drop into these centres and make use of reference lists, brochures, books, and magazines.  Videos can be watched or hired, material can be photocopied and there are also computers which may be used.

Who can the SPD help?

At the moment, the SPD is able to provide services for children and adults who have a mental handicap – which is classified as someone with an IQ of 70 or below.  There are two main exceptions to this rule:

(1)    Individuals with a physical handicap are not limited by IQ.

(2)    Services are provided for individuals on the autistic spectrum if they have an IQ below 100.

Parents of children who do not fit within this model should approach the Bureau Jeugdzorg for help and advice:

Bureau Jeugdzorg Den Haag
Vestiging Zuid
Leggelostraat 85
2541 HR Den Haag
Tel: 070 308 4381

Bureau Jeugdzorg Den Haag
Vestiging Centrum
Waldeck Pyrmontkade 872
2518 JS Den Haag
Tel: 070 311 9025

It is important to remember that when the changes to the SPD’s remit take place later on in the year, the criteria for deciding who can and who cannot be helped by the SPD might change.

If you are unsure as to whether the SPD are able to help your child – approach the SPD in the first instance and if they are unable to help you they will advise you where you should go for the help required.

How to contact the SPD
There are 32 SPDs in the Netherlands.  Most of them have several office addresses.   For the correct address and telephone number you can contact Somma, the office of the national organisation of SPDs, or look on the SPD website (www.spd.nl ) and look under 'adressen SPD'en'. 

Somma
Postbox 85271
3508 AG UTRECHT
Tel  (030) 236 37 07
Fax  (030) 234 07 72
E-mail: bureau@somma.nl

Listed below are some of the local SPD contact addresses:

Contact numbers for SPD Zuid-Holland Noord:

The Information Centres are open workdays from 09.00 – 17.00hrs.

Central Office SPD Zuid-Holland Noord:

Visit address:
Kantorencomplex “Fleetpark”
Postbus 207
Overgoo 2G (3^rd floor)
2266 JZ Leidschendam

Tel: 070 3 01 20 20

Postal address: 
Postbus 207
2260 AE Leidschendam

Associated websites: www.spdbijdehand.nl and www.vtvbijdehand.nl

SPD Informatiecentrum regio Delft:

Asvest 28,
2611 PK Delft
Tel: 015 2 131 151
Fax: 015 2 158 081

SPD Informatiecentrum regio Den Haag:

Torenstraat 172,
Postbus 346
2501 CH Den Haag
Tel: 070 3 123 123
Fax: 070 3 608 269

SPD Informatiecentrum regio Leiden:

Perzikweg 1a,
2321 DG Leiden
Tel: 071 5 731 444
Fax: 071 5 731 443

Contact numbers for the SPD  Zuid-Holland Zuid:

Tel: 0900 - 20 20 672 (€ 0,10 p/m)
Monday to Friday from 08.00 to 18.00 hrs, and Saturday from 10.00 to 13.00hrs.

Website: www.spdzhz.nl

Central bureau:

Kuipershaven 112,
3311 AM Dordrecht
Fax: 078 648 37 76

Postal address:
Postbus 780
3300 AT Dordrecht

Other branches:

Amstelwijckweg 21,
3316 BB Dordrecht
Fax: 078 648 37 25

Contact numbers for the SPD Utrecht:

Opening times – workdays from 08.30 – 17.00 hrs.

Servicebureau Utrecht:

Visit address:
Gloriantdreef 4,
3562 KX Utrecht
Tel: 030 – 264 22 00
Fax 030 – 264 22 01
E-mail: bureau@utrecht.spd.nl

Postal address:
Postbus 9168,
3506 GD Utrecht

Servicebureau Amersfoort:

Visit address:
Regentesselaan 24A,
HJ Amersfoort
Tel: 033 – 460 65 00
Fax 033 – 460 65 01
E-mail: bureau@utrecht.spd.nl

Postal address:
Postbus 2073,
3800 CB Amersfoort

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Any further enquiries, or a request to be added to our mailing list, can be directed to mail@aaof.info .

Updated on:  13 November 2003