Specialisterne: Specially designed youth education (STU) for neurodiverse learners

Since 2004, Specialisterne has established a framework to help neurodiverse people specialize in IT. They have built bridges between relevant companies and their students, mentees, and trainees. In doing so, they have created a synergy that not only helps those with neurodiversity, but also the companies and society that have benefited from their special skills.

Specially designed youth education (STU) 

Specialisterne has many good initiatives, but here we focus on their specially designed youth education (STU) programme, a 3-year IT-oriented education that has been running since 2006. 

Taking the student's own interests as a starting point, and mirrored by friends and teachers who share their passions, their motivation is encouraged and their skills and well-being are improved. There is room to be oneself and focus on personal, professional, and social development, which together make it easier to navigate life on the other side of STU. Learners will both become professionally stronger in IT and learn important everyday skills. They will also do an internship and gain hands-on experience.

Internship

The internship always takes place within a framework that is adapted to the student and their safety needs. This means that you are thoroughly prepared using internship subjects before you start your internship in a company.

Learners will be supported during the internship itself, it is tailored to the learner's needs so they feel safe. This may mean, for example, doing an internship with one or more of their fellow students. The internship can take place either internally at Specialisterne or externally at the companies.

IT subjects

Mondays and Tuesdays are dedicated to IT. The IT subjects studied in this programme include:

Web development and programming

Learn how to build websites and develop dynamic web applications using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. It also dives into backend programming with C# to create more complex and functional solutions. The teaching combines theory with practical exercises, so students gain both knowledge and hands-on experience.

Game production: code

Learn how to make code a reality, getting models, sound, animation and user interfaces to play together. Students have the opportunity to build games with the Unreal Engine, Unity, Blender, Audacity, PhotoShop, and AI programs.

Game production: 3D

Participants learn to build 3D animations that can be included in the studio's VR games, mainly working in Blender, where students learn 3D modeling, texture, rigging, and animation. In the course, learners will work closely with the "code team", where the primary focus is to create exciting graphics for game productions.

Game production: Game design

Learn how to design and develop game concepts. What makes your favorite games so good? Learners will find out through knowledge of game design and game theory, which give them better tools to realize their game ideas.

In the course, learners use Game Design Documents to analyze other people's games and design their own games. In developing games and prototypes, we use Unity, Photoshop, Blender, and Audacity.

Game production: Gamelab

Would you like create and play your own game in one day? In this subject you will learn to make games in different genres, such as Puzzle and Platformer. At the same time, you will become skilled in both game design and giving the player a good gaming experience. Games are produced in game engines such as Twine, Scratch, and Unity.

Tech 

Creative technology is at the heart of the Tech subject! Bring robots to life using SPIKE (which you program with Scratch or Python), or create innovative designs with Arduino (which you program with a C#-like language).

Learners also work with computer hardware: get behind the screen and have the chance to learn what resistors, capacitors, diodes and transistors are, and how they make your computer work.

Artificial intelligence

The AI subject enables students to apply artificial intelligence (AI) to creative problem solving. In this subject, students learn what artificial intelligence is and what it can be used for. Theory and practice are blended to make AI technology accessible and relevant to everyone, regardless of previous experience.

What tools are there? What can they do – and what can't they do? And how do you best prompt them so that you get useful results? This curriculum helps answer all of that. The teaching is very hands-on and experimental, so students get concrete experience with AI that they can use in their other subjects and for their interests.

The curriculum covers ChatGPT, Midjourney, and other popular AI models so you can get ready for a future with artificial intelligence.