Autismo in ReTe Sardinia

The Autismo in ReTe project was created to guarantee healthcare assistance for children on the autism spectrum, especially in areas of Italy where access to such services is difficult, such as Sardinia. The aim is to help children affected by autism to become less isolated, to improve their communication skills and relationships with their parents, teachers and peers, and to boost their emotional well-being through an approach based on behavioral and cognitive techniques. 

The project we’re supporting is an initiative of ReTe per il Sociale, an association founded in 2015 with the support of the Istituto ReTe in Rome, a training and research center specializing in neurodevelopment issues in childhood and adolescence. The most interesting aspect of the project is its evidence-based integrated approach, which involves all of the people in the child’s life. This means first and foremost parents and family members, but also includes specialists from the Istituto ReTe’s multidisciplinary team (child neuropsychiatrists, psychologists, physiologists, neuropsychomotor specialists, speech therapists), school staff and local professionals of various kinds working in the fields of autism and the promotion of health and wellness activities in the area.     

Autismo in ReTe has several different short, medium and long-term goals for Sardinia.

In the short term, it aims to:

• train various professionals to recognize the early signs and symptoms of autism, particularly in school-age children;
• train qualified staff in PMT (Parent-Mediated Therapy) in the Sassari and Olbia areas.

In the medium term, the aim is to:

• provide supportive therapy plans based on parent coaching techniques such as PMT, to families in need with no access to other types of therapy in the Sassari and Olbia areas.  

And finally, in the long term to:

• empower parents and local child neuropsychiatrists to manage patients independently;
• promote awareness of autism and thus reduce the social stigma that continues to have such a negative impact on the lives of people living with autism. 

Details

Location: Sardinia (Provinces of Olbia and Sassari)

Association: ReTe per il Sociale non-profit association

Beneficiaries: around 2,450 direct beneficiaries including children on the autism spectrum, their families, healthcare workers and teachers. 

Contribution: 78,188 euros

Year: 2021