Today, April 2nd, is World Autism Awareness Day. On this occasion, I want to recall when we started our soccer program for young people with autism, structured as a real soccer school.
Ten years ago, when we designed a soccer program for young people with intellectual disabilities, particularly autism, we could not have imagined the challenges we would face. We chose soccer for its popularity and accessibility—it can be played anywhere, even with improvised materials.
In the first year, our priority was ensuring the safety of the activity, also at the request of AS Roma, which funded the “Calcio Insieme” project and provided six coaches. We set up a closed and fenced field, removing obstacles. Our initial staff included 11 coaches, 5 sports psychologists, a speech therapist, a doctor, and the founders of ASD Accademia di Calcio Integrato. With 30 young participants aged 6 to 13, each child had almost one dedicated operator.
Today, we support 80 children with a staff of 23. Safety is further ensured by the constant presence of doctors for emergencies and the speech therapist for communication and crisis support.
Safety also means a personalized program tailored to the motor and psychological needs of the children, with targeted interventions for their overall well-being.
Before starting the training sessions, all staff members attended a 32-hour course on autism, intellectual disabilities, training methodologies, therapies, relationships between operators and young people, communication strategies, and crisis management.
This journey has made “Calcio Insieme” an innovative model of sports inclusion, providing children with a safe, stimulating environment suited to their needs.
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