The project, which is being carried out at the Accademia Scherma Lia fencing school, involves 25 young autistic people and the same number of contemporaries who are not on the autism spectrum
The ‘L’autismo sale in pedana’ project kicked off in Rome yesterday, as the ‘Sport for All’ initiative continues to expand and help individuals with disabilities get involved in sporting activities without facing any barriers.
The project, which is now being supported by Fondazione Milan in collaboration with the Giuliani Foundation, was conceived at the Accademia Scherma Lia, a fencing school which was founded in 2015 with the aim of championing the integration of young autistic people through fencing and swordplay. It involves 25 youngsters and the same number of contemporaries who are not on the autism spectrum. The objective is to promote the social inclusion of individuals affected by ASD in a sporting and recreational environment.
Thanks to the peculiarities of fencing, the children on the autism spectrum can demonstrate and consolidate certain personal skills. This type of sport was chosen precisely because it promotes the development of both complex cognitive skills and motor abilities, like for example a better perception of the body and coordination of the limbs. This results in increased self-esteem as confidence is gained thanks to the constructive encounters that the athletes have.
Supporting the children is a team made up of trained personnel, instructors and social care professionals, with everything being supervised by a psychologist.
