According to the most recent data, 1 in 36 children falls within the autism spectrum. And while scientific awareness of these issues is growing, clinical staff training is often not adequate to the needs of autistic people.
The conference will be the occasion for a discussion on these issues "Quality of care in autism spectrum disorder: current difficulties and future prospects", promoted by theAssociation Let's Discover Autism and welcomed with enthusiasm and participation by the teacher. Vincenzo Di Lazzaro, Dean of the Departmental Faculty of Medicine and Surgery UCBM. Hosted in the Great Hall of theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, the event is a moment of training for students and information open to the public, scheduled for Wednesday 2nd April from 09:00 am to 11:30 am.
There is a need to provide tomorrow's doctors with more "holistic" training, as he defines it Andrea Rossi, CEO and GM UCBM, who will introduce the conference proceedings. "Our University supports the path of its students with a comprehensive training project - explains Rossi - taking care not only of their technical and scientific skills but also of their human ones, which really make the difference". Andrea Rossi emphasizes the three aspects of empathy, listening, understanding and adds: "Opportunities like this are precious for the maturation of our students, and we as UCBM we are always available to collaborate with serious organizations such as the "Discover Autism" Association.
The seminar was born from the desire to stimulate a deep and updated reflection on an increasingly widespread condition - that of autistic people - but still too little understood within clinical and training contexts. Therefore it is necessary to bridge the gap between the ever-increasing scientific awareness - with respect to autism spectrum disorder - and the preparation of the medical profession, which is not always consistent. This was highlighted in an article in New England Journal of Medicine released in December 2024, titled "Providing Effective Medical Care to Autistic People" from which it emerges that autism is still little known by many health workers, with direct repercussions on the quality of care provided.
Participation in the conference of students from the Degree Courses in Medicine and Surgery, Nursing and Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics UCBM, sends an important message to everyone: Awareness and competence are cultivated right from university, where the professionals of tomorrow are trained, to whom we must already offer an updated scientific overview, but also a space to listen and compare with those who experience autism first-hand.
The presence of the event on April 2nd was confirmedHonorable Ylenia Lucaselli, always a great supporter of the work carried out by the Association. During the morning's work, the Dr. Barbara Manzi, a child neuropsychiatrist, will illustrate the reasons why autism remains a disorder that is still poorly understood in its clinical complexity. Dr. Claudia Di Giulio, psychologist and psychotherapist, the task of investigating the cognitive and social difficulties of people on the spectrum, and the dr Valentina Catapano, neuropsychomotor therapist, the in-depth analysis of aspects related to behavioral rigidity and sensory sensitivity. There will also be a practical look at the most effective environmental adaptation strategies, thanks to the intervention of the pedagogist Adriano Antonini, which will present the importance of visual strategies and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to facilitate interaction and understanding in everyday contexts. Particularly significant will be the contribution of Victory Sparagna, a young graduate in Political Science and autistic person, who will offer her testimony on the perception of health and illness from the point of view of those who live with the spectrum condition every day. An authentic and direct voice, fundamental to understanding the real effectiveness – or ineffectiveness – of the clinical and social models adopted so far.
The adult perspective of autism will be addressed by dr Martina Skin, psychiatrist and psychotherapist, who will focus on the phase of adulthood, marked by even more complex diagnostic challenges and a scarcity of resources and structured therapeutic paths. The final speech will be given byhonorable Paula Binetti, child neuropsychiatrist, with a reflection on the current state of health policies related to autism and on future prospects, also in light of new scientific evidence and the evolution of public debate.
The event does not only want to inform, but above all to create culture. Because Only through truly inclusive training, which takes into account the voice of autistic people and the new clinical and social challenges, is it possible to build a more equitable, competent and humane health system. In this sense, World Autism Awareness Day is much more than a celebration: it is a concrete opportunity to activate change.
