Palermo celebrates Autism Awareness Day: “Differences are strengths, not limits”

Last Updated: April 2, 2024

Festa a Palermo per la Giornata della consapevolezza sull’autismo: «Le differenze non sono limiti ma punti di forza»

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The smiles of children in an inclusive space where differences do not exist. Many young people were the protagonists at the event organized by the associations Elle Aba Palermo and Spazio Aba Carini, inside the Bosco di Tommy in Palermo. On World Autism Awareness Day, in the green area next to the Velodromo, all children were invited.

Games, music, and animation for everyone, focused on fun and inclusion. On the occasion of World Autism Awareness Day, professionals specialized in the diagnosis and rehabilitation of neurodevelopmental disorders met families and at the same time made many children play and smile, each with their own uniqueness.

The event’s goal: to show that an inclusive world is possible and differences are not limitations but strengths and riches for everyone. An afternoon of celebration with games and educational workshops in an open and welcoming space, a place of socialization and sharing.
“A very important day – explains Roberta Italiano, a behavior analyst, responsible for Spazio Aba Carini – an opportunity for us to promote inclusion and also a greater understanding of this condition, autism, on which there are still many prejudices and some barriers to overcome. This day brings together many organizations that deal with autism that every day try to root awareness that should not remain only in those like us who are always dealing with autism but in the whole society.”

Loreta Lipari, a pedagogue and president of the association Elle Aba Palermo, emphasizes: “We deal with neurodevelopmental disorders, in particular, we work with autistic children – explains Lipari. We do rehabilitative paths such as Aba therapy, speech therapy, psychomotricity, neuropsychomotricity, and recently we have also included physiotherapy.”

Leandro Lago, coordinator of Elle Aba Palermo, in addition to raising awareness about neurodevelopmental disorders, especially autistic syndromes, made the children sing and dance: “In this inclusive day, inclusion is the keyword, along with participation and socialization.”

Also present was the municipal councilor for Social Policies, Rosi Pennino: “Many initiatives organized in the city on this day dedicated to inclusion – the councilor comments. A day that does not want to be just a symbol. This event is an extraordinary example of inclusion. We, as a municipal administration, have thought, precisely to allow broad and widespread participation in these events in the city, to reserve Sunday, starting from 6 pm, for the show and the traditional torchlight procession at the Politeama theater.”

Elle Aba Palermo and Spazio Aba Carini are two cooperating associations. The president of the Elle Aba Palermo association is Loreta Lipari, vice president Leandro Lago. President of Spazio Aba Carini, Roberta Italiano. Elle Aba Palermo operates in the Palermo area. Spazio Aba Carini in the district including Isola, Capaci, Carini, and Cinisi.