The project takes place at the equipped swimming pool in Ruvo di Puglia, a small provincial town where children have less opportunity to access structured integration paths than their peers in large cities. Fellow tutors are chosen from the everyday life settings of children with autism, such as school or family, creating a bond of trust that facilitates learning and socialization.

The initiative addresses the need for parents and counselors to expand rehabilitation provision beyond school and home therapy, offering children recreational spaces in which to express their energy constructively.

What the project involves

 The initiative involves 18 children with autism in aquapsychomotricity and psychomotricity activities on the ground, each supported by a fellow tutor. The activities are supervised by a behavioral consultant, specialized operators and educators, a FINP instructor and the poolside coordinator.

The project adopts the ABA - Applied Behavior Analysis - as a common thread, to make the approach measurable and monitor the results in terms of physical, emotional and relational skills.

Key principles include:

  • increasing adaptive skills,
  • facilitating learning,
  • maintaining and generalizing acquired behaviors,
  • reducing uncomfortable conditions.

The aim is to create an inclusive path in which sport and scientific method integrate, strengthening the well-being and sociality of children.

The beneficiaries

The direct beneficiaries are 18 children diagnosed with autism in developmental age, accompanied by 18 “typical” children chosen as tutors in a 1:1 ratio.
The indirect beneficiaries are families, the school community and peers in different social contexts, who can benefit from the positive role of tutors as a vehicle for inclusion and socialization.

The expected impact is twofold: to improve the psychophysical well-being of autistic children and to promote an experience of growth and awareness for tutor peers.

 

Project name: Acquatica...mente
Proposing organisation: ASD VinciConNoi
Area of intervention: Inclusion & Social Development
Country: Italy

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