Autism and work, AutAcademy becomes a social enterprise

Twenty-five autistic young people trained, 19 internships set up, one civil service activated and seven employment contracts signed. These are the results of the first two years of activity of AutAcademy, a project of the Scuola Agraria del Parco di Monza that aims to break down the boundaries between autism and work, targeting young people affected by autism spectrum disorders who have completed compulsory schooling, are willing to work but at the same time need a transition period that allows them to develop the skills necessary for real job placement. A picture that will be better illustrated, on Tuesday 19 March at the Sporting Club in Monza, during the conference 'Autism and Work. A help from neuroscience to train neurodivergent talents and support inclusive companies'. An intense day of work during which AutAcademy's transformation into a social enterprise will be announced.

"Our facility," says Simona Ravera, psychologist and project manager, "was created with an experimental approach to accompany autistic persons in their transition to adulthood with a special training offer. We have prepared 24 young people in different work areas and companies to welcome them. The event will be the moment to explain our method and officially announce the future of AutAcademy. Over the past two years, we have developed the conviction that getting autistic people to work is possible and extremely beneficial for a company. This conviction will soon lead to the creation of the social enterprise AutAcademy Srl, which will be dedicated to projects of labour inclusion and well-being for autistic persons.

The 19 March event is open to all by registration (subject to availability) and grants 8 Ecm credits for health professions. The programme includes talks by internationally renowned autism experts such as Peter Vermeulen, lecturer at the Katholieke Universiteit in Leuven and author of numerous essays on the subject, a round table and four workshops. Best practices for the employment inclusion of autistic people, collaboration between the world of work and the world of education and raising awareness about autism and its potential will be discussed.

AutAcademy is a project in its third year. It was born as a result of the need expressed by the Perego family for their son Alessandro, who would have no future after school. Thanks to a notice from the Province of Monza and Brianza, the adventure of Ale and other boys for the transition to adulthood began. Currently, three disciplines are active: computer science, gardening and artistic expression, carried out by psychologists, teachers and tutors. To which catering will now be added.