YMI Project

Nationally and internationally the vast majority of autistic persons continue to live on the margins of society. When parents try to include their autistic children in regular community activities, be it sports, music, arts or simply being together with their peers, most of the contexts are not prepared. In the case of those who live in more socio-economically disadvantaged contexts, all these difficulties are combined with the family itself as barrier to find minimal solutions enhancing the development of their children. In Europe, most entities working in this area develop specific activities for people with disabilities, in controlled and segregated contexts. Thus, outside the school environment, autistic children and young autistic people, especially those with complex support needs, continue to live parallel and invisible life paths compared to their peers without disabilities. This is where the Young Mediators for Inclusion project stands out, as it prioritizes inclusion as the only possible form of intervention in light of human rights paradigms. This project aims, through an innovative methodology and using the figure of the "mediator for inclusion", to break prejudices and stereotypes and to demonstrate that inclusion, even in cases with additional support needs, is possible.