The number of minors with autism spectrum disorders followed in Emilia-Romagna has grown by 244.9% in ten years. The new Program intends to intercept the first signs right from the nursery and puts the life plans of adult patients at the center through multidisciplinary teams. More than 18 million resources are available for the two-year period 2022-2023
Bologna – There are no single standards to effectively deal with i autism spectrum disordersbut customized life and care plans. Self autism diagnoses are on the risethen you need to identify integrated paths involving families, social and health services, multidisciplinary professionals.
With this aim the Regional Council of Emilia-Romagna is preparing to approve the Regional Integrated Autism Program 2023-2027 (PRIA), result of a joint work lasted two years which involved family associations, the offices of Health, Welfare and School Departments of the Region, the Health Trusts, the Regional School Office and local authorities. By listening to the requests of the Associations and examining the data and resources available, we have arrived at a shared Program which introduces various novelty compared to the past. Today there presentation of PRIA into assembly commission, the reference associations are present.
The resources for the two-year period 2022-2023 amount to 6.4 million euros from regional health funds, to which were added approx 4.5 million euros only 2022 provided for by the Ministry of Health with Law 134/2015 and further 7.5 million provided by the Ministry of Disabilities with the Fund for the inclusion of people with disabilities: overall it is therefore about over 18 million euros.
They will be invested in training, early detection of disorders in childrendefinition of multidisciplinary teams that integrate both health and social assessments for the preparation of life plans and care customized for adults.
All to cope with a phenomenon than also in Emilia-Romagna is growing rapidly: only considering users affected by autism spectrum disorders followed by the Neuropsychiatry service childhood and adolescence, in ten years the number grew by 244.9%passing by 1,584 assisted in 2011 ai 5,464 of 2021.
“This plan is the result of a long process that has brought families, health professionals, the world of schools and associations, the Region and local authorities around the same table – comment the Councilors for Health, Welfare and School Policies Raffaele Donini, Igor Taruffi and Paola Salomoni –. The growth of diagnoses demonstrates the relevance of this phenomenon, which however must be interpreted and treated not only from a purely health point of view, but also taking into consideration the social, cultural, economic variables of people affected by autism spectrum disorders, to arrive to define personalized life plans”.
“The regional autism project is finally renewed and this openness to services for adults is appreciated- he underlines Marialba Corona, president of Angsa Emilia-Romagna (Angsa Bologna, Angsa Parma, Angsa Piacenza, Angsa Ravenna, Foundation from the Earth to the Moon Ferrara, Aut Aut Modena, Autism Faenza and Imola Autism) -. Equally important, for the childhood age, is having kept some points such as the 4 hours of direct treatment for early childhood, obtaining supervision in the school environment carried out by behavior analysts also in the other age groups. Now our job will be to monitor its implementation, with particular attention to the provision of care allowances for minors and adults, with respect to which the Region has ensured its commitment”.
The innovations introduced by the Program
The involvement of different actors through provincial working tables represents a fundamental novelty for this Programme. Another relevant aspect concerns the adoption in each Company of a specific one Diagnostic Therapeutic Assistance Path (PDTA) that clearly identifies objectives, resources available, times of therapies.
Furthermore, at the organizational level the constitution of a regional technical group of monitoring and verification of the implementation of the plan, with the participation of associations.
For minorsan essential point is the investment in specific training at the provincial level for support teachers and educational care staff, with supervision to schools on a case-by-case basis. The PRIA program then underlines the importance of intercept early forms of autism, through a specific project that will involve the staff of nurseries, preschools and paediatricians of free choice.
For adults the key point concerns the definition of the process of taking charge, which must be contextually defined by the health, social and health services, by the reference social services under the supervision of the mental health departments of the Health Trusts. This is because, for example, people too with mild to moderate autismif they are in situation of social fragilityto participate in the life of a community they may need support (housing, employment and related to social relations): from this point of view, the role of local authorities is decisive, as they can ensure these services through additional resources provided for in the area plan.
At the territorial level, the Program provides for the definition of multidisciplinary teams of reference who have health and social skills, connected with the Mental Health Centers and the Primary Care Department: these teams are involved in the planning of the social and health services network and in the implementation of qualification, training And supervision services dedicated to people with autism spectrum disorders. In the event of serious or very serious disabilities, the professionals of the Multidisciplinary Evaluation Units (doctors, paediatricians, social workers) also participate in these teams.
The teams define the life project of each user and the pathways for accessing care articulated within the corporate areas. They do not operate in isolation, but integrate their interventions with other services, such as those envisaged for the targeted placement for people with disabilities and for the social and work inclusion of people who find themselves in conditions of fragility and vulnerability, also exploring alternative and innovative hypotheses of accompaniment And work assistance.