This year, April 2 calls for careful reflection on how much the situation generated by the pandemic has put a strain on all the families of people with autism who have been facing highly complex conditions for far too long.

Children and young people with autism spectrum disorder have suddenly found themselves, for reasons often too difficult to understand, in a situation where they have lost all their reference points and people. Their families also found themselves on their own, facing new emotional and behavioural problems that arose due to isolation (severe sleep disturbances, eating disorders, dysfunctional behaviour).

The Giovanni Bollea Institute of Child Neuropsychiatry, part of the Department of Human Neuroscience at Sapienza University, has been working for some time in early diagnosis and group intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders. During the current health emergency, they have always tried to stay close to families and children through telerehabilitation and distance education. Since September 2020, group rehabilitation activities have resumed at the Sapienza service, the only clinical centre in Rome, to support the interactions and social-affective skills of children with autism and the psychological and clinical support work for families in a condition that is often very difficult to manage. Particular attention has been paid to supporting the health of children with autism spectrum disorder and facilitating access to healthcare services. In particular, the Department of Oral and Maxillo-facial Sciences has been providing easy access to prevention and oral health care for children and young people with autism spectrum disorders for several years now.

Sapienza has always been close to autism issues also in its research and educational activities, with conferences and training projects on school and social inclusion.