Help Autism Association, the largest local organization dedicated to Autism in Romania, is building the first camp for children with disabilities in Romania and the largest in Europe. Participants will have an entire village at their disposal: a space of 15,000 sqm that can accommodate over a hundred people.
The new retreat will be built at the foot of the Retezat Mountains at the begging of the next year. The costs are estimated to reach EUR 5 million, and the non-profit managed to raise EUR 720,000 in a year, reports Romania Insider.
„We envisioned a safe space for therapy, interaction and connection with nature, where all young people will be welcome and receive the support they need. We want all children to develop together in this space, regardless of abilities or disabilities,” says Raluca Bogdan, Communications Director of Help Autism.
Building a space for socialization is essential, as students with special educational requirements and disabilities do not have access to extracurricular activities, the Association explained. And their social integration depends on exposure to new environments and stimuli that help them develop and expand their horizons.
In Romania, children and young people with disabilities are four times more likely to be bullied in schools, and between 8 and 22% of acts of bullying take place during field trips, the Association also said. Participation in extracurricular activities is very low because they are not prepared to cope with a more extended period without specialized support and can only go accompanied by an adult – an aspect that is difficult for other children to accept.
Since 2010, Help Autism has supported more than 3,000 children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD – Autism Spectrum Disorder – in therapy programs carried out in its seven centers and at home.
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