University Of Malta To Open A Quiet Room For Students With Autism
A room at the University of Malta will be turned into a safe space for students with autism as part of a university-wide drive to raise awareness on integration and accessibility related to autism.
KSU President Carla Galea explained how the campaign, funded by Erasmus and supported by The Marigold Foundation – BOV in the Community, intends to improve awareness on autism and inclusion in general.
The Connect and Include campaign consists of various events and activities, with the first being a focus group that concluded the importance of having a safe space for students to discuss autism on campus.
As part of the campaign, Students’ House was lit up in blue as part of a global campaign
Students’ House was transformed into a symbol of inclusion for autism awareness during the first of a series of events featuring members of KSU and the Marigold Foundation, who are the ambassadors of the international project ‘Light It Up Blue’.
The new autism-friendly room will be located within Students’ House, where students can make use of it as they please – though it is not limited to just students with autism. The space itself will be designed to aid students’ coping abilities, life skills as well as communication, coordination and sensory-management.
The Marigold Foundation will be funding the restoration of the quiet room.
Check out the announcement in the live feed below
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterised by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and nonverbal communication
The estimated prevalence of autism is 11.8 per 10,000 people while the estimated prevalence of autism spectrum conditions is 26.6 per 10,000 people globally, and it is believed having a quiet space could be greatly beneficial to individuals living with autism.