The special school Haydeé Santamaría Cuadrado, in Holguín province, is one of the centers in Cuba for the follow-up of autistic children where programs for the benefit of this population group are promoted.
The center, located in the modern area of the city, has a multidisciplinary team and the tools to promote social inclusion through talks and didactic materials adapted to the characteristics of each child.
Yamila Garrido, methodologist of Special Education, emphasized to ACN that the orientation to the family is a fundamental aspect within these programs and the continuity of the educational processes at home, which allows a greater evolution of the student’s communicative skills.
She specified that this institution, with capacity for 200 students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, includes cultural and sports activities adapted to the characteristics of each patient, focused on greater socialization with the surrounding environment.
There are also painting and literature workshops, as part of the extracurricular activities, where parents and grandparents are involved, with the support of professionals in Defectology and other areas of medical sciences.
In addition, through the branch of the Cuban Association of People with Intellectual Disabilities (ACPDI), strategies are coordinated to facilitate access to study, employment, culture, development of practical skills and healthy recreation.
Danae Mouso, vice-president of this organization, explained that the fundamental objective is to influence social and governmental projects that guarantee a full life, with the participation of doctors and educators and the commemoration of anniversaries such as World Autism Awareness Day, celebrated annually on April 2.
The Autism Spectrum Disorder groups developmental disabilities caused by differences in the brain, which often cause problems with communication, interaction and restrictive or repetitive behaviors or interests and in the country there are specialized schools for their attention in Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Holguin.
This last eastern province has more than 20 thousand people with intellectual disabilities, with a follow-up by the health system through primary and secondary care projects, aimed at their comprehensive rehabilitation, a sign of respect for human rights and social equality in the country since January 1959.
With information by Eileen Esther Molina Fernández – ACN / Translated by Radio Angulo
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