Fundación Mapfre sponsors intervention for children with autism

Fundación Mapfre continues to support Equal Partners Foundation to train a new Early Intervention Team for children within the autism spectrum entitled We Act (The Walden- Equal Partners Foundation Autism Challenge Team). The intervention by We Act is based on Applied Behaviour Analysis − Verbal Behaviour.

Fundación Mapfre has sponsored the training of psychologists and graduate educators working at EPF to follow the basic and advanced course in ABA-VB which was conducted by Prof. Carlo Ricci and Dottoressa Chiara Maugadda. Mapfre is also sponsoring part of the children’s intervention. The staff at Equal Partner’s Foundation will be initially supervised by the Walden institute.

During a workshop held at Mapfre Midddlesea’s head office in Floriana, Prof. Ricci, president of the Walden Institute in Rome, addressed a group of parents and professionals. Prof. Ricci has published 15 books, 21 chapters, five prefaces, more than 100 articles in Italian and international journals. His latest gift to the academic and psycho-educational field is an extensive manual on ABA-VB published by Edizioni Centro Studi Erickson.

He explained that early intervention needs to be intensive and within the child’s context (15 hours at school and 15 hours at home per week) and needs to begin as early as possible. He explained that this needs to be implemented in the child’s natural environment: home and inclusive school and parents need to be committed to it.

Prof. Ricci’s presentation was followed by a discussion with parents of children within the spectrum who asked various questions on the intervention itself, the pilot project We Act and on financial issues.

Mapfre Middlesea (C-5553) is authorised by the Malta Financial Services Authority to carry on both long term and general business under the Insurance Business Act, 1998.