Saint-Etienne-de-Tulmont. The Pousiniès-Bordeneuve center at the time of World Autism Day

The IME (Institut médico-éducatif) Pierre-Sarraut, in Falguières, receives children and adolescents with disabilities, with or without autism spectrum disorders. The Pousiniès-Bordeneuve centre, in Saint-Étienne-de-Tulmont, welcomes or accompanies, among others, autistic adults from their majority. It offers them social, professional and care support.

As part of World Autism Day, the two establishments collaborated, on the initiative of the Pousiniès-Bordeneuve cluster. The FAM autism team from Pousiniès-Bordeneuve and the Emas team from Pierre-Sarraut led this action. Several executives had made the trip: Camille Barbon, psychomotrician; Blandine, educator; Laurianne, social and family economy advisor, and Mélina, AES. The public was able to discover several tools and materials used at the IME Pierre-Sarraut, intended to communicate better with autistic children, knowing that three elements are characteristic of this handicap: a communication disorder, a disruption of social relations and behavioral disorders. We speak of an autistic dyad with impaired social communication and the presence of restricted and stereotyped interests.

Some of these tools are known to the general public as anti-stress objects; others are communication supports, vignettes, pictograms, etc., very useful for non-verbals.

When a young adult with autism leaves the IME Pierre-Sarraut, he has some chance of joining the Pousiniès centre. Executives from both institutions agree on the value of using similar communication protocols for a smooth integration.