PROGRAMME

AUTISME AND NON-VERBAL CHILDREN

Programme to explore intuitive communication with children with who are non-verbal or who have linguistic and communication difficulties.

More information available on request

3 MAIN OBJECTIVES



Get to know non-verbal children better in order to better meet their needs



Improve the daily lives of these children and those around them



Allow parents to make the best possible choices for their children

Origins

Agathe, 7 years old, affected by selective mutism in the company of Evi, a mediator dog in training.

In 2008, Agathe benefited from the animal mediation of Sunny, the mediator dog of the association EVI’DENCE, led by Patricia Arnoux. This mediation helped this child to find the use of language again*. In 2009, Patricia had to look for another dog to take over Sunny and ease him on his work of mediator dog.

When we met Patricia, we offered her a donation to acquire her second dog and work colleague, EVI’. *Agathe’s comment about the mediator dog: “This is not a dog like the others.” Today Agathe is 18 years old and is studying design.

Problem

The rate of autism prevalence is currently estimated at an average of 1% of the world’s population and is constantly increasing.
According to a 2018 report by the US National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the increase in autism in the US is becoming an urgent public health problem as it affects 1.7% of the population.

Some specialists now speak of the risk of a pandemic: according to some projections, subject to debate,, one in two children in the world could be diagnosed with autism by 2030.

At the moment

Our aim is to support children with autism using specific methods or cognitive and behavioural therapies.

Now more and more voices are being raised to point out the limits. Others argue that autism, which has a very broad spectrum, should be considered as an atypical cognitive functioning mode rather than a disease or disorder.

Our vision

Whatever the many causes of autism may be – genetic, neurological, environmental, one thing is certain: autism is linked to a particular neurological structure that generates a different way of perceiving, processing and transmitting information.

These neuro-atypical people have a unique way of perceiving their environment and perhaps connecting to it, which we do not see…The real persons with autism are those we believe they are?

Our programme

We wish to explore a universal mode of communication and connection that would allow non-verbal children to communicate naturally with their environment.

The animal will be our gateway. Animal mediation will facilitate relationship and build the trust between the child and the animal. This is the first step towards intuitive animal communication.

This research could revolutionise our view of the nature of consciousness, of non-verbal children, and of how best to accompany them in their lives and their development.

Programme holders

TAAC Association

Inter-species communication

TAAC assumes functional responsibility as initiator, co-developer, coordinator, and promoter of the programme and development project.

Find out more about TAAC

Association Evi'dence

Animal mediation

EVI’DENCE, specialising in animal mediation, assumes operational responsibility as facilitator and coordinator of the program, in collaboration with CREAT’ANIMAUX.

Find out more about Evi'dence

Fonds de dotation autosphère

The endowment fund, Autosphère granted the preliminary phase of the programme in 2019. We are looking for new sponsors to help us finance the programme in 2022/2023.

Find out more about Autosphère

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

This programme designs new ways of accompanying non-verbal children in their development through a connection with nature.

We collaborate with professionals who wish to engage in programmes of public interest and who wish to change career path.

we are looking for partners

In order to develop this programme, we wish to collaborate with researchers, interdisciplinary health and education professionals, persons with autism practicing responsibilities in civil society, heads of companies opened to the recruitment of people with neuro-atypical profiles.

ETHICAL FRAMEWORK

Ourethical policyavailable on request, aims to ensure that the needs of both children and animals are respected, and aims to take into account the needs of families and carers. It sets out the responsibilities of those involved in animal mediation and intuitive communication.

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