Current trends in autism treatment: the Cascina Rossago model

摘要

Autistic spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by peculiar core features, including insistence on routine, need for sameness, repetitive behavior and stereotipies, social and communication deficits. Additionally, a vulnerability for a wide range of psychiatric and neurologic conditions has been described in ASD and has always to be taken in consideration in planning the interventions. The pharmacological treatment alone is not completely effective in managing the core features of autism and has to be always accompanied by an adequate rehabilitative intervention, focused on behavioral control, social development, communication and joint social interactions (Howlin et al, 2009). Cascina Rossago is the first Italian farm-community specifically designed for autistic adults. Aim of the farm is to improve the growth of each autistic subject in every area of life, using the rural, extended family community as a model. The paper describes the general principles of intervention and the keywords of this ecological rehabilitation model.