“For people with autism as for everyone else, sport brings well-being, it can reduce stress and hyperactivity, especially in these anxiety-provoking times”, immediately poses Paskell Guillermo, educator specializing in the field of autism and mother of autistic children. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect seven people out of 1,000 in France, but this pathology is still widely stigmatized.
“There are a lot of barriers because they are going to behave atypical, bizarre. So they are not going to be accepted in regular classes, explains the educator. And yet, a lot of studies show that physical activity reduces drug treatments. They are not magic wands, but they improve the quality of life. “
To go in this direction, she organizes sports workshops with the association Tous Solidaires Autiste (TSA56) of which she is president, in Baud in Morbihan, but also internships for educators. “The objective of these trainings is to make the various players aware of autism, and above all to promote appropriate support. “
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Because ignorance of this pathology is a brake. “Paskell and TSA56 help us understand autism and understand each individual. It allows us to build adapted sessions, which help them progress ”, explains Irek Becker, adapted sport referent of Profession Sport 56, who works with the association. “We must adapt what we offer to the motivation of the person, Paskell Guillermo acquiesces. It is not obvious for a person with autism to go for three laps. We will have to decline the learning, take more time. But it’s worth it ! “
Irek Becker’s organization works with children in the home of Cléguérec. “We have an educator who works there seven to eight hours a week. We have made enormous progress ”, he attests.
Although several studies demonstrate the benefits of physical activity for people with autism (psychomotricity, coordination, communication, etc.), no support is institutionalized. “If we parents don’t do this, our children will not have access to these activities. And it’s dramatic, notes Paskell Guillermo. We are not very supported, not to say very little. We have to go to meet the institutions to explain our projects. There is a lot of backlog in quite a few areas of autism. “
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The educator regrets the delay in France in taking charge of autism. “In some countries, the work done by families has been recognized for more than 30 years. Here, it is still very complicated. “
At the local level, cooperation is organized more easily. “In Baud, we don’t need to convince the municipality, we can make progress in the field of autism globally, assures the president of TSA56. Sometimes there are municipalities that really want to move forward. The mayor of Landévant also asked me. “
L’impact Covid
The French Adapted Sport Federation (FFSA) stresses that regular practice is a condition for lasting beneficial effects. A necessity undermined by the closure of gymnasiums in the midst of a pandemic. “The confinement has shaken up the life of the association, in addition to our family lives”, explains Paskell Guillermo. The establishment of a permanent slot is therefore postponed pending the reopening of the rooms.
But TSA56 is not giving up on its plans. “We want to do a basketball camp with autistic children and adults, and that it be open. We don’t want to create an “autistic ghetto”, insists the president. When we don’t know, we have a lot of preconceptions that take hold. But as soon as we can communicate, there are a lot of barriers that fall. ” Because for people with autism too, sport is a factor of integration when it knows how to welcome.
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