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In the midst of the commemoration of World Autism Awareness Day, the Las Lilas school of the Municipal Corporation of La Florida experienced a milestone of great significance. This, after the launch of the ASD Containment and Habilitation Room, which focuses on students with Special Educational Needs diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
With a focus on pedagogy, the collaborative work that brings with it the essence of this unit that was inaugurated, has a clear collaborative component between classroom teachers and teams of the School Integration Program (PIE) of the establishment. Certainly, this aspect is central, with the aim of containing and addressing diversity in the classroom itself. That is, both in students who have Special Educational Needs or, simply, different rhythms when acquiring learning.
The good news is that the mayor of the Municipality of La Florida, Rodolfo Carter – after touring and seeing the room in situ – valued the work of inclusion and integration that the Education Area of ??the Corporation has been working on, for which , gave good news for 2025:
“This is an extraordinary initiative, which is born from the heart and pain of fathers and especially mothers. You are the leaders, those who have opened the way. Today, when you have given such a beautiful work and we see children happy and calm, I want to announce that, next year, Florida will have, in 22 municipal high schools and schools, a containment and stimulation room for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” commented Mayor Carter.
The community leader also pointed out that, although this work will be continued by the next mayor, it is important that the PIE teams from the educational establishments of La Florida take ownership of those rooms, since they belong to all Floridians. : “Everything they have shown us today is a gigantic path that does not end today,” Carter stated. Then, he gave an emotional message to the children present: “Be free to choose. That what makes you different, does not never be a barrier to achieving their dreams.
Likewise, Mayor Rodolfo Carter pointed out that “at the beginning and at the end of life, there are the most vulnerable. Our grandparents and our children. We have chosen to make them invisible, because we are always aware of having, more than being; of appearing, rather than delivering. Autism Spectrum Disorder was something that did not exist before. One wonders, how many classmates were left behind because they did not receive affection. Since they were different, they were mistreated and, for that reason, , they were left behind and no longer exist.”
For this reason, the mayor stated following the inauguration of this room at the Las Lilas de La Florida school: “When I looked at the children who were in the room, I asked myself about those classmates: What will become of them? Will there be built a life project or were they left on the side of the road because there were no initiatives like the one we are launching today?
In relation to the characteristics of this inaugurated unit, the occupational therapist of the TEA Containment and Habilitation Room of the Las Lilas school, Paulina Herrera, commented that in general, “the implements are divided into three large areas. Those of Calma, those of “Sensory Integration and those that facilitate Movement. These materials help us and facilitate the modulation, regulation and containment of our students from four to fourteen years old.”
The requirements are to be enrolled in school, that they belong to the School Integration program and that the boys and girls have a need for self-regulation or movement needs. There, the room will be of great help in helping students to enhance their learning and development.
In the middle of the event, the community coordinator of the La Florida School Integration Program, Sandra Núñez, indicated that “we have a tremendous mission to work with these boys and girls, who fill our spaces every day. The Directorate of Education, Through the technical pedagogical team, it does a tremendous job of coordination, monitoring and evaluation. Apart from the professionalism and dedication that we can have, we are characterized by something very important: the heart. Day by day, we put our heart into our work and I think that is reflected with this inauguration.”
With a smile on her face, Carolina Farías, who is the mother of Leonardo Díaz (student at the Cardenal Antonio Samoré high school and diagnosed with ASD), said that she thinks it is wonderful that children with this condition are empowered in the commune: “I hope this be an access for many families, children really need it and we are the ones who have to give it that strength.
In turn, the general secretary of the Municipal Corporation of La Florida, Cristián Águila, highlighted the fact that, within the framework of this inauguration, 20% of the registration at the municipal level in La Florida is aimed at receiving children with Special Educational Needs: “That is something to be proud of and to continue moving forward. Here, in the commune, we support parents. The responsibility is yours, but we are here to help you in this great task.”
A clear and strong signal delivered by the Municipality of La Florida, through its Corporation, about generating significant changes in the communities, promoting equity in learning and promoting the inclusion and well-being of the children and young people of the educational establishments of the Education Area.
