Mato Grosso municipalities expand support for neurodivergent individuals

Municipalities in Mato Grosso, Brazil, are implementing new initiatives to support neurodivergent children and people with disabilities.

In Várzea Grande, Mayor Flávia Moretti announced an integrated approach between the departments of Education, Health, and Social Assistance. New measures include priority enrollment for neurodivergent students and people with disabilities, allowing them to register ten days before the general public. The city also plans to establish new specialized service units and multifunctional resource rooms in schools with high concentrations of these students. Additionally, a new integrated system will track a child's developmental history to ensure continuity of care when transitioning between municipal and state school networks.

In Sorriso, equotherapy is being utilized to aid the development of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The Mato Grosso Institute for Support to Autists (Imapa) currently provides sessions to 43 children, with a goal to reach 60 by late September. The program involves rigorous multiprofessional evaluations, including neuropediatric assessments, and utilizes staff trained in Brasília. The initiative is supported by a partnership between the local government, which provides transportation, and the private sector, which provides the ranch facilities.