M.E.D.A. Puglia protests school schedules for autistic children

The M.E.D.A. Nazionale Puglia (European Movement for the Differently Abled) has raised concerns regarding new school schedules in Foggia and its surrounding province. The updated hours, which see primary school students finishing at 14:00 and kindergarten students at 13:30, are described as unsustainable for children with disabilities, particularly those on the autism spectrum.

Miriam Ventura, Regional Secretary of M.E.D.A. Puglia, stated that these extended hours in crowded, sensory-heavy environments can negatively impact a child's well-being and interfere with essential afternoon rehabilitative therapies, such as speech therapy, ABA, and neuropsychomotricity. The association argues that families are being forced to choose between the right to education and the right to care.

To address these issues, the organization is calling for flexible dismissal times for students with certified disabilities, better decompression spaces, improved canteen management, and increased coordination between schools, families, and rehabilitation services. M.E.D.A. Puglia has requested the convening of inclusion tables to evaluate student needs on a case-by-case basis and has threatened formal legal action if concrete solutions are not provided.