Yucatán trains public servants to assist autistic individuals

The DIF Yucatán system has implemented the RESPIRA Protocol to train 200 public servants from eight state agencies on how to properly assist autistic individuals. The training, conducted by the Special Rehabilitation and Education Center (CREE), focuses on recognizing and managing sensory deregulation.

The protocol provides specific tools to identify early warning signs, reduce environmental stimuli that could intensify a crisis, and offer respectful, safe accompaniment to autistic people and their caregivers. This initiative aims to prevent situations where sensory crises are misinterpreted due to a lack of specialized knowledge.

Lidieth Denis Alcocer, director of CREE, emphasized that true inclusion requires both specialized infrastructure and prepared personnel. The program follows efforts by Wendy Méndez Naal, Honorary President of the DIF Yucatán System, to address the needs of families affected by autism through improved institutional responses.