A royal visit this Thursday to a centre in Liège that takes in children and adults suffering from autism. It is located in Blegny and has been supporting these people for over 30 years. Their families too. Over the years, it has also become a reference centre for the diagnosis of autism and for research into appropriate treatments.
We try not to change their habits too much
This morning, at the SUSA Foundation in Blegny, autistic children and adults were welcomed in a more caring way than on other days. «Change is sometimes a bit difficult for our beneficiaries, and we really want everything to go as smoothly as possible and not change their habits too much,» explains psychologist Alexia Remy.
After the presentations, the King and Queen were able to observe the work of the SUSA Foundation team, where the approach to care is positive and priority is given to activities.
A public health issue
The SUSA Foundation operates in Gembloux, Mons, Brussels and Blegny. Autism affects 45,000 people in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. «Today, autism is detected much more quickly and much more frequently in children, adolescents and even adults,» explains Éric Willay, Managing Director of the SUSA Foundation. «So it’s a very topical issue, and sometimes even a public health problem, because we have so many needs and so many requests. Our diagnostics department is inundated with requests, sometimes several dozen a day».
Please note that SUSA Foundation staff and supporters will be asking for your help as part of Operation Cap 48. The sale of post-it notes starts this weekend.