Virtus Academy to launch ‘Autism Awareness Course’

To celebrate the end of Autism Awareness Month, Virtus Academy is presently developing an e-learning program that focuses on autism, autism awareness and sport for people with autism. The course is scheduled to be launched by the end of May, and it will cover a wide range of topics, including basic information about autism, the advantages of sports for individuals with autism, and tools to adjust the sporting environment to accommodate the participation of athletes with autism.

“The abilities and needs of autistic people vary and can evolve over time. While many people with autism live independently, others face severe challenges and require life-long care and support. Much progress has been made in increasing awareness of autism, which is highly needed, because all people, including those with autism, have the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. We hope Virtus members, coaches, parents or anyone for that matter who knows someone with autism, finds this course useful,” said Virtus Academy Manager, Debbie Van Biesen.

Virtus announced the inclusion of the II3 category, a class for athletes with autism, as a full medal event category in all of its competitions, starting from the 2023 Virtus Global Games recently. This significant milestone will allow individuals with autism to participate in top-tier global sports competitions in a distinct category, presenting transformative opportunities. As a part of the #AthleteFirst campaign Virtus launched a month ago, many II3 athletes expressed their excitement about competing at GG2023.