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The foundation was established by Manuele D’Oppido and Vanessa Bozzacchi, inspired by the story of Leone, which led them to recognize the gaps and deficiencies in support for children and young people with neurodevelopmental disorders. The goal is to create appropriate and functional spaces for learning and enjoyment for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, with particular attention to the autism spectrum, and to support their families.
About Us
Parents, professionals in the field, communication experts, and others—some who have personally experienced these challenges and others who simply have the desire to learn, understand, and help. All united by the will to create a functional, playful, and necessary reality, and to raise awareness about the issue of diversity, with the aim of integrating children, young people, and their families into society and the social fabric.
Vanessa classe 1974
I am Leone's mother. I lived through the "this can't happen to me" experience. I was quickly swept into a whirlwind, an unknown and frightening world, because what you don’t know scares you. Little by little, with strength and pain, but also a great desire to learn and do more, I dug deep and met people who showed me the light—the kind of light that helps you believe in your child, to want more for him and for all the children like him. I met Manuele almost four years ago, now my husband—a remarkable man who had the strength and desire to discover Leone’s world. He slipped with us into the difficulties and pain of very tough years, becoming my strength and the strength of my son, until we decided to create a foundation.
Manuele classe 1979
For the past four years, my life has been filled by a child who doesn’t speak, who is easily distracted, and at first, wouldn’t look me in the eyes. But over time, with the only universal language, Love, he has made my life wonderful and filled my heart with purity. We chose each other. Today, I can’t imagine a life without Leone. One of my greatest wishes is to give a chance to those who were born without one, to see children grow into adults without the burden of looks and judgment. My greatest joy is knowing that when my time comes to an end, Leone will live in a place designed for him. ONE OF MY GREATEST WISHES TODAY IS TO IMAGINE MY SON SAFE IN A TOMORROW WHERE I WON'T BE THERE. TO IMAGINE HIM CAPABLE, INDEPENDENT, ORGANIZED, BUT ABOVE ALL INTEGRATED AND UNDERSTOOD BY A WORLD THAT IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM CANNOT HELP BUT KNOW AND ACCEPT DIVERSITY.
Objectives
The Foundation has civic, therapeutic, recreational, and inclusive objectives,
promoting initiatives aimed at providing social and healthcare assistance to minors and adolescents affected by autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, with the goal of fostering, developing, and implementing better treatment and care systems.
The Mente Foundation was born with many ambitious projects at its heart, with the primary objective of creating a recreational-therapeutic facility that will assist its users daily through traditional, playful, and sports therapies, as well as workshops (art, cooking, gardening...) also with the aim of structuring the days of its users and giving their families some personal free time.
It focuses on a "special user base," aiming at education, autonomy, and social integration through assisted therapies and education, with the help of animals, agricultural activities, and sensory exercises, integrating ABA-VB principles, cognitive enhancement, socio-communicative development, and social skills training.
It will also host specific moments, such as workshops and dining experiences, where children can share activities and happy moments with differently-abled children.
Thus, the project A(i)uTiAmo was born.
