Who is behind the so-called “Autism&Uni team”?

The Autism&Uni project initially took place in Europe under the direction of Professor Marc Fabri of Leeds University (UK). One of the concrete products that emerged from the Autism&Uni project was the development of an e-platform to support students affected by ASD. This e-platform was designed and implemented with students (standardized, explicit and accessible structure) and is already operational and has been adapted by several European universities. This project is now completed, but it still allows for multiplications in various countries, as its function is essential.

It is in this same dynamic and in collaboration with its instigators that this Fribourg platform is being developed. Such an initiative is not only unique in Switzerland but also inexistent in French.

In Fribourg, Nathalie Quartenoud Macherel joined forces with Prof. Nicolas Ruffieux (Department of Special Education, University of Fribourg) to launch the platform in French, a language that did not exist in the initial project, and for the Swiss setting.
Originally initiated with Prof. Véronique Zbinden Sapin (HETS-FR), the specific contents were entirely designed by Nathalie Quartenoud to meet the Swiss reality.
Catherine de Blasio was responsible for the technical aspects and the photographic documentation.
Romane Garcia and Maëlle Ulrich (German version) offered their attentive proofreading for contents adapted to the readership on the autism spectrum.
This project was made possible by the innovation fund of the University of Freiburg.
Gina Nenninger (Deutsch) and Daniel Dukes (English) generously translated most of the site.
Elise Oudman supported the technical aspects.
Finally, Karl Daher (Humantech Institute) and Samuel Crausaz (Unifr) are the digital guardians of this ever-changing initiative. Their patience, their know-how and their ideas are precious on a daily basis.

We warmly thank all the actors involved in this project.

A video presentation allows you to understand the process:

https://tube.switch.ch/videos/pgokd9aCyu

The Fribourg team is now pursuing multiple projects to support students and universities. We look forward to sharing our initiatives with you over time.

The platform aims to be informative, whatever the profile of the reader who consults it: student, teacher, curious, on the autism spectrum or not.

Today, Nathalie Quartenoud from the Department of Specialized Pedagogy is the contact person for autism issues at the University of Fribourg (personal coaching, advice to administrations and teachers, initiatives for student groups). Together with Nicolas Ruffieux, they are considering collaborations at the level of Swiss Universities and Colleges. For more information, please contact nathalie.quartenoudmacherel@unifr.ch.

Today, the Fribourg team is coordinating the replication of the initiative to a community of Universities and Colleges. If you are interested in collaborating, do not hesitate to contact us.

We would like to warmly thank all the people who participated in the elaboration of this website: Marc Fabri, Nathalie Quartenoud Macherel, Catherine De Blasio, Nicolas Ruffieux, Véronique Zbinden Sapin from the HES, Romane Garcia, Mélanie Scheuring, Cindy Diacquenod, Karl Daher from Humantech, Samuel Crausaz and Laurent Andrey from the Unifr Web Team, Nathalie Lambert from the Bureau Études et Handicap, and so many others whom we do not name here but who participated in an essential way to the quality of this site by their attentive reading in view of the elaboration of the contents.

Our next projects:

There is still much to do. Our next priorities are to translate this site into German and English, to create introductory study and peer support facilities, and to work towards the implementation of a sensory quiet zone.

Nathalie Quartenoud, translated by Maëlle Ulrich