The conference aims to provide both emotional and practical support to families navigating the post-diagnosis journey.
The Adeje Town Hall is organising the first conference on ‘Diversidad Funcional y Familias: Diagnóstico, ¿y ahora qué?’ (Functional Diversity and Families: Diagnosis, What Now?) — an event dedicated to providing tools and support to families following a diagnosis of functional diversity. The conference, in Spanish, scheduled for December 4th at the Adeje Auditorium, will feature a programme of talks addressing the emotional, educational, and social impacts faced by families during these challenging times.
Among the featured speakers is David Pérez Jorge, a professor at the University of La Laguna. His talk will deal with ways to support families post-diagnosis, particularly in finding resources and strategies that promote the overall well-being of individuals with functional diversity.
Psychologist Ana Peinado will discuss the emotional path that families and individuals navigate following a diagnosis of functional diversity. Her talk will emphasise the importance of approaching this stage from a human-centred perspective, fostering emotional well-being and deep understanding for both the diagnosed individual and their family members.
The roundtable discussion, ‘¿Y ahora qué?’¡, (‘What Now’)will be moderated by Dr Faustino Afonso, vice-president of the NGO Athletes Without Borders and a surgeon. Various specialists in functional diversity will share their experiences and insights on supporting families and navigating the post-diagnosis process from multiple professional perspectives, creating a space for enriching exchanges and interdisciplinary collaboration.
In the afternoon, speech therapist and influencer Inés Rodríguez will take the stage. Her talk will delve into both the emotional impact and practical changes a diagnosis brings to the family environment. She will provide support tools and empathetic strategies to help families adapt and strengthen their bonds.
This will be followed by a second roundtable moderated by Iosune Txasco, a social worker from the Canary Islands Health Service, titled a por Iosune Txasco, trabajadora social del Servicio Canario de Salud, bajo el nombre ‘¿Quién dijo miedo?’, (‘Who’s scared now?’) This session will highlight the experiences and challenges families face, and how associations can assist and accompany them along the way.
Closing the conference, Pau and Félix Brunet, known on social media as Paupautista, will address the need to raise awareness and let people know more about autism. Drawing from their personal experience their intervention will aim to break down stereotypes and offer an authentic perspective on living with autism, underscoring the importance of understanding and respecting functional diversity.
In addition to the talks, the conference will feature screenings to promote visibility for the functional diversity community, as well as contributions from participants of the Centre for Diversity Support. The event will also include the musical premiere of ‘A mi muy estimada contrariedad’ (‘To My Dearest Adversity’) performed by Luisa Machado accompanied by Alberto Méndez.
This event should prove to be a comprehensive gathering for families and the Adeje community, promoting inclusion, education, and emotional support.
Tickets, along with the full programme for this inaugural conference, can be obtained on the Adeje website http://www.adeje.es. All proceeds go to to the NGO Athletes Without Borders.
