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An Innovative Start Up,
a Specific Technological Platform

Achieving change: together

ABOUT US

“On The Spectrum” is an innovative Start Up established with the strategic aim of changing the structure of the everyday life of autistic people, their families and, where present, their caregivers.

All this thanks to technology, advanced solutions and innovative models.

Our strategic aim is to ensure that autism-friendly places and services of every kind exist, grow, and are made known.

Having access to and using services and products within one’s own community is a right of autistic people. Similarly, for society, developing autism-friendly services and products is not only a civic duty but also a commercial opportunity.

“On The Spectrum” aims to fill the gap between the demand and supply of services for people on the spectrum and for families with neurodivergent children.

The Start Up avails itself of a multidisciplinary team, led by entrepreneur Michela Paparella, already President and founder of Kulta, a communications agency active in the creation and development of innovative multichannel projects in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility and Education.

In 2018, together with journalist and writer Gianluca Nicoletti (President of the Fondazione Cervelli Ribelli Onlus), she co-founded the Factory Cervelli Ribelli, established to valorize different thinking and neurodivergence.

The founding partner of “On The Spectrum” is Davide D’Arcangelo: an expert in innovation and industrial policies, with important experience in managing European funds and corporate finance, founder and President of Next4, an accelerator and investor accredited under the CDP venture relaunch fund, which invests in Digital Transformation.

He is currently also founder of Impatta4equity, a corporate benefit participation holding that invests in seed capital programs in the field of innovability.

General Secretary of Fondazione Italia Digitale, the first foundation in Italy dedicated to digital policies at both public and private levels.

MICHELA PAPARELLA
Co-Founder e General Manager
DAVIDE D’ARCANGELO
Founder

A multidisciplinary team

THE AUTISTIC SPECTRUM

Everyday people affected by autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families have to deal with a society which is too often unprepared to meet their requirements.

There are two main obstacles preventing people on the spectrum from accessing services and opportunities, as well as limiting their quality of life and social inclusion:

Inadequate awareness and sensitivity

Inadequate awareness and sensitivity in general towards autism limit society’s ability to provide inclusive and welcoming environments. This lack of understanding often leads to prejudice, stereotypes and to an environment which does not consider the sensory and communication needs of people on the spectrum.

Inadequate knowledge

Specific, but not necessarily specialized, knowledge and skills are needed in order to appropriately understand and respond to the needs of autistic individuals. Without this training, institutions, companies and bodies cannot offer adequate support regarding the use and access of services and products aimed at people on the spectrum and their families.

Clearly, we urgently need to:

  • Places for studying, working, hospitality, sports, culture, recreational activities, medical assistance, personal care, and so on should be as much as possible designed and structured not to increase difficulties for people on the spectrum, but to facilitate them professionally.
  • Trained individuals, appropriately prepared environments should be widespread and easily accessible in order to restore social dignity to neurodivergent people and make the task of those responsible for them less burdensome.

It has been estimated that there are 650.000 families interested in developing an increasingly autism-friendly society, to which we must add all the people working with autistic people.

  • This is a community, a true target with its own specific characteristics, needs, purchasing power, and ability to choose among those who offer services, products, and solutions.
  • To this vertical target we can add people who are also on the autism spectrum without necessarily having a clinically relevant condition (e.g., people with stereotypies, selective eating, low social interaction skills, anxiety in crowded places, etc.).
  • This target is unfortunately often invisible, but potentially has “bargaining power” due to the dignity it expresses, the number of people involved, and the urgency of its needs.

Neuro Divergent Evolution

THE PROJECT

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

The Start up will work using innovative technologies and advanced business solutions, with the strategic aim of radically altering the competition scenario.

Thus, starting from a dedicated platform, it will implement:

  • Generative Artificial Intelligence techniques and alternative, augmentative communication systems
  • Community management through DAO – Decentralized Autonomous Organization – by using blockchain technology and ‘intelligent’ contracts, to guarantee safety and transparency.
  • Natural language analysis (NLP)
  • Design of virtual assistants
  • Computer Vision techniques

Thanks to this innovative dedicated platform, “On The Spectrum” will be able to:

  • Become the sole multichannel reference for families or people affected by autistic spectrum disorders
  • Allow simple and quick access, possibly based on registration to access services
  • Offer a range of services/products and information to meet all practical and information needs of the target
  • Become an interesting partner with ‘high bargaining power’ for Companies, Institutions, etc. wishing to position themselves as providers of autism-friendly services, products, solutions and information

It will be an actual HUB with a business and technological vocation as a facilitator mediating between requirements and solutions, supply and demand: between families and organizations employing specifically trained staff, to effectively and sensitively meet the special needs of autistic people.

All this by leveraging what is already currently autism friendly and what may become so in the future.

The Project envisages, as a first step, a preliminary Research aimed at mapping the needs from both the perspective of parents and the direct experiences of autistic people.

Future, technology, innovation, transformation

COMPANIES AND INSTITUTIONS

Thanks to the “On The Spectrum” platform:

  • Organizations (companies, institutions, service and product suppliers, etc.) who wish to join may apply online or will be contacted by “On The Spectrum” if flagged by families affected by autistic spectrum disorders.
  • The organizations will fill out a self-evaluation questionnaire to provide an overview of their current practices and of their knowledge regarding autism.
  • The organization and its staff will follow a special online training course and at the end of it will undergo a “final test” to prove their understanding of autism-friendly best practices.
  • At the end of the training course the organization will receive a sort of “stamp/certification” and a set of recommendations to optimize the environment/service/product according to “autism-friendly” criteria. In order to maintain the standards and knowledge achieved, training sessions and updates will be made available in the future.

Advantages:

  • Companies and Institutions will achieve visibility in a vast market segment featuring very little on offer, reaching a privileged position to attract and satisfy the needs of a new and untapped range of clients.
  • The acknowledgement for the commitment towards inclusion and social responsibility will enhance the company’s reputation.
  • A commitment for an increasingly autism friendly world will bring national (and not only) recognition and the opportunity to become pioneers in a rapidly growing market, improving the lives of people on the spectrum and their families.
  • Thanks to targeted communication campaigns, it will be possible to emerge in a competitive market, expanding market share and generating additional revenue streams through a innovative approach.

Worthwhile sustainability

PEOPLE AND FAMILIES

Thanks to the “On The Spectrum” platform:

  • Through the app, parents may explore the interactive map and find out about the autism-friendly offer available nearby. Searches will be carried out thanks to a filter based on the type of service required (i.e. hospitality, health, leisure…).
  • Once the solution on offer is selected, it will be possible to access the corresponding information sheet, summarizing all key features based on accurate assessments.
  • For each solution, users will be able to submit feedback and suggestions regarding autism-friendly requirements, in order to ensure standards are met and to support the overall improvement of the ecosystem.
  • The database (companies/institutions, organizations, services, products, etc.) may be enriched by the families themselves. If someone is aware of activities that could qualify as “On The Spectrum Autism Friendly”, they may invite “On The Spectrum” to evaluate them for potential inclusion in the Platform’s offering.

Advantages:

  • Stress and logistical difficulties encountered in the planning of everyday activities and leisure time may be reduced.
  • People will become part of a community of individuals/families sharing similar experiences, who support each other and share information.
  • The map will be interactive and user friendly, making searches easy and intuitive: a real improvement in the possibility of accessing experiences which may otherwise be out of reach.
  • Thanks to feedback by people and families directly involved, a more direct and authentic evaluation of autism-friendly services/products/experiences will be available.

Voices that make themselves heard

CONTACTS

Nello Spettro S.r.l.

Via Sicilia 125
00187, Roma
CF e PI 17401901008
REA RM - 1716469

info@nellospettro.it