Coritiba Wear Special Squad Numbers for World Autism Awareness Day

Coritiba wore special multicolour shirt numbers yesterday in their Campeonata Paranaense final victory over Maringa. The numbers were part of the club's initiatives for World Autism Awareness Day.

Coritiba Autism Awareness Squad Numbers

The numbers were made up of blue, yellow, green and red jigsaw pieces, referencing the spectrum which represents all of the different levels of autism.

"Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by deficits in social communication, affecting the way these people interact and experience the world. So it is more properly one of many characteristics of an individual. It is not a disease", explains Elyse Matos, founder of the ICO Institute, the club's partner in the awareness actions during this month.

The match-worn shirts will be auctioned off with all proceeds going towards the construction of a sensory accommodation room at Coritiba's stadium, which will serve as a facility for parents of autistic children on matchdays, as well as developmental tool with the aim of increasing the social capabilities of affected children.

This room will will be specially adapted to avoid the many matchday stimuli becoming overwhelming for the children, so they can enjoy the football experience in a safe environment with their families. Coritiba are also working with the ICO institute to help train employees who will be working with the families of autistic children.

What do you think of Coritiba's multicolour numbers? Would you like to see more clubs involved in initiatives such as this?