At the Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital in Turin, new tools from the CIAO Project – Inclusive Augmentative Communication in Hospital have arrived. The initiative was created through a collaboration between Time2 Foundation, Dear Onlus and the hospital itself.

The project structurally introduces open-source, freely downloadable Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools, representing a concrete step toward humanizing care and reducing communication barriers.

Its goal is to make communication between healthcare staff, children, and families simpler and more accessible, with particular attention to those with complex communication needs.

The initiative involves four hospital wards — the Emergency Room and Short Intensive Observation Unit (OBI), the Child Neuropsychiatry Day Hospital, the Neuropsychomotor and Speech Rehabilitation Clinic, and the Complex Pathologies Clinic (PACO) — to make the hospital experience more welcoming, inclusive, and respectful of individual differences.

Developed by Dear Onlus, the project was designed through collaboration between Fondazione Time2 and the Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, with key contributions from AAC specialists, speech therapists, and illustrators.
Equally crucial was the input and support of families, who participated in a co-design process, sharing experiences and needs that helped shape practical, user-friendly tools for everyday use.

Thanks to Project CIAO, the participating wards are now equipped with visual materials and communication tools to support patients and their families throughout their hospital journey. Through social stories, signs, symbols, and games, the hospital experience becomes more understandable and welcoming, improving both spatial orientation and communication with medical staff.

All CIAO Project materials are available for free download on the dedicated website.

For more information:  info@fondazionetime2.it