The CIAO – Inclusive Alternative Communication in Hospital project, developed through the collaboration of Fondazione Time2, Dear Onlus, and the Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital in Turin, involves four hospital wards with the aim of making the healthcare experience more welcoming and accessible.

The initiative drew on an extensive co-design process involving healthcare staff and families, which led to the development of a system of communication supports tailored to the needs that emerged throughout the work. The result is a set of universal and inclusive visual tools, based on ARASAAC pictograms and adapted to the hospital’s specific context, helping children and families become familiar with the environment, communicate with healthcare professionals, and prepare for visits and examinations.

The materials include environmental labels, behavioral signs, activity strips, communication key rings, social stories, memory games, and other tools.