The United Nations recognizes April 2 as the Autism Awareness Day. The Infinite Chess Project, which aims to help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by teaching them chess, started in 2019 as a small pilot project. In three years, it has gained momentum and expanded to ten countries: Albania, France, Gibraltar, Latvia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Morocco, South Africa, Spain, and Turkey.
The “Chess for Mental Health” international event was held on 9 March 2022 in Paris. According to the speakers, many recent studies have already highlighted the benefits of playing chess to support the development of children with autism spectrum disorders, the DYS (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia) or attention and hyperactivity disorders.
In the second week of March, the French capital will host the “Chess for Mental Health” international event. The conference will cover various topics related to mental health, including autism, DYS, concentration, hyperactivity. The event’s keynote is how chess can improve multiple aspects of mental health.