The “Dopo di Noi” Project: Autonomy for Youth with Disabilities and Peace of Mind for Families – Updates from the New Resolution
In a fast-changing world, guaranteeing an independent future for people with severe disabilities is more than a necessity: it is a fundamental right. The “Dopo di Noi” (After Us) Project, established by Law 112/2016, is the Italian instrument that makes this possible, supporting young people and adults with disabilities in building an autonomous life while easing the burden on families. At our cooperative, Tutti Giù Per Terra in Rome, we apply these principles daily with passion, helping youth with autism and other conditions flourish away from the family unit.
Imagine a tailor-made path that prepares a person with a severe disability—as defined by Law 104/92—to live alone or in small groups, without being eternally dependent on their parents. The law, titled “Provisions for the support of people with severe disabilities deprived of family support,” funds personalized projects for deinstitutionalization, co-housing, autonomy training, and job inclusion.
It isn’t about “parking” someone in a facility; it is a plan with a dedicated budget (up to thousands of euros per year per person), case managers, and periodic reviews. For example, it includes short stays away from home to test daily management, workshops on cooking and transport, or support for protected employment. “The goal is to create environments that replicate family life, not anonymous institutions,” industry experts emphasize.
At our cooperative, Tutti Giù Per Terra, we translate this into action: we offer pathways that integrate AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) for youth with autism, transforming fears into real skills.
The recent Lazio regional resolution (approved in 2025 and operational from 2026) strengthens the “Dopo di Noi” Project with additional resources from LEPS (Essential Levels of Social Benefits) and PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) funds, expanding access to 500 new spots for co-housing and independent living. This update allocates an extra 15 million euros for the Lazio region, prioritizing single-parent families and youth over 25 with severe autism, with per-capita budgets increased by 20% for personalized training and assistive technologies like AAC apps.
“The resolution introduces bureaucratic simplifications, such as online applications via ATS and digital reporting, reducing processing times from 6 months to 2,” explains the regional website. For cooperatives like Tutti Giù Per Terra, this means more partnerships. This update makes the project even more essential, responding to demographic aging with immediate action.
Why It Is Essential for Youth with Disabilities
For a young person with a disability, “Dopo di Noi” is a turning point. They move from a protected life within the family to a shared apartment with two peers, where they learn to buy groceries, use the bus, or chat with friends. A concrete example: Luca, supported by our team, started with experiential weekends at our Rome facility. After 12 months, he manages his weekly schedule on his own and calls a small co-housing unit—funded by the project and enhanced by the new resolution—”home.”
These pathways boost self-esteem and relationships: studies show that autonomy reduces anxiety by 40% and opens doors to the working world. Without it, many risk isolation or forced institutionalization. Tutti Giù Per Terra excels here: our educators, with specific training in autism, lead practical sessions like “learn to cook your own pasta” or “plan a trip using public transport,” making independence tangible and fun.
Families are at the heart of both the challenge and the solution. Parents over 60 often fear: “Who will take care of my child when we are gone?” The project responds with protective trusts (ring-fenced assets for the child), tax exemptions on life insurance policies, and paid caregivers—now with extra bonuses from the resolution for family caregivers. “It is the ‘During Us’ that prepares the ‘After,'” says a mother we supported; after two years of a personalized plan, she resumed part-time work, knowing her son’s path is secured.
At Tutti Giù Per Terra, we organize family meetings to co-design these plans. One Roman family used their budget for a protected apartment staffed by our operators, moving from sleepless nights to free weekends. The result? Less burnout and a better quality of life for everyone.
Our social cooperative, based in Rome, is on the front lines. We manage several active “Dopo di Noi” pathways, featuring experiential weekends that simulate autonomous life: youth with intellectual disabilities cook local Lazio recipes (Amatriciana included!), engage in team-building, and try out self-service laundries. One father wrote to us: “Thanks to you, I see my son smiling at the future.”
Take Sofia, 22, who is non-verbal: through AAC and our training, she now orders coffee at the bar and lives in a group apartment. Or Marco, who transitioned from total dependency to tutoring his peers. These cases are not exceptions; they are the result of a law that, with the 2025/2026 resolution, covers 200,000 Italian families.
The “Dopo di Noi” Project is not just bureaucracy: it is concrete hope, empowered by the new resolution. For families and youth, it means autonomy with dignity.
Irene Pellizzaro