Cruzeiro Autists: united by love for the team and inclusion

By Thaís Castilho

Inspired by the support group of Autistas Alvinegros, from the Corinthians club, Karina Salas, a devoted Cruzeiro fan and mother of a child with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), who is also passionate about the team, started the movement to create the Cruzeiro Autists fan group.

“My brother gave me the idea to organize the Cruzeiro Autists fan group. I emailed the team because I wouldn’t start this movement without their official approval. After a while, the board responded positively, saying they approved and would provide support. Then we opened an Instagram page and interested people started reaching out to us, and the fan group began to grow,” says Karina Salas, the creator and founder of the group.

The most interesting part of this story is that besides the support from the team, it was the Autistas do Galo fan group, the rival team from Minas Gerais, that played an important role in the formation of the Cruzeiro Autists fan group.

“Although the rivalry between the teams is strong, the cause surrounding these special fan groups is much greater, which is why I sought out the representatives of the Autistas do Galo fan group to learn more about the movement, and they welcomed me. It’s like I gained another family. We are, in total, 22 autistic fan groups across Brazil,” explains Karina.

The main proposal of these fan groups is to unite the love for football and the advocacy for inclusion. An opportunity to raise awareness about diversity and the importance of including these individuals within clubs through fan groups.

Cruzeiro was a pioneer in creating a Fans Committee composed of a representative from each segment of the fan base, and Karina was chosen to represent the category of social minorities and diversity. The idea is for these representatives to bring projects and proposals to the committee to improve the club's interaction with these groups. 

Another action by Cruzeiro in favor of the fan group is to provide passionate fans with contact with the stadium and the players, as individuals with ASD often have auditory sensitivity and cannot tolerate noise and crowds. Therefore, on game days, it is impossible for these individuals to attend the match live at Mineirão.

Fans undergoing cannabis treatment are part of the Cruzeiro Autists

As a psychopedagogue, Karina works with individuals with ASD, other comorbidities, or syndromes, in addition to following several cases where cannabis brings quality of life and well-being to her patients. 

“I see in my work with neuro psychopedagogy and psychomotricity that the results of patients who undergo cannabis treatment are very significant and positive, greatly reducing crises and improving the quality of life for the entire family,” highlights Karina.

One of the fans of the Cruzeiro Autists is Brenno, 19 years old. He was diagnosed with level three autism and was born with schizencephaly (brain malformation), which complicates the expected effects of medications.

About a year ago, the psychiatrist who follows Brenno recommended cannabis as therapy, since the continuous use of conventional medications since he was eight months old generated a resistance in his own body to the expected effects.

“Cannabidiol came as a last attempt at treatment. Brenno had a very significant improvement in his aggressive behavior. Additionally, the medication does not cause dependence, which was a major concern of mine. Brenno still takes seven different medications, and the plan is to eventually start tapering off, little by little,” highlights Alviclenia Lopes Pita da Silva, Brenno's mother.