Despite the geographical distance, time difference and difficulties of connection, the conference brought together like-minded people from Russia and Cuba to discuss current issues of working with people with autism spectrum disorders, international and regional inclusive practices of working with people with autism spectrum disorders, as well as the problems of training personnel to work with children with autism disorders.

Vladimir Kirik, Director of the Academy of Psychology and Pedagogy at Southern Federal University, Jose Marti Perez, First Vice-Rector of Sancti Spiritus University (UNISS), Ariadna Veloso Rodriguez, head of the CAIBH project, and Maria Liebling, Head of the Laboratory of Education and Integrated Habilitation of Children with Autism at the Institute of Correctional Pedagogy, addressed the conference participants with welcoming words. The conference brought together both reputable scientists and young professionals and students interested in studying the broad issues of autism spectrum disorders. During the plenary session, presentations were made in various formats by leading employees of the Federal Resource Center for Comprehensive Support for Children with ASD at Moscow State Psychological and Pedagogical University, Jose Marti Perez University of Sancti Spiritus, the Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, South Ural State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University, Kuban State University and the Institute of Correctional Pedagogy. The speakers presented data from current scientific research on the problems of organizing the education of people with autism, their support and rehabilitation. In their presentations, the colleagues noted the importance of an interdisciplinary perspective in studying a wide range of autism issues.

Lilia Goryunova, Head of the Department of Inclusive Education and Socio-Pedagogical Rehabilitation at the Academy of Psychology and Pedagogy of the Southern Federal University, stressed that statistics on the spread of autism spectrum disorders among the world's children are increasing every year. If in 2004 this diagnosis was given to 1 out of 166 children, then today 1 out of 31 children has been diagnosed or have clinical signs of autism.

"The rapid dynamics of the spread of autism poses difficult challenges for the education system and society. After all, autism cannot be cured, you need to learn how to live with it, while maintaining the quality of life of a person with autism and his family," says Ekaterina Timchenko, head of the master's program Theory and Methods of Working with People with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

During the round table "Training specialists to work with children with autism spectrum disorders: the needs of specialists and the view of mentors", heads of departments, professors and associate professors involved in organizing the training of teaching staff to work with people with autism spectrum disorders discussed modern formats of practical training, prospects for cooperation and the possibility of using university networking formats to expand the competence profiles of future teachers and defectologists.

The youth platform "Problems of autism spectrum disorders: the view of young scientists and specialists" allowed young scientists and students from Russia and Cuba to present their own methodological developments for open discussion and share the results of their scientific research. Also, as part of the youth platform, the interim results of the activities of the inclusive adolescent student club "Growing in Science", organized as part of an internal grant for the development of student scientific associations of the Southern Federal University, were demonstrated.

The joint Russian-Cuban scientific and practical conference was another result of the implementation of the project of a comprehensive internship program for Cuban students in the Russian Federation "Internship in Russia – a step towards success", aimed at the formation of sustainable Russian-Cuban research and educational collaborations (https://russia-internship.ru /). The program has been implemented since 2023 with the assistance of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Higher Education of the Republic of Cuba. The program coordinator is MIMDO SFedU. As part of this program, Sergio Romero Montesino, a graduate student at UNISS, completed an internship at the SFedU Academy of Psychology and Pedagogy in October – November 2025, which was not only an important step in the implementation of the young scientist's research track, but also contributed to strengthening academic ties between universities.

The conference once again showed that the problem of autism spectrum disorders is a scientific frontier that contributes to the creation of an international scientific, pedagogical and research community that forms an interdisciplinary view on solving a wide range of autism problems.