Severance Hospital said on the 3rd that the Min Yoon-gi Treatment Center has launched a basketball-based therapy program for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.
The Min Yoon-gi Treatment Center is named after Min Yoon-gi, the real name of Suga of BTS. Suga donated 5 billion won and the center opened in Sep. last year, and it has since provided social skills therapy using music for children with autism spectrum disorder.
The hospital said it pushed ahead with the basketball therapy program with the active support of Suga, a National Basketball Association (NBA) global ambassador and known basketball enthusiast.
Severance Hospital signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea America Special Education Center (KASEC), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization supporting Korean Americans with developmental disabilities, and developed a therapy program, Mind-Play (MIND-PLAY), tailored to Korea based on KASEC's integrated basketball program model, "DRIB."
Mind-Play is conducted on the basketball court at the campus Sports Science Hall with support from Yonsei University's Department of Physical Education and Department of Sports Industry Studies. The program will run on a trial basis for 12 weeks through Sep. 17, and participants will take part in basketball activities once a week for 90 minutes.
Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder who join the program will be paired with volunteers. Through this, they will experience social interaction and aim to improve both physical abilities and emotional satisfaction.
Chun Geun-a, head of the Min Yoon-gi Treatment Center (director of Severance Children's Hospital), said, "Mind-Play goes beyond simple treatment to promote children's social skills and athletic technique, with the goal of laying the foundation for improved quality of life and social independence in the future."