Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık on Sunday said that the number of institutions specialized in the field of autism is set to increase across Türkiye on World Autism Awareness Day marked on April 2 every year.
She also announced the "Second National Action Plan for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders" to be implemented until 2030 at the opening of the Sincan Autism Day Care Rehabilitation and Family Counseling Center in the capital Ankara.
Yanık, during her speech, noted that the opening of the center comes in line with the protocol signed with Sincan Municipality, saying that the center emphasized how important it is to work together to overcome obstacles.
Explaining that one of the most important projects that distinguish the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) from others is the concept of the social municipality, Yanık said that the social municipality had been put forward since the time of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s days in Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB).
Emphasizing that Türkiye has become an exemplary country for the world with its visionary policies in social work in the last two decades, Yanık said: "We are not the only ones saying this. This picture emerges in our meetings with our counterparts from around the world visiting our country and ministry and visiting different countries. At this point, examples of good practices in our country in social services and social assistance are being followed with interest."
The minister also noted that they act with a social policy of understanding that puts the family at the center of all services. In addition, they pointed out that they have developed services to support people with disabilities and their relatives by protecting the family's integrity.
"To share the responsibility of our families to some extent, we welcome our disabled citizens in our institution that we have opened today so that they can take time for themselves during the day and participate in social life with various activities. We are launching our autism day care, rehabilitation and family counseling center in Ankara, which is specialized in autism and is only for individuals with an autism diagnosis and their families, which includes a handicraft workshop, sports activity class, educational activity class, music and educational games class," Yanık explained.
Adding that they aim for disabled individuals to become self-confident, productive and independent individuals, Yanık noted, as the ministry, they have developed effective policies to increase the capacity of provision of services such as health, social services and family support that adhere to the understanding of the ministry’s approach dubbed "a better life for everyone."
Wishing the action plan to be implemented between 2023 and 2030 with the full support of the responsible and relevant institutions to benefit all individuals with autism, their families and the country, Yanık said, "I would like to give you one more good news here. As stated in our action plan, our organizations specializing in autism, to which we provide both day and boarding services, are set to increase."
The minister also added that one such center for rehabilitation and family counseling for individuals with autism is set to open in Kayseri on Tuesday.
World Autism Awareness Day was marked Monday in other provinces across Türkiye, including Çorum, where families marched from Gazi Street to Kadeş Barış Square, as well as in Special Education Vocational School in Kırıklareli province, where students flew red balloons to mark the occasion.