Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said, “The Ministry will assign a social service counselor for the persons with autism spectrum disorder and their family as soon as they first apply to the Ministry with the pilot implementation of the Individual Social Service Counseling Model. Thanks to the model, persons with autism spectrum disorder will start to receive support immediately after their diagnosis.”

In her speech at the opening ceremony of the Sultanbeyli Autism Active Living Center, Minister Göktaş stated that it was World Autism Awareness Day and explained the importance of early diagnosis and education.

Pointing out that it was very important to develop education and counseling models for persons with autism spectrum disorders and their families, Minister Göktaş said that every step taken to open the doors to a better future for children was valuable.

Minister Göktaş noted that the center would first and foremost support the rehabilitation processes of persons with autism spectrum disorder, and that it would have a wide range of activities from rehabilitation services to education programs.

Explaining the work to be carried out with the services in the center, Minister Göktaş said that Istanbul's first Autism Active Living Center, where world-class care services would be provided, was a breath of fresh air for persons with autism spectrum disorder and their families.

 Important steps have been taken for the rights of persons with disabilities in the last 22 years

Minister Göktaş stated that the Ministry would continue to work to increase the number of such organizations and said, “In the last 22 years in the country, the Ministry has made important breakthroughs to increase the rights and living standards of the persons with disabilities under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Türkiye. In addition to meeting all kinds of life needs of persons with autism spectrum disorder, the Ministry has carried out studies supporting their active participation in life with economic and social supports. It has developed effective service models, especially to share the responsibility assumed by families and to support them.”

Reminding that the Ministry shared a new service model with citizens in Afyonkarahisar last week, Minister Göktaş continued as follows:

“With the pilot application of Individual Social Service Counseling Model, the Ministry will assign a social service counselor for the persons with autism spectrum disorder and their families from the moment applied to the Ministry. This model will allow us to start supporting persons with autism spectrum disorder and their families immediately after diagnosis. Counselors will create a work plan for each family to follow up at certain intervals in line with their needs. Thus, while working with the family, the Ministry will help them in their decision-making process so that the persons with autism spectrum disorder can access the most appropriate services. In addition, psychosocial support services will be provided to the families. The Ministry will put social assistance tools into operation supporting families economically if necessary.

Thus, the strengthening of the special education system was ensured

Minister Göktaş reported that the Ministry created an autism spectrum disorder screening program for early diagnosis, followed by an early intervention program for the provision of the most effective service.

Emphasizing that the Ministry, thus, ensured the strengthening of the special education system, Minister Göktaş said, "Again, the Ministry continues to provide qualified care services to the persons with autism spectrum disorder by developing a specialized care model in the area with the action plan. "The Ministry offers services with 4 specialized institutions in Afyonkarahisar, Istanbul, Kayseri and Sakarya, and 4 day care institutions in Ankara, Antalya, Aydın and Mersin."

Minister Göktaş added that the Ministry continued to work rapidly on the Second National Action Plan for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder and that the Ministry believed that it was important for the future of Türkiye for every member of society to take part in every aspect of life without any discrimination.