Representatives of the Turkish Autism Council, Autism Associations Federation, Anatolian Autism Federation, Rights of Children with Disabilities Network, TOHUM Türkiye Autism Early Diagnosis and Education Foundation and Turkish Autism Assistance and Education Foundation participated in the meeting chaired by our Director General, Elmas Esra CECELİ.

Our Director General, Elmas Esra CECELİ, stating that she is pleased to hold a series of consultation meetings with civil society organizations in the field of autism spectrum disorder for the first time, and that it is necessary to work with civil society organizations to ensure that the needs of persons with autism and their families are understood by the society, and that support is important in this regard, gave information about the autism action plan studies of our Directorate General, the point reached in raising awareness about autism, and the problems experienced in inter-institutional coordination, including civil society organizations in inspections of private and public care institutions, assignment of special education teachers in boarding and day care institutions, and individual care and activity service planning studies in care institutions. She stated that the pilot study will be carried out at Mersin Autism Day Care Rehabilitation and Family Counselling Centre and Sakarya Hamit-Fatma Atay Autism, Care, Rehabilitation and Family Counselling Centre.

In the meeting, it was mentioned that the most important goal of the studies carried out to increase the participation of persons with autism in social life and to provide employment is to bring persons with autism to the point of maintaining their lives independently and the importance of preparing action plans that are effective in the execution of public service.

It was emphasized by our Director General that the opinions of civil society organizations will be requested for the II. National Autism Action Plan, which will be created based on the I. National Autism Action Plan, and the II. National Autism Action Plan draft will be implemented with realistic and achievable concrete targets. 

Representatives of civil society organizations participating in the meeting expressed their expectations and solution suggestions from both our Directorate General and other relevant ministries during the meeting. 

In the meeting, which was quite productive, it was decided to hold the second consultation meeting of civil society organizations in November.