Georgia marks World Autism Awareness Day
President Salome Zurabishvili hosts children with autism spectrum disorders. Photo: President's press office
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Georgia is marking World Autism Awareness Day, with President Salome Zurabishvili hosting children with autism spectrum disorders at the new presidential palace on Atoneli Street.
Photo: President's press office
April 2 is observed as World Autism Awareness Day by the United Nations General Assembly to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.
As a President I am very happy to have an opportunity to open the doors of this palace for these children and to make them feel that this palace, this country and this state is theirs”, President Zurabishvili said.
She said autism is a big challenge not only for Georgia but the whole world and that "inclusion" is the only solution.
For #WorldAutismAwarenessDay, we opened the Orbeliani @GeorgiaPres Palace to kids with #autism to let them build the map of #Georgia. Accept, Understand, Love. ???????????? pic.twitter.com/nQ6yLM5jX8
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) April 2, 2019
The government of Georgia has decided to gift a land to a foundation for the first large-scale care centre for autistic children and adults, which will be located in Tbilisi, the government’s press office reports.
The world is observing World Autism Awareness Day today, and Georgia has joined in the celebrations.
The Presidential Palace in Tbilisi was illuminated in blue on Monday to mark the beginning of Autism Awareness Week in Georgia's capital.
Georgia is making moves to offer greater support to people living with autism. This week the Prime Minister’s Office and Tbilisi City Hall launched an internationally recognised program that offers free treatment to people in Georgia who suffer from autism.
Tbilisi City Hall will allocate additional funds to finance the treatment of 230 more children with autism which will increase the total number of beneficiaries involved in the Applies Behavior Analysis (ABA) program to 1,230 children.
Tbilisi City Hall is increasing the number of beneficiaries of the Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) programme for children with the autism spectrum disorder, Mayor Kakha Kaladze announced on Tuesday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Sunday highlighted the important role and active involvement of society in raising awareness about autism, on the day celebrating the World Autism Awareness.