Tbilisi City Hall increases budget for children’s autism treatment programme
Tbilisi City Hall launched the programme offering free treatment to children suffering from autism in Georgia in 2015, increasing the number of beneficiaries by 230 in 2020. Photo: droa.ge
Tweet 
Share
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.
With a 6 million GEL ($1.9mln/€1.7mln) budget for beneficiaries and service providers, the programme will now reach 1,545 children and adolescents, the Mayor said in the announcement.
Starting in April, one additional service provider centre will also be added to the programme, bringing the total number of provider facilities to eight.
The Tbilisi Mayor also noted the age of adults involved in the programme had increased from 14 to 18 in 2018, with 4,800 GEL ($1,538/€1,393) allocated for each beneficiary annually from the City Hall budget. The city body financed 20 sessions of complex therapy, as defined by a multidisciplinary team, for the patients.
Tbilisi City Hall launched the programme offering free treatment to children suffering from autism in Georgia in 2015, increasing the number of beneficiaries by 230 in 2020.
Tbilisi City Hall will finance additional examinations for beneficiaries of the expensive medication financing programme for citizens diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, mayor Kakha Kaladze announced earlier today.
Mayor of Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze and Vice-Mayor Irakli Khmaladze have presented a report on projects implemented in the field of governance and economic policy in Tbilisi in 2018-2021. Kaladze said he is proud that urban policy has improved in Tbilisi and that 'we put an end to the chaotic development of the city'.
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.
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.
Tbilisi City Hall has purchased seven additional flats for homeless families as part of its housing programme for residents of the capital, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze announced on Wednesday.
New buses will join the municipal transport fleet in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi this year while socially underprivileged families will receive accommodation, Mayor Kakha Kaladze said in comments on the City Hall’s plans for the year.
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.