World Autism Awareness Day is marked on April 2. In 2017, the theme of this day is "TowardAutonomyand Self-Determination". The UN Secretary General’s message of this year says that all members of the society should play a part in changing attitudes towards persons with autism and in recognizing their rights as citizens, who, like everyone else, are entitled to claim those rights in accordance with their own will and preferences. In the exercise of those rights, it is necessary to ensure that we make available the necessary accommodations, which will enable persons with autism to actively get engaged in the process of development.

No tangible changes were made in Georgia in terms of protection of the rights of people with autism spectrum disorders last year. The problems of children are particularly severe. Availability of healthcare adjusted to their needs and rehabilitation/habilitation services, as well as inclusive education, represents a challenge. The state cannot provide necessary programs and services for persons with autism, as well as their proper engagement in the inclusive education process.

The situation of children and their families living in the villages is particularly grave. Local authorities, except for few exceptions, ignore their obligations and do not share responsibility towards these persons. Some of the citizens, for the purpose of obtaining the necessary services for their children, moved to the capital. However, this could not solve their problems. A subprogram aimed at rehabilitating the children with autism, funded by the Tbilisi city budget, cannot cover the needs of all children and there is a waiting list.

The recent events have once again proved the necessity of implementation of Public Defender’s recommendations, including collection and maintenance of statistics on persons with disabilities, development of programs based on the analysis and survey of the needs of the abovementioned people.

On World Autism Awareness Day, the Public Defender of Georgia once again calls on the Government to take timely and effective steps in order to solve the existing problems, provide necessary programs for persons with autism, actively support protection of their rights, develop relevant services and ensure their proper operation.