Carried out with the support of MetLife Foundation, the ParentWell Project aims to strengthen the psychological well-being and emotional resilience of family members and caregivers of children with autism.

As part of the project, structured group-based psychological support sessions will be conducted by expert psychologists for the families and caregivers of students studying at the TOHUM Autism Foundation Educational Institutions. Topics such as coping with stress and anxiety, self-compassion and self-care, recognizing and regulating emotions, psychological flexibility, management of caregiving burden, family adaptation, and social support mechanisms will be addressed. Through six-week sessions, it is planned to reach a total of 135 family members across 15 groups.

As part of the project, to be made available to families, a Psychological Resilience Guide and short video content will be prepared. Throughout the implementation, the program's alignment with families’ needs will be regularly monitored using participation, feedback, and evaluation data collected during the process. The project, which is scheduled to start in February 2026, is aimed to conclude in February 2028.

With the “Disaster Preparedness for Individuals with Autism: Safe and Accessible Support Project,” which we implemented within the scope of the “Project for Supporting the Capacity of CSOs in Disaster Risk Management,” funded by the European Union and carried out by the Civil Society Development Center Association (STGM), we aimed to make visible the unique impacts of disaster risks on individuals with autism and to contribute to the development of inclusive, accessible, and safe support mechanisms for these individuals.

As part of the project, we prepared guide content addressing the challenges that individuals with autism may face before, during, and after a disaster. We transformed this content into training programs, taking into account the needs of IMM fire and disaster affairs teams, Disaster Platform member NGOs, and NGOs operating in the field of autism. During the theoretical and practical training sessions, we shared various drill scenarios and application workflows that participants could use within their own institutions. We conducted practical activities and disaster preparedness drills with participants at the TOHUM Autism Foundation Special Education Practice School. A total of 85 people benefited from these trainings. In addition, by developing collaborations with various public institutions and NGOs in Ankara and Istanbul, we conducted advocacy meetings toward inclusive disaster management. We implemented our project for one year, from February 2025 to February 2026.

To project contents TOHUM Autism Foundation Training Portal’You can reach us from.

Inclusive Preparedness and Response Guide

Special Needs Individual Information Card

As part of the project carried out to strengthen the educational activities of Malatya Ibn-i Sina Special Education Practice School, we identified the physical and educational needs of the school and carried out activities for project financing. With the support of the Bridge to Türkiye Fund, we equipped 12 special education classrooms where students with autism receive education with educational materials and technological devices, and delivered the classroom materials. We also established a sensory integration room for the school.

As part of the project, we provided training to teachers working at the school regarding the behavioral and communication issues of individuals with autism. To support the professional development of teachers in a sustainable manner, their participation in the Every Classroom Has a TOHUM Teachers Community was facilitated. We completed our project in February 2026, which benefited 50 teachers, 48 students with autism, and indirectly 96 family members.

We completed our project in June 2025.

With the support of the Bridge to Türkiye Fund, considering the uninterrupted and intensive education needs of earthquake-affected children with autism, we opened 2 special education container classrooms in the Hope Town established by Koç Holding in Hatay in 2023. We equipped the container classrooms with educational and technological materials suitable for individuals with autism. We conducted regular teacher training sessions for the special education teachers working in the container classrooms. We aimed for 4 students with autism to be educated by 2 teachers in each classroom.

We completed our project in August 2025.

We implemented the project, funded under the Civil Society Networks Grant Program published by the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey, under the leadership of the Barrier-Free and Happy Life Association and in partnership with the Down Syndrome Association and the Turkey Spina Bifida Association. With the project, which started in June 2020 and lasted for 48 months, we aimed to contribute to children with disabilities enjoying all human rights and fundamental freedoms under equal conditions with other children, and to take steps towards a barrier-free world.

In the first stage, we focused on strengthening the institutional and organizational structure of the Disabled Children Rights Network (DCRN), and subsequently on developing DCRN's social skills and enhancing its communication with member components. Furthermore, we promoted strategic collaborations between DCRN and public institutions at the local and national levels.

As part of the project, as the Foundation, we held a total of 14 round-table meetings in 14 cities with public representatives, local representatives, and civil society organization members, reaching 280 people. We signed cooperation protocols with 10 universities and 1 local government.

We completed the project in 2024. For details www.echa.org.tr You can visit the address.

Within the scope of the European Union Erasmus+ Program, in this project carried out by Eskişehir Anadolu University with our Foundation as a partner, we provided web-based written and visual materials to support children's development during daily school routines, activities, and transitions for preschool educators. Within the scope of the project, we created booklets for preschool educators to support children's development during daily school routines, activities, and transitions. We also filmed videos containing expert explanations and application examples and added them to the web portal. We defined this content as a professional development process and issued certificates to those who successfully completed the process.

We completed the project in 2024. For the project details www.dogalogretimprojesi.com You can visit the address.

With the project supported by IKGPRO in 2022, we aimed to provide support for families of students in need of special education for integrative education.

Our specific objectives:

• to increase the competencies of special education teachers, psychologists, and guidance and psychological counselors working in Guidance and Research Centers (RAM) regarding family support,
• To provide support to the families of students with special needs,
• To make the support provided to families sustainable by establishing information and support mechanisms for families, and to spread this support nationwide.

Within the scope of the project, we developed a training program aimed at enhancing the professional competencies of Counseling and Research Center (RAM) personnel. We trained 20 personnel selected from the RAMs in Istanbul, Ankara, Gaziantep, and Kütahya in Istanbul for 2 weekends (6 full days). We ensured that the personnel who benefited from the training organized at least one training session and conducted one family workshop for other RAM personnel (20 people) working in their respective provinces. We provided on-the-job supervision to the RAM personnel throughout the training sessions and family workshops they organized. To measure the impact of the training program, we conducted evaluation activities in the said RAMs. We completed the project in 2022.

With the project carried out by the Eskişehir Provincial Directorate of Disaster Coordination, in which our Foundation participated as a partner, we produced educational documents using evidence-based instructional practices so that individuals with autism, Down syndrome, or intellectual disabilities can exhibit the correct skills after disasters and emergencies.

With the documents we produced, we aimed to provide individuals with skills such as communicating with the right people, staying safe, and overcoming various risks when left alone in the crisis and chaos environment following disasters and emergencies. Within the scope of the project, we created an easy-to-read disaster and emergency glossary, a distance education portal, a guide for search and rescue teams, and a digital library.

We completed the project in 2022. For the project details afadotizmdown.ogu.edu.tr/moodle You can visit the address.

With the project funded under the Civil Society Support Program – III, published in 2022, we aimed to establish a structured and sustainable dialogue between vulnerable children and the NGOs and volunteers working for them. Our specific objectives in the project were:

• improving the voluntary management capacity of and for NGOs working with vulnerable children,
• To develop the skills of volunteers in working with vulnerable groups,
• To strengthen the collective working capacity of target NGOs,
• developing and disseminating a volunteer management program for NGOs,
• To promote the social inclusion of vulnerable groups through volunteer support.

Within the scope of the project, we developed a Volunteer Management Program. We designed an Abuse Prevention Tool for volunteers. We conducted a Capacity Building Pilot Study. We organized workshops for volunteers. We carried out visibility activities. We conducted monitoring and evaluation studies and organized a Volunteering Summit.

In our project, carried out in partnership with the Istanbul Bilgi University Sociology and Education Studies Application and Research Center (SEÇBİR) and with the support of the Sabancı Foundation, we aimed to raise disability awareness among preschool and primary school students, and to foster the integration of students with and without disabilities through interactive materials. We implemented the project in three phases between 2017 and 2019.

During the 1st Period of the project;

• We conducted a comprehensive literature review to identify successful inclusion practices and observed that the term inclusive education is frequently used in the field of education.
• Under the guidance of the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education, we held informative meetings in 3 pilot schools selected, and conducted an ethnographic study in one school to analyze the school climate.
• We implemented an 8-week training program on disability rights, inclusive education, and combating discrimination for 24 teachers from 3 schools.
• With our content development team of experts, we prepared an animated film, a board game, and an activity book aimed at the integration of students with and without disabilities.
• We developed a training module for parents and conducted a workshop with the participation of 20 parents.
• We prepared a teacher guide to share all the content and experiences we developed during the project process with other teachers as well.
• We reached 150 teachers by conducting informational meetings and in-service training in pilot schools.

In the second phase of the project,;

• We implemented the animated film, board game, and activity book we prepared in the first year at 2 pilot schools in Istanbul.
• We have prepared a teacher's guide to share all the content with other teachers as well.
• We conducted comprehensive awareness campaigns in 2 pilot schools on specific days and weeks such as November 20 Universal Children's Day, December 3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and May 10-16 Disabilities Week.
• At the festivals organized in schools, we engaged approximately 1,500 students in workshops such as Introduction to Turkish Sign Language, Accessible Materials, Accessible School for Everyone, and Differences Together.
• We set up a project website to share all the content and research we produce.
• “We conducted the research titled ”Inclusive Education in Turkey from the Perspective of Parents with a Focus on Disability.".

During the IIIrd Period of the project;

• We held two-day face-to-face meetings in four regions, with Istanbul, Izmir, Erzurum, and Gaziantep as the meeting cities, with the participation of 90 teachers from 17 provinces.
• Following the meetings, we organized a total of 38 events, including one digital event, across 14 provinces with the participation of 33 individuals. Through these events, we reached a total of 765 students and 504 teachers.
• We updated the teacher's guide following the training sessions held at the two pilot schools.
• In addition, we prepared and published the information note titled “Education Under Pandemic Conditions: Teacher Experiences and Inclusive Strategies”.
• During Disability Awareness Week, May 10–16, we ran a social media campaign using the hashtag ##HerkesAynıOlsa, and through this campaign, we reached over 4 million people.

With the Turkey Autism Network Strengthening Project we carried out in 2021, we aimed to strengthen the advocacy skills and institutional capacities of NGOs working in the field of autism, contribute to establishing a concrete dialogue with public authorities within the framework of the National Autism Action Plan (NAAP), and create a sustainable monitoring mechanism for the NAAP.

Within the scope of the project, we organized trainings to develop the institutional capacities and advocacy skills of NGOs. We provided mentoring support for institutional development. We held mapping meetings regarding the problem areas concerning NGOs. We conducted the Autism Partnership Network's NAAP awareness campaign. We ensured the mapping of NAAP's theory of change and indicators for strategic and sustainable monitoring. We prepared the NAAP Monitoring Report. We organized roundtable meetings for public dialogue.

For the details of the project www.otizmturkiye.org You can visit the address.

Within the scope of the Sexual Development and Education Guide for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Project, which we carried out with the support of the European Union Civil Rights Program (Civil Thoughts/Sivil Düşün): Special Things That Connect Us, we translated the sexual development and education guides of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (Vanderbilt Consortium LEND) into Turkish and made them accessible primarily to families and anyone interested in this field.

To share the guide’s content, we organized a webinar titled “Sexual Development and Education for Children with OSB” with the participation of parents and experts. We distributed both the printed and digital versions of the booklet free of charge. You can access the booklet from the “Publications” page on our website or via the “Resources” section of the TOHUM Autism Foundation Education Portal.

Between 2017 and 2019, we implemented the “Road to Education” Project—financed under the TANAP Social and Environmental Investment Programs of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project and carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education—in 20 provinces along the TANAP Natural Gas Pipeline route (Ardahan, Kars, Yozgat, Erzincan, Giresun, Ankara, Sivas, Kırıkkale, Kütahya, Balıkesir, Edirne, Erzurum, Bayburt, Gümüşhane, Kırşehir, Eskişehir, Bilecik, Bursa, Çanakkale, and Tekirdağ).

We aimed to increase the professional capacity of master trainers and teachers regarding autism in the provinces, and to raise the level of knowledge and awareness about autism among families and the local population. Within the scope of the project, we equipped a total of 60 special education classrooms in 20 provinces with special education and technology materials in accordance with the standards of the Ministry of National Education. We provided training to 1,500 teachers in the provinces we visited, and reached 1,800 families and local government representatives.

You can download the booklets we published within the scope of the project for free.

We developed and implemented the “My Tablet Computer Speaks for Me” – TOHUM 1 and TOHUM 2 projects with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, aiming to encourage the use of technological advancements in the education of individuals with autism and to expand educational opportunities in every setting. Within the scope of the project, we organized awareness seminars and increased the project's visibility by holding a press conference.

In 2015, we converted our tablet applications into an Android version and made them available in both the App Store and the Google Play Store. Afterwards, we integrated these applications into our TOHUM Education mobile application.

Supported by the Rotterdam University Alumni Association and conducted between September 2015 and September 2016, the aim of our project is to develop a new tablet application that can be used in the education of children with autism, conduct pilot studies of the application, and organize awareness seminars in Istanbul.

As a result of the project, we developed the "Listen & Understand" mobile application, which aims to improve children's listening comprehension skills. We made the mobile application available for free download on iOS and Android tablets and phones.

Within the scope of the “For My Country” Project carried out by Koç Holding and supported throughout the 2013-2014 academic year, we provided training at the Beylikdüzü Special Education Vocational Training Center Project with the aim of equipping individuals with autism with vocational skills through scientific educational techniques and preparing them for working life.

At the Beylikdüzü Special Education Work Application Center, operating under the Ministry of National Education, our special education experts provided in-service training at the TOHUM Foundation Special Education School. Following these trainings, we provided supervision support once a week throughout the 2013-2014 academic year.

With this project that we carried out at the Beylikdüzü Special Education Business Application Center, which aims to be the model school of the future, we supported educators in creating and implementing a curriculum equipped with scientific techniques and content.

Co-funded by the European Union and carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Family and Social Policies, our project titled “Give Way to My Independence” has two main objectives. The first is to teach fundamental pedestrian skills, which are essential for the social integration of individuals with developmental disabilities (intellectual disability and autism), and the second is to raise awareness among heavy traffic users, particularly drivers, by reminding them that they share the roads with individuals who have differences.

Within the scope of the project, we developed an educational program to teach traffic skills to children with autism and intellectual disabilities and conducted pilot implementations. After the implementations, we finalized the training program and created a training booklet and a CD.

Awareness Campaign Radio Spots

In 2012, with the support of the US Embassy in Ankara, we carried out a project starting from the question of how technological developments can be used in the education of individuals with autism and what solutions could be applied in Turkey. In the project, we developed the first Turkish applications for individuals with autism. We worked to contribute to the education of children with autism in Turkey, to increase the use of technology in education, and to integrate these applications into the educational system. Within this scope, we selected the TOHUM Autism Foundation Special Education School and Eskişehir Anadolu University Research Institute for Individuals with Disabilities as pilot schools.

We kicked off the project's initial workshops with the participation of Micah Eckhardt from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who conducts research on the use of technology in the education of individuals with autism in the US. The first of the two-day workshops was held with experts from the Research Institute for Individuals with Disabilities at Anadolu University in Eskisehir, and the second with experts from the TOHUM Autism Foundation Special Education School. Software developers who will create the first Turkish applications, representatives of organizations in the IT field, and academicians from the Istanbul Technical University Computer Engineering Department also participated in the workshops.

At the end of a one-year project that included initial and follow-up workshops, practices we conducted with families and teachers in pilot schools, data collection, and reporting, we completed the first Turkish tablet applications specifically prepared for children with autism and took the first step in this field.

We launched our project, supported by the MATRA grant of the Consulate General of the Netherlands, in June 2012 and completed it in June 2013. With this project, we aimed to bring parents of children with autism aged 0-8 living in Istanbul—preferably newly diagnosed—closer to autism by informing them through two-day seminars, and to develop university youth in both professional and social responsibility terms. Thus, we aimed to contribute to the integration of children with autism into society.

Within the scope of the project, in the two-day seminars we provided, we focused on the characteristics of autism, behavioral control in autism, how to interact with individuals with autism, and what can be expected from individuals with autism at different stages of life.

The seminars were given to the parents involved in the project by 3rd and 4th-year university psychology students. During the two-day seminars, the participating parents' children with autism were cared for by 1st and 2nd-year psychology students. All students involved in the project went through an orientation program prepared by our expert staff and fulfilled their responsibilities throughout the project under the supervision of our expert team.

which we prepared in 2010 within the framework of the European Union's Grant Program for Strengthening Early Childhood Education, aimed at all family members—especially parents—educators, teachers, experts, and anyone interested in autism www.tohumotizmportali.org we offered the portal named free of charge for the use of all of Turkey.

Following the seminars and meetings we organized in Antalya, Edirne, Trabzon, Eskişehir, Samsun, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Van, Kayseri, Denizli, Istanbul, and Bursa with the support of the Ministry of National Education, there was high participation from educators and students as well as parents in the evaluation meetings where we shared developments regarding the portal.

In the portal prepared by our experienced team of experts and consultants, we have created 6 sections and 22 modules on detailed information regarding autism, conducting early intervention studies with children with autism at home, coping with behavioral problems, and preparing children for different stages of life. When portal members answer the tests for the first 11 modules, they become eligible to receive the Beginner Level Certificate of Achievement, and when they answer all 22 modules, they become eligible to receive the Advanced Level Certificate of Achievement.

You can register on our portal to use it free of charge.

We completed our project, which was supported in 2010 under the Sabancı Foundation Social Development Grant Program, in partnership with the Education Reform Initiative (ERG). In the project, we aimed to ensure that both children with autism and other children with special needs receive quality education within the scope of inclusive practices.

We carried out pilot applications with the project aiming to bridge the gap between laws and practice, raise awareness among rights holders, and improve opportunities for students with disabilities to receive education under the same conditions as their peers.

Although legal regulations support inclusive education, we observed that the necessary infrastructure for schools to implement this practice remains inadequate. Therefore, we provided teachers with seminars in the field of inclusion; through festivals and talks we organized in schools, we raised awareness among parents and shared the project with the public. We had an independent organization evaluate, using scientific methods, the effectiveness of all activities in the project, which we implemented in 3 pilot schools located in socioeconomically diverse regions of Istanbul.

As a result of the project, we developed a model proposal for Turkey and shared it with decision-makers and the public. The reports we created within the scope of the project are:

In the project supported by the European Union in 2007, which we carried out in partnership with the Bursa Association for the Education of Autistic Children and the Adana Autism Association, we aimed to train special education teachers and Guidance and Research Center (RAM) personnel on autism in order to increase the social participation of children with autism in five pilot regions, namely Bursa, Adana, Gaziantep, Kocaeli, and İzmir. Taking into account the age and developmental characteristics of children with autism, we aimed to ensure that they benefit from educational opportunities at the highest level and at an early stage in line with their needs.

In this context:

• We provided training to RAM personnel in 5 pilot provinces on “Family Education: Supporting the Development of Children with Autism in the Early Childhood (0-3 years) Period” and provided families with children with autism the skills to support their children's development.
• We have completed the 160-hour “Autism Expertise Training” certificate program for 60 special education teachers determined by the Ministry of National Education from all over Turkey.

In 2006, we carried out the Autism Screening Project, which was funded by the European Union and carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. This project was the first study conducted in this field in Turkey.

In the project, we evaluated approximately 46,000 children aged 18–36 months, who were brought to primary healthcare centers and MCH-FP (Mother and Child Health and Family Planning) centers in Adana, Bursa, Gaziantep, Izmir, and Kocaeli for routine check-ups, for the risk of autism spectrum disorder. We conducted the evaluation in two stages. In the first stage, nurses or midwives administered the M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers). This scale included 23 items answered based on the opinion of the parent or primary caregiver. Following this evaluation, physicians administered the CHAT (Checklist for Autism in Toddlers) to the children identified in the risk group. In the CHAT, we included child observations in addition to parental opinions. Our research findings showed that there were significant differences among provinces in terms of risk; however, there was no major difference between genders.

The results we obtained in this project revealed not the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder, but the risk of autism spectrum disorder. We saw that this risk is close to the situation in the US and Australia. We have thus conducted the first study in Turkey investigating the risk of autism in early childhood across five different provinces and on a very large population. In addition, we held meetings with authorities related to the issue of autism in the research provinces and provided autism-related training to 1,250 physicians and healthcare personnel.

With all these efforts, we have undertaken a very important function in providing information and raising awareness about autism. In addition, we referred the parents of children at risk of autism to specialists for more detailed evaluations and considered this service a very important contribution.

With the support of the Doğuş Otomotiv Traffic is Life Social Responsibility Platform, we developed the Safe Traffic Skills Training Kit with the aim of helping individuals with autism acquire the skills necessary to recognize hazards they may encounter as pedestrians or in public transportation.

We have prepared the kit with visual materials regarding important traffic skills such as fastening a seatbelt, crossing the street using traffic lights, using a school bus, and wearing a helmet. We have also included alternative communication cards for non-verbal autistic children, as well as guides and checklists for families and teachers inside the kit.

We organized 16 workshops to deliver the developed kit to teachers and parents. Through these workshops, we reached 350 teachers and 107 parents. We held a webinar titled “Teaching Safe Traffic Skills to Individuals with Autism" and the kit contents TOHUM Autism Foundation Training Portal’uploaded to it.

We will continue the Safe Traffic Skills Teaching workshops in 2026 as well.

With the support of Gazella Turizm and Evolog Lojistik, considering the uninterrupted and intensive education needs of earthquake-affected children with autism, we opened 2 special education container classrooms in the Hope Town established by Koç Holding in Adıyaman in 2023. We equipped the container classrooms with educational and technological materials suitable for individuals with autism. We provided regular teacher training sessions for the special education teachers working in the container classrooms. We aimed for 4 students with autism to be educated by 2 teachers in each classroom.

We completed our project in August 2025.

Based on the need to support the social and play skills of children with autism, we made adaptations for children with autism in 6 Moritoys board games and provided users with the answer to the question, “How do you play this game with a child with autism?”.

As a first of its kind in Turkey, our aim in this project is to bring all children together with the same content without categorizing them and regardless of their developmental status, and to increase the social interactions of children with autism with different groups.

We won the İbrahim Bodur Social Entrepreneurship Award with our Playful Children with Autism Project.

In order to help children with autism acquire self-care skills, enhance their individual development, and support their independence, we developed a “Personal Hygiene Kit” in collaboration with Henkel and İstegelsin. In 2022, we organized teacher workshops in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir to teach how to use the kits we developed. Reaching a total of 120 teachers in these workshops, we delivered the Personal Hygiene Kits to the teachers and provided them with support to help their students with autism acquire personal hygiene and self-care skills.

As part of the Akbank “The City at Its Best” Project, which began in 2015 and ran for two years, we at the TOHUM Autism Foundation met with young university student volunteers during specific periods of the year. To date, we have brought together a total of 300 young university student volunteers through this project. In 2019, we held a “Chocolate Workshop” with 100 young volunteers. In 2020, we organized an “Autism Awareness Training” session online with 200 young volunteers and developed an Autism Awareness Instagram Filter to raise awareness about autism.

In the project, we aimed to improve students' visual perception, 3D thinking, and spatial reasoning skills through their building activities within Minecraft. With Minecraft workshops, we offered children the opportunity to learn by doing and experiencing together with their friends, either under the guidance of an educator or through peer education.

We organized the trainings titled “Early Education Program Development and Activity Schedules Planning for Children with Autism,” which we carried out with the support of Garanti Bank, on October 6–7, 2013 and October 27–28, 2013. As a result of the selections made by the Provincial Directorate of National Education, we ensured that 44 teachers working in the districts of Beylikdüzü, Şişli, Beyoğlu, Beşiktaş, Kağıthane, and Sarıyer participated in the trainings.

On the first day of the two-day training sessions, we provided theoretical information to the teachers and supported the training with numerous video examples and role-playing exercises. On the second day of the training, we gave teachers the opportunity to observe and practice at the Private TOHUM Foundation Special Education School. We conducted the trainings between 10:00 and 16:00.

We shared with all teachers participating in the trainings the autism education kit, the booklet “Education, Therapy and Treatment Methods in ASD”, the booklet “Autism: Now What”, the book “Teaching Speech Skills to Children with Autism”, the book “Activity Schedules in the Education of Children with Autism”, the Early Childhood Education Program Development Checklist for Children with Autism, a sample Individualized Teaching Plan, and presentation notes.

We conducted a satisfaction survey for the teachers at the end of the trainings. According to the survey results, the teachers' level of benefiting from the training and satisfaction was 7 out of 7.

As part of our long-term cooperation with the TOHUM Autism Foundation and Starbucks Türkiye, aimed at raising awareness about autism in society, we prepared an animated film titled “The Rainbow School” to ensure that all students during the inclusive education process become aware of the presence and characteristics of individuals with special needs.

In addition to our ongoing collaboration since 2009, the animated film Rainbow School, prepared with the support of Starbucks Turkey, has been completed under the direction of İdil Ar and narrated by Ceyda Düvenci as part of a social responsibility initiative.

We reached large audiences by sharing The Rainbow School Animated Film on our social media accounts. In addition, as part of dissemination activities, we screened the film in primary schools providing mainstream education in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Turkey during the 2013-2014 academic year.

You can watch the Rainbow School animated movie here:

With the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports“ ”Support Program for the Empowerment of Youth Affected by Disasters" and in cooperation with the Malatya Provincial Health Directorate, the project we carried out between March 2025 and January 2026 aimed to support the social, physical, and vocational skills of autistic youth living in the Renaissance 1 Container City in Yeşilyurt, Malatya, who were affected by the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. Within the scope of the project, we implemented sports, daily living, and vocational training programs to support the transition of autistic youth to independent living, their participation in community life, and their post-disaster physical and psychological well-being.

In line with the needs analysis we conducted at the beginning of the project, we established a daily living container—where structured training on motor skills, self-care, hygiene, leisure, and vocational skills is carried out—along with a sports container. Throughout the project, a total of 41 autistic youth, 14 girls and 27 boys, benefited from these spaces and project activities. We provided continuous professional support to the 12 teachers working in the containers through 5 days of trainer training, 9 days of on-the-job supervision, and 12 online case analysis meetings.

We organized 4 family workshops on topics such as preventing problem behaviors and teaching hygiene skills in order to strengthen families' capacities to support their children's development in the post-disaster period. At the end of the project, family members shared with us that, thanks to the sports and daily life containers, their children established daily routines, their levels of stress and tension decreased, and balance was restored in their homes. The content produced within the scope of the project TOHUM Autism Foundation Training Portal’shared on.

Project Evaluation Report

Following the February 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health's Department of Mentally Special Needs and Rare Diseases and the Malatya Provincial Health Directorate, we brought the TOHUM Autism Foundation Support Education Container to life within the Malatya Renaissance Container City.

Within the scope of the project, we employed a teacher in the support education container for 2 months and 5 days. We provided a total of 281 hours of special education classes to 29 autistic children and young people. With the support of a volunteer psychiatrist from the Ministry of Health, we conducted 14 health examination sessions and organized 2 family training sessions.

With the protocol we signed with the Malatya Provincial Health Directorate in October 2023, we left the container for the use of the Yeşilyurt District Directorate of National Education and the Malatya Provincial Health Directorate.

Within the scope of this project, which is supported by the Istanbul Development Agency and carried out in cooperation with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education, and the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Public Health, we worked with volunteer family physicians and family health personnel in Istanbul between March and December 2017. We screened a total of 9,010 children aged 18–36 months visiting Family Health Centers for autism risk using the autism screening scale (M-CHAT) software.

As a result of the screening, 911 children in the first stage and 322 children in the second stage were found to be at risk. Out of the 234 children examined, 73 were diagnosed with autism. We conducted this study with a total of 255 volunteers, including 167 family physicians and 88 family health workers, at 127 Family Health Centers across 31 districts of Istanbul.

Within the scope of the project, we also provided educational assessment training to 36 RAM personnel and mainstreaming education to 76 preschool teachers. For families, we prepared a skill-building booklet set consisting of 10 booklets.

With this project, which we launched in 2015, we aimed to enable high school students to develop social responsibility activities that draw attention to autism and establish meaningful communication with individuals with autism, to raise awareness about autism in schools and families, and to ensure the continuity of this awareness.

We carried out the project, which includes voluntary teacher training and workshops with students aimed at enabling high school youth to develop social responsibility projects for individuals with autism, in 3 high schools in Istanbul. We selected 5 volunteer teachers from each high school and 25 students for each teacher.

We developed separate educational content for the training of teachers and students. We provided teachers with a 1-day orientation about the project and a 4-day training on autism. We equipped them with the skills to conduct and implement social responsibility development workshops.

During the workshops, our experts visited the project high schools once a week to provide supervision to the teachers. We organized orientation activities to facilitate the students' interaction process with autistic individuals.

With the Creativity Workshops in Schools Project, which was supported by the Istanbul Development Agency in 2015 within the scope of the Financial Support Program for Creative Industries, we aimed to develop the creative skills of children with developmental disabilities and contribute to the growth of the creative industries sector in Istanbul.

Within the scope of the project, we established music, art, and ceramics workshops in 12 inclusive schools, and organized trainer trainings and awareness seminars.

In the project carried out with the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, we aimed to pioneer the early diagnosis of children with autism, their integration into society through early special education, and ensure that this is scaled up nationwide. In this direction, we aimed to create autism awareness in Gaziantep, develop the capacity of local actors, and contribute to the local implementation of the Draft Autism Action Plan prepared under the coordination of the Ministry of Family and Social Policies by scaling it to the province of Gaziantep.

In 2015, as part of the project, we provided training to families, educators, family physicians, and pediatricians.

In the project we carried out for the Vocational Qualifications Authority of the Republic of Turkey in 2013, we aimed to support the training and employment of professionals in sufficient numbers and with the necessary qualifications to provide rights-based services improved in accordance with national and international legal and administrative regulations for children with developmental disabilities.

In the project, we conducted advocacy efforts to train and employ professionals capable of providing rights-based services improved in line with national and international legal and administrative regulations for children with developmental delays in order to achieve this goal.

Supported by the Istanbul Development Agency in 2012 within the scope of the Financial Support Program for Economic Development Focused on Information and Communication Technologies for Non-Profit Organizations, and lasting for 9 months, we prepared a new website with the “Project for Increasing Learning Opportunities of Children with Autism through Technology” so that disadvantaged children with autism can learn concepts they can use in communication, academic, and daily life more effectively, easily, and enjoyably in any environment with the help of technology.

As part of the project, instructors at the TOHUM Autism Foundation Special Education School developed 50 educational program sets that can be used in daily life for concept teaching sets aimed at children with autism or intellectual disabilities, as well as typically developing children aged 0-8. These sets included a total of 300 different concepts. Of the 50 educational programs we developed, 20 were designed around object matching, 20 around object discrimination, and 10 around categorizing objects. Thus, we contributed to the target group's learning of concepts such as shapes, colors, fruits, vegetables, and beverages.

To promote the Kavram software, we held introductory seminars for educators and families in the Bağcılar, Kadıköy, Şişli, Zeytinburnu, and Beylikdüzü districts of Istanbul. We ensured that children gained knowledge regarding access to and use of the software. Following the development of the software, we reached a total of 525 people, including families and teachers, and provided 1,050 hours of training over the course of two months.

We have made the concept software, which we designed in the form of a game, available for free on iOS and Android-based tablets.

In the project, we aimed to provide professional development for teachers on evidence-based practices, and to contribute to children with autism of compulsory school age receiving high-quality education tailored to their needs by organizing classrooms in accordance with the children's educational goals and equipping them with materials.

Within the scope of the project, we conducted a total of 15 workshops. We held 5 workshops in the 2010-11 academic year and 10 workshops in the 2011-12 academic year. We organized the workshops on Mondays and Tuesdays at the ITO Autistic Children Education Center (OÇEM), and on Wednesdays at Lokman Hekim OÇEM. Thus, we conducted workshops for a total of 45 days in both schools.

We invited the teachers of both schools to the TOHUM Autism Foundation in 5 groups for on-site observations 6 times. We provided administrator training to school principals twice in each of the first and second terms, totaling four times. We provided supervision to the schools a total of 12 times with our 2 master trainers from the TOHUM Autism Foundation.

As part of a project we are carrying out in partnership with the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education, the Istanbul Development Agency, and the TOHUM Autism Foundation, we launched a vocational training program in the Beylikdüzü district for young people with autism aged 15–21. The program began in September 2012.

The general objective of the project is to increase the employability of disadvantaged young people with autism by developing their vocational skills and to contribute to independent living conditions where they can stand on their own feet. The sub-objectives are:

• To develop a vocational training program where autistic youth aged 15–21 can receive education, and to establish the physical and educational infrastructure,
• to ensure the participation of autistic youth in the active workforce by equipping them with job skills in the fields of textiles (screen printing operation) and tourism (housekeeping and laundry staff),
• To bring together vocationally trained autistic youth with employers in the tourism and textile sectors and to carry out activities aimed at helping them secure employment,

The target audience of the project consisted of autistic youth aged 15-21, their teachers, families, and employers in the tourism and textile sectors. Taking into account the prerequisite skills specified in the project's activity plan, we accepted autistic youth under the age of 18 who had graduated from an Autistic Children's Education Center, a Special Education School, or an inclusion program into the vocational training program. Within the scope of the project, we provided expert educator support, undertook the training of educators who will work in the Vocational Training School, and provided supervision support.

With this project, which we realized in 2024–2025 in cooperation with the Civil Thought Program and the Doğuş Otomotiv Traffic is Life Social Responsibility Platform, we aimed to print and distribute the book “Teaching Safety Skills for Teachers and Parents.” With this guidebook, we aimed to break the prejudices of parents and teachers regarding the teaching of safety skills, ensure that they understand why these skills are necessary, and increase their awareness.

The book provides guidance on identifying the safety skills children possess, teaching these skills using evidence-based instructional practices, planning the teaching process, and transferring the skills to different situations. Additionally, it aims to teach children with autism the safety skills required in various settings such as home, school, community life, and the digital environment.

With the “Every Class Is a TOHUM” Project, which began in 2015, we aimed to ensure that children with autism enrolled in special education classes had access to high-quality special education, with their best interests in mind. Through the project, we provided educational materials and technological devices to the special education classes where children with autism receive instruction, thanks to the support of our donors. We also organized training sessions for teachers, peers, and families at the schools.

To date, we have implemented the project in 213 special education classes across 43 cities in Turkey. We ensured the project’s sustainability by establishing the “Every Classroom Is a TOHUM Project Teachers” Community,” composed of special education teachers and guidance and psychological counselors from the participating classes, and we continued to provide regular teacher training.

We continue to carry on our project so that more and more children with autism can access quality education with each passing day.

Since 2018, as the TOHUM Autism Foundation, we have carried out 4 collaborative projects that enable autistic individuals to take an active role in the workforce. In these projects, we trained 4 job coaches for Eker Dairy Products, Net HealthCare (NHL) Logistics, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Pharmaceuticals, and Arvato Logistics, and enabled 23 autistic youths to join the workforce.

Our projects continue by offering on-site supervision and consulting services to business coaches. You can find more detailed information regarding the employment projects of the Tohum Autism Foundation here. TOHUM.

Within the scope of the project, we aimed to deliver the educational materials, educational toys, and technological devices needed by autistic children and their families affected by the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. We created educational toy kits by classifying educational materials and educational toys according to the 0-3 age, 3-6 age, 6-12 age, and 12-18 age groups. In addition, we prepared technological education kits by identifying potential technological devices such as tablets, tablet cases, and headphones.

To date, we have delivered 1,087 educational toy kits and 854 technological education kits to children with autism. Of this project, 500 educational toy kits and 375 technological education kits were funded by Turkish Philanthropy Funds (TPF), while 100 educational toy kits and 100 technological education kits were funded by Bridge to Türkiye.

In October 2007, we launched a campaign in Bursa to raise awareness about autism. During the campaign, which we conducted in the first two weeks of October, we worked in cooperation with local TV stations and newspapers, municipalities, and the Provincial Directorate of Health. With this campaign, we informed families on many issues related to autism to ensure that children with autism benefit from educational opportunities at the highest level and at an early stage in line with their needs, taking into account their age and developmental characteristics. For two weeks, we reached wide audiences by broadcasting jingles on the radio, showing films about autism on TV, and hanging posters in community health centers.

In cooperation with the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Library Directorate, we held Autism Family Meetings twice on the topic of “Teach Your Child Social Behaviors Yourself” at the Üftade Show and Conference Hall of the Bursa Metropolitan Library.

In cooperation with the Bursa Association for Autistic Children and the Ministry of National Education, we organized informational meetings titled “What is Autism? Legal Rights of the Family” in two sessions throughout the year at schools attended by primary and preschool mainstreaming students, specifically targeting preschool teachers and school administrators. Thus, we ensured that our children, who meet with teachers in preschool classrooms for the first time after their families, receive a diagnosis and begin intensive education without wasting time.

Within the framework of our protocol with the Ministry of National Education, we discussed carrying out joint efforts and providing support as a foundation to address the current shortage of educators in OÇEMs. Taking the current needs at OÇEM into account, we prepared a special program under the leadership of the TOHUM Autism Foundation Training Coordination.