PRESS RELEASE 01 September 2025

 Every Child Has a Place in the Classroom:

The Class Ringing for Autistic Children!

In our country, only 44 thousand of the 700 thousand children with autism in the education age can access qualified education.

The new academic year is starting. While millions of students are preparing to start their classes, a large majority of children with autism are still unable to attend classrooms. Although there are approximately 700,000 children with autism in Turkey who are of school age, only 44,000 of them have access to qualified education. TOHUM The Autism Foundation is calling on the community to support this year’s “Return to School” campaign by drawing attention to the need for more autistic children to have access to qualified education.

The only known cure for autism: intensive and continuous special education starting with early diagnosis

Autism, a neuro-developmental difference that is present at birth and is noticed in the early years of life, is now seen in 1 in 31 children. Despite the increasing prevalence, the only known cure for autism is intensive and continuous special education, starting with early diagnosis.

Autism can often be manifested by certain behavioral differences in children between the ages of 0–3 years. The main symptoms that can be observed at this age include not making eye contact with others, not looking when their name is called, delayed speech development, not being able to point to what they want with their fingers, not being interested in the games played by their peers, swinging, kicking, walking on toes, excessive attention to rotating objects, and repetitive behaviors.

When families notice one or more of these symptoms in their children, they should seek the help of a specialist child and adolescent psychiatrist about autism without wasting time.

TOHUM Equal education call from Autism Foundation

The Autism Foundation, which has TOHUM been advocating in Turkey for the inclusion of children with autism in society through special education for 22 years, “Return to School” With its campaign, it aims to ensure that more autistic children benefit from quality education.

TOHUM Burçak Karakaya, General Manager of the Autism Foundation, In a statement made as part of the campaign, he said the following:“It is of great importance that autistic children be included in educational settings without being segregated.

It carries. However, children with autism who have access to qualified educational services acquire skills and grow into adulthood.

During these periods, they can join the working world and live more independently. TOHUM As the Autism Foundation 

We are working to increase scholarship opportunities so that more autistic children can access quality education.  

We are continuing our efforts to support educators by developing our work.”