The Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Autism Art and Development Center is pioneering the education of hundreds of students.

The Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Autism Art and Development Center, established by Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu, is pioneering the education of hundreds of students and contributing to their development.

Located within the Aydın Textile Park, students at the Autism Art and Development Center learn while having fun under the guidance of expert instructors and have the opportunity to socialize through various activities. Students receive education in areas such as music, painting, life skills, and sports, while also learning to read, write, and basic mathematics through one-on-one lessons, receiving support education, and improving their hand-foot and body coordination with physiotherapy services.

Parents who bring their children to the institution, which provides education six days a week from 09:00 to 18:00, can spend their days in designated waiting areas within the unique atmosphere of Aydın Textile Park while witnessing their children’s development. Emphasizing the importance of centers like the Autism Art and Development Center, which provides free educational services, Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu stated, “Our Autism Art and Development Center serves both our children and older individuals with autism. We are aware of autism, we understand it. We will continue to support the education of our citizens with autism.”

“We thank Mayor Özlem”
After being diagnosed with autism, Fuat Güner, who moved to Aydın and started receiving education at the metropolitan municipality’s centers, thanked Mayor Çerçioğlu, saying, “We benefit from the educational institutions of the Metropolitan Municipality. There is a swimming pool, we go to the gym, we attend painting classes, and we receive sensory integration lessons. We are very pleased, and we are also very pleased with our teachers. They help us in every way possible. We thank Mayor Özlem for providing us these opportunities. I believe education contributes in every aspect; it contributes to language development, coordination, and self-sufficiency. My son can do everything at home by himself; he helps us out. He can cook and clean, and he can assist us in all matters. We thank Mayor Özlem and wish her continued success.”

“My son started to speak after coming to the center”
Nurşen Aydın stated that they were able to observe changes in their child after attending the Autism Art and Development Center, saying, “I am very pleased with our teachers and the center. We receive services here for free, and we have made about 70-80% progress. Especially in language development, we have made progress. My son receives occupational therapy, language training, individual development education, and sports lessons. We have made significant progress; he couldn’t speak at all before, but now he can express himself, he can talk, and he can handle everything by himself. I thank Mayor Özlem very much for providing such opportunities.”

“We know that Mayor Özlem is alongside autism mothers”
Ayşe Gökbel remarked that they know Mayor Çerçioğlu stands by individuals with autism and their parents. She said, “My child was diagnosed with autism in 2022, and we have been receiving support from the Aydın Metropolitan Municipality’s institutions for 2 years. This place is very important for us, especially our teachers are very good. I thank Özlem Çerçioğlu very much for bringing this center to Aydın. We have made progress thanks to this place; our teachers know how far we have come. Thank God. I am grateful for this center. Of course, understanding those who are mothers of children with autism is something very special for us; I thank Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu very much; we have a president who understands the parents in Aydın.”

“Aydın is very lucky because we have Mayor Özlem”
Aydın Autism Youth and Sports Club Association President Adnan Özdemir expressed satisfaction with the educational programs conducted by the metropolitan municipality for individuals with autism and thanked Mayor Çerçioğlu on behalf of the parents, saying, “Aydın is very lucky in this regard because we have a mayor like Özlem; we refer to her as the mother of our autistic children. The Autism Art and Development Center has achieved incredible success in the developmental process of children. It was the beginning of the steps taken to integrate these children into life as a whole and to create behavioral changes. Together with Mayor Özlem, the development of our children has reached the highest level. We thank Özlem Çerçioğlu, who is the mother of our autistic children, always with us, and whose strength we always feel by our side, for enabling our children to integrate into social life and to exist within society.