Regional Government attended ceremony marking World Autism Awareness Day - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Educação, Cultura e Desporto

The Regional Secretary for Education, Culture and Sport, Sofia Ribeiro, and the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, attended the session marking World Autism Awareness Day on Tuesday at Praça Velha in Angra do Heroísmo. The initiative was organised by parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, teachers, PAV - Projeto de Apoio à Vida Association and APIT -  Amigos da Pediatria da Ilha Terceira Association. 

Mónica Seidi praised the efforts of all the professionals in the Regional Health Service who work in this area, acknowledging that, despite the daily efforts, there is still much to be done.

"There are gaps in our response, but I would like to say a word to everyone, particularly to the early intervention technical teams who do a commendable job in accompanying these children and their families. There are already 17 early intervention technical teams in the Region, although the response to these situations is not the same on all islands," she said.

Asked about the number of child psychiatrists in the Region, the Secretary for Health and Social Security explained that this area faces shortages.

"In the short term, we expect to launch a tender procedure for the Santo Espírito Hospital of Terceira Island, which currently has two service providers in this area," she said.

The Regional Secretary for Education, Culture and Sport, Sofia Ribeiro, who also attended the event, highlighted the efforts undertaken by the teams in these areas. In this regard, she noted that "the follow-up system for these children in schools has been changed with the implementation of the inclusive education system," which provides for "a preliminary assessment that includes differentiated measures for students."

This work involves various departments of the Regional Government of the Azores.