Autism and Social State - 2

As April 2nd World Autism Awareness Day Approaches, Facts and Ignores

Although the Constitution states “a democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law,” the services provided for individuals with autism and their families make us question how much this statement lives up to its meaning.

In my previous article, I explained how the family of a newly diagnosed child is left with inadequate educational support after the new diagnosis, which is the most productive period for their child. While the total education time that the child will benefit from in the two weekly sessions does not even exceed one hour, families are forced to get the education their children need from the private sector.

Today, in addition to this table, I would like to elaborate on the economic, social, and structural dilemmas that autistic individuals and their families find themselves in.

Autism and Economic Reality

I mentioned in my previous article that economists calculate that the cost of living for disabled individuals is 30-40% more expensive than a normal life. The bill increases when you add the necessity of providing the child’s education costs from the private sector. Those who try to turn autism into an industry, those who market various products under the name of patches and supplements, all kinds of “cures for autism” suggestions have one thing in common: None of them can produce scientific evidence and, they are very expensive.

But the issue is not just the families who have been deceived. Desperation, hope and the gaps in the system serve not only the abusers but also the token steps that the public has been taking for years on this issue.

Today, special education and rehabilitation, one of the areas where the principle of the social state is needed the most, has become a market. Special education centers divide families into two, both with the quality of the service they provide and with their costs:

Those who have money and those who don't.

If you have money, you can buy a good education for your child. Private therapists, individual sessions, private schools, personalized programs... In other words, you pay out of pocket for what the social state cannot provide. If you don't have money? You have to make do with two hours a week, be dragged along long waiting lists, watch your child being pushed out of the system under the name of inclusive education in schools, and even watch administrative investigation processes where this right is taken away from you at the slightest problem and when you complain, it doesn't yield any results.

This distinction is not only reflected in education. The same financial gap applies to individuals with autism’s inclusion in social life, access to health services and independent living. State support is limited, and current support is ridiculously low compared to the need.

When Hope Becomes a Tool of Commerce

But perhaps the most painful thing is that this system feeds off the desperation of families. From private education centers to the supplement market, from alternative therapies to miraculous (!) methods, everything serves the same mechanism at one point: Selling hope.

And hope is an expensive thing. Because desperation pushes people to seek solutions no matter what the cost. Sometimes families sell their homes, get rid of their cars, get into debt, quit their jobs… For one thing: The hope that their children will one day be able to “meet the simplest needs of an ordinary life . ”

However, the truth is that no matter how much money you spend, the rights of autistic individuals will not reach the point they need to be unless the social state steps in. The story of a handful of families who can provide their children with the best education, the medals worn by a few successful autistic athletes, and the messages given on April 2 do not change the reality of the general public.

It is not a blessing, but a necessity for individuals with autism to have equal education, health and employment rights, and we as a country are far from this goal.

So, What Should Be Done?

First of all, we have the right to expect the following from the authorities who make fancy statements on TV every April 2nd, saying “we are aware of autism”: Being aware is not enough; we need to produce solutions.

• Keeping education at a tragicomic level of two hours a week is a human rights violation that directly affects the future of children.

• Special education and all kinds of support should be provided as a public right, not as a favor.

• It is essential to increase economic support for families and facilitate access to health and care services.

• It is a necessity to employ disabled individuals and create programs that will ensure the economic independence of families.

must show that it exists at all times, not just in times of crisis. And this is a necessity not only for individuals with autism, but for the whole society.

Because the most vulnerable groups in a country determine how truly social a state that country is. And right now, we are failing this test.

At this point today, individuals with autism and their families have to struggle not only with economic difficulties but also with the system itself. 

The "social state" principle written in the Constitution has become an expression that has no equivalent in the field. So how long will this system continue like this?

We will continue to talk and discuss these…