Too little money for the centers where children diagnosed with autism in Romania can recover

20 thousand children and adults in Romania suffer from a disorder on the autism spectrum. These are the official data, but our NGOs claim that the figure is 5 times higher. On paper, the children are given two hours of therapy every day, but in reality, the approved budget for this year is only enough for the therapy of 3,600 of them. The money is divided among the too few centers where these little ones can recover.

Andreea plays, enjoys, dreams and has desires. He is a special child, but at the same time, a child like all the others. At the age of two she was diagnosed with a form of autism.

Miahela Andrei, mother of a child diagnosed with a form of autism: At two years old, I discovered that he didn’t speak, didn’t react, didn’t look at me. My mother didn’t tell me either.

Now, he goes to school, but not yet to mainstream school, and he does therapy every day.

Mihaela Andrei, mother of a child diagnosed with a form of autism: I would also like him to get better tomorrow, to manage in life.

Until then, Andreea still needs thousands of hours of therapy. On paper, the state pays for such services, in reality the money is too little and not enough for all the children.

Daniela Bololoi, president of HELP Autism: For this year the budget was cut by 73% because he wasn’t consumed, but he wasn’t supposed to be because he was active in the last quarter of last year.

Sanda Maria Rușanu, general director, DGASPC Sector 2 Bucharest: Therapy for autistic children must be somewhere around 8 hours, but now the Insurance House pays the cost of therapies for autistic children in general for 4 hours.

20 thousand children and adults in Romania, diagnosed with a disorder on the autism spectrum

Officially in Romania there are almost 20 thousand children and adults diagnosed with a disorder on the autism spectrum. NGOs say that the real number of these people is 5 times higher. For all of them, there are over 250 recovery centers nationwide.

Too few and unevenly distributed nationally. It’s not the only problem. Once they reach the age of majority, 90% of children diagnosed with autism disappear from official records. The authorities’ explanation is surprising.

Romi Mihaescu, ANPDPD president: There is a possibility that these people, being children with disorders of the autism spectrum, will no longer have this disorder in adulthood, or will no longer be evaluated, will no longer present themselves for evaluation.

Decision-makers come with promises.

Horațiu Remus Moldovan, State Secretary in the Ministry of Health: We aim to include at least 13 thousand children in this program and, of course, if the number of diagnosed cases is higher, there are resources to supplement this amount.

Until then, parents have to manage on their own. For the time being, the state settles monthly only one thousand lei for each child with a disorder on the autism spectrum.

1 out of 4 children with such a diagnosis does not go to school or kindergarten because they do not benefit from adapted social and medical services.