One year after the approval by the Government of the framework regulations for the organization and functioning of specialized intervention centers for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and of minimum quality standards, only one intervention center was opened. This is the Medical Center “SOS Autism” based in the municipality of Chisinau. In a response to IPN, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection said the Medical Center “SOS Autism” forms part of the Public Association SOS AUTISM, which was founded by parents of children with autism spectrum disorders and by specialists.

Autism is a severe disorder of the normal development processes that affects the speaking, adaptation and interaction skills. These children seem to be incapable of understanding the simplest verbal and non-verbal communication. Sensor information makes them confuse. Stereotype moves appear in them at the age of two-three years. They refuse contacts with mates and prefer loneliness, while their games are monotonous in character. At the end of five-six years, the autistic children cannot answer questions, even if some of them can speak. Autism cannot be cured, but some of the autistic children, with intensive early intervention, learn to lead an independent life. By therapy, the child learns to speak and to behave.

The Medical Center “SOS Autism” is on self-financing. It provides diagnosis services, ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy, kineto-therapy and logopedy. The parents of children with ASDs can benefit from psychological counseling and individual and group therapy. The intervention program is stipulated in a contract signed by the organization and the parent and the latter fully pays for the services.

At the end of last October, the association asked the National House of Social Insurance to finance the services provided by the center with money from the mandatory health insurance funds. The average monthly costs per beneficiary total about 6,000 lei.

A number of 633 persons with ASDs were under the supervision of mental health specialists, including of mental health centers of public primary medical assistance facilities, in 2019. Of them, 603 were children. The figure doubled compared with 2015, when there were 272 persons with ASDs officially.

The collection of statistics concerning the number of persons with ASDs classed as persons with disabilities was initiated on January 1 this year. According to the statistical report on the determination of disability, 75 children and adults with ASDs had a disability degree in the first half of 2020.

In 2018, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection signed a memorandum of understanding with the Moldovan Office of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) of the Czech Republic and SOS Autism, which are partners in the implementation of the project “Assistance for children with autistic spectrum disorders and other genetic disorders of the Republic of Moldova”.

In support of the families and children with different medical, social and psychosocial problems, the Ministry founded two early intervention centers – “Voinicel” in the municipality of Chisinau, which provides consultancy to families with children aged between zero and three with development disorders or increased risk from all over the country, and the Early Intervention Section in Bălți that helps to maximally develop the potential of children with development disorders and to integrate them into society and the education system.