Tennis Stars Visit Asyl Miras Center in Astana

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ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Oct. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Felix Auger-Aliassime visited the Asyl Miras autism center run by the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation in the capital of Kazakhstan ahead of the Autism. The World of Opportunities annual international conference in November.

The tennis players paid the visit to the center during the ATP 500 Tournament held earlier this month, to support the initiative and highlight the importance of such centers that enable timely treatment of children on the autism spectrum and their social integration.

Djokovic, who would end up winning the Astana Open, and the fellow tennis stars played with the center's children, gave them presents and received drawings about tennis in return. The players also met with the children's parents who talked about the importance of a timely diagnosis and the first signs of autism such as the lack of speech or interest in playing with other children, a habit to line up toys strictly or by color.

The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation will hold its annual international conference on autism in Almaty at the end of November. Speakers, which include international experts in the field of autism research, developers of advanced methods and practicing specialists from the U.S., Kazakhstan, and other countries, will address the issues such as behavioral treatments for challenging behavior, effective intervention, and inclusiveness.

An early support program for very young children of up to 3 years old has been opened in all 10 Asyl Miras centers in Kazakhstan. Toddlers and parents are taught to understand each other, resolve crisis situations, play with peers, even if the child does not speak. Timely correctional assistance increases a child's chances of an independent and full adult life.

The Foundation, whose Asyl Miras centers host more than 14,000 children, plans to open two new centers in Kazakhstan this year. The centers implement the Program called "Autism. One World for All." The purpose of the program is the development and implementation of a progressive support system to improve the quality of life of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The program's target group includes children with ASD up to 15 years old, their families and the surrounding community.

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