The first state government funded center specifically designed to improve the quality of life for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was inaugurated last week and is scheduled to open in January 2025.
The center is located within CRIT Occidente, the Guadalajara health complex funded by the private Fundación Teletón, which is best known for its annual telethon event that raises funds to build and operate rehabilitation centers and provide specialized medical services across Mexico.
Initially, the Guadalajara center will provide treatment to around 200 patients between the ages of 1 and 17, with plans to double its capacity by 2026. Currently, CRIT Occidente is caring for 43 children with ASD.
The Centro de Autismo will be the first of five centers planned for Jalisco in the coming years. According to Governor-elect Pablo Lemus, who attended last week’s inauguration, the next center is slated to open in Tepatitlán de Morelos, in the Altos Sur region of Jalisco.
The Jalisco government will initially earmark around seven million pesos for the first phase of this collaborative project with CRIT Occidente.
The center will not be the first in the Guadalajara metropolitan area to treat people with autism. Both DIF Zapopan and DIF Guadalajara operate centers, each catering to about 160 families. Zapopan plans to open an even bigger center next year.