0 Surakarta to build autism center by mid-2013

Officials in the city of Surakarta, Central Java say that construction will begin on an autism center in June. The center, located on 6,000-square-meters in Jebres district, would provide physical therapy to autistic children, Surakarta Education, Youth and Sports Agency chief Rakhmat Sutomo said on Thursday. “The construction of the autism center is based on the belief that autism can be cured,” he said. 

After undergoing therapy at the center, children would be allowed to enroll in 13 local schools catering to special needs children from the elementary to high school level, according to Rakhmat. Construction of the center will be accomplished in five steps, with the price tag of the first phase tipped at Rp 3 billion (US$308,484) to be paid by the central government. The administration has also pledged to implement a bylaw obligating local companies and offices to recruit one disabled person per 100 employees and to provide equal access to the disabled.

source : the jakarta post