The commitment of the Ministry of National Defense is to ensure the lifelong care of people with autism, all children of the families of our Armed Forces and civilian personnel. That is, to guarantee their rights to health, education and work for life. Finally, to ensure their right to life.

This was emphasized by the Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, today, Monday, December 2, in his greeting at the informational event of the Ministry of National Defense on Autism, under the title “Making the invisible visible”, which was organized by the Deputy Minister of National Defense Ioannis Kefalogiannis in the amphitheater “Episminagos (I) D. Canberra”.

He made it clear that the State “has an obligation to first conceive and then implement policies that contribute to the essential support of people with autism and their families. Policies for education, for smooth integration into social and economic development”.

“Our goal”, he underlined, “is to create lifelong support conditions, so that the whole family can live normally”.

“We will upgrade the Center for Special Care of Children, which already operates with specialized programs and actions adapted to the needs of children with autism,” he said and added: “In addition to the self-evident care for these children, in their childhood, we want to study and arrive at a schedule and a plan for utilizing the proven special abilities of these children by the Ministry of National Defense after they reach adulthood. To have, that is, the possibility for them to have a job. To have a regular professional occupation».

In response to a question about the possibility of professional employment for people on the autism spectrum, the Minister of National Defense stated: “These people have special abilities. Abilities far beyond the average human” and went on to say that we must “create a working environment in which the Armed Forces of our Country can provide an employment opportunity, not out of charity, but because these individuals have skills that the Armed Forces and the Department of National Defense need. And precisely in today’s environment of Artificial Intelligence, of Big Data, the capabilities they have to distinguish detail, use numbers and create algorithms, are essential.”

THE Deputy Minister of National Defense Ioannis KefalogianniIn his greeting, he highlighted the actions of the ministry for the modernization of the already existing Center for Special Care of Children at the Piraeus Naval Hospital, as well as the design of the creation of “Supported Living Shelters” for adults with disabilities, children of Military and Civilian personnel.

“We routed,” he said, among other things, “the establishment of a dental clinic for people with disabilities, the amendment of the legislation regarding the exemption from military service in order to reduce the suffering of the families and of conscripts themselves with severe physical or mental disabilities, the overall review of the framework of care measures for the military personnel whose family members have a disability, and which concern, for example, issues of housing, vacations, adjustment of working hours, exemption from services – exercises etc. in order to compensate for the serious difficulties they face and to achieve a decent normality in daily life».

“We have also launched”, he continued, “actions – projects related to the development of structures and services aimed at comprehensively covering the educational needs and ensuring the continuity of care throughout the life of autistic people”.

“It is about”, he explained, “the modernization and improvement of the already existing Special Care Center for Children (KEFP) at the Piraeus Naval Hospital, which has been operating since 2006 and offers the children of the large family of the Armed Forces, quality assessment, intervention and support focusing on the individualized needs of each child and the systemic support of the entire family”.

“We plan”, he continued, “to create “Supported Living Shelters” for adults with disabilities, children of Military and Civilian personnel, who, due to their disability and the challenges they face, need continuous support and care in order to integrate smoothly and actively participate in every manifestation of life”.

The event is part of the actions of the “Year of Solidarity for the Armed Forces”, as 2024 has been designated.

General Dimitrios Houpis, the head of the General Air Force, addressed the event, while in attendance were, among others, the head of the GES, Lt. General Georgios Kostidis, the head of the GEN, Vice-Admiral Dimitrios – Eleftherios Kataras PN and the head of the GEA, Vice Admiral (I) Demosthenes Grigoriadis, as well as senior and senior officers.

The speakers were the coach and former international basketball player Dimitris Papanikolaou, as well as the lieutenant colonel (NOM) Christina Ypsilantou, who expressed their personal experiences and the struggle they fight every day for their respective family members who are on the autism spectrum.

The event was coordinated by journalist Christina Vidou.

The event was also attended by about three thousand officers, non-commissioned officers, students of military schools and soldiers, from the auditoriums of 17 Major Formations and Production Schools of the Armed Forces, remotely and in direct connection with the auditorium “Episminagos (I) D. Canberra”.

Also present at the event were the general director of Defense Equipment and Investments of the Ministry of National Defense Major General Ioannis Bouras, the general director of Economic Planning and Support Rear Admiral (O) e.a. Panagiotis Stathopoulos and the general director of National Defense Policy and International Relations, ambassador e.t. Michael Spinellis.