AUTISM Awareness Event held by Cyprus International University [CIU]

Cyprus International University’s Department of Mentally Handicapped Teaching organized a special event on the occasion of World Autism Awareness Day.

The event was attended by Soner Öyken, the Director of Nicosia Center for Special Education and Employment, as well as children from the Center and children from the Algım Special Education Center. CIU students and children mingled during various activities at the Student Union Center, and danced and sang along with clowns.

Gökhan Güven, a lecturer with the CIU Department of Mentally Handicapped Teaching, pointed out that CIU was the first university in North Cyprus to train teachers in special education and has done so since 2009. She added that with this status came the responsibility of raising public awareness. Güven was confident that the activity realized by joint efforts of CIU lecturers and students was successful in this respect.

CIU Images

Speaking of the World Autism Awareness Day, Soner Öyken stated that they wished to raise public awareness and to make a difference, adding ‘autistic children are no different than others members of the society’.

Speaking of the event, Sevcan Yavuz, a student with the CIU Department of Mentally Handicapped Teaching, said, ‘we sang and danced together with students from the Nicosia Center for Special Education and Employment, and we handed out blue balloons, a symbol of autism. This was a pleasant activity, I and my fellow students, we are very happy to have had the opportunity to be with autistic children’.

Credit: CIU