Interview by Els Van Beneden
Edited by Maya Parson
A-CENTRUM was founded in Slovakia 1994 with a focus on disadvantaged groups, including unemployed people, seniors, and the Roma community. Since 2015, its focus has shifted towards autistic guidance and support, especially for autistic young adults.
Tell us about A-CENTRUM.
There are 5 autistic people working with us on the board. I myself am autistic, as is Vladimíra Prokajová. Being an autistic-led organisation brings more authenticity and a deeper understanding of the issues we address.
We run an Information Centre for inclusion, aiming to help disadvantaged people improve their life situations. We provide counselling services in career guidance, social services, and mental health. We also focus on prevention in areas such as addiction, bullying, and mental health. Our centre also engages in awareness-raising activities for youth workers and youth organizations.
We mainly focus on young autistic adults. We offer support groups and opportunities for personal development. We also provide education and guidance to parents of autistic people, many of whom are neurodivergent themselves. To a lesser extent, we also offer services for children, as leisure-time activities.
We offer practical support to families of autistic people—for example, helping them apply for grants and subsidies, support groups and seminars for parents in affirmative approaches. We are also active in education, developing inclusive practices in education, seminars for teachers and support teams at schools. We are also raising awareness among employers about neurodiversity in the workplace.
What challenges do you face in Slovakia?
There are many. First, Slovakia lacks a comprehensive strategy for supporting autistic people in the long term. Many young autistic individuals drop out of school and struggle to finish their education. Unemployment rates are high, and many deal with mental health problems. We need a long-term, sustainable strategy to help them thrive.
Another challenge is the current political climate. There is widespread transphobia and hostility toward queer people, which directly affects our work, as we also support the queer community. This atmosphere also reflects society’s broader rejection of “otherness,” including neurodiversity.
Diagnosis is another issue—long waiting times and a lack of specialists are significant problems.
Are there specific achievements you are proud of?
One of our proudest projects was Keys to Self-Advocacy (Klíče k sebeobhajobě)—an eight-month online course for Czech and Slovak autistic youth. The goal was to develop communication and self-advocacy skills. Twenty-four people participated, primarily in the 18-30 age group, though two older participants also took part. Each participant could choose a topic relevant to them (e.g., self-advocacy at school or in the workplace) and presented their topic to relevant stakeholders invited to final presentations.
Another major success is the Slovak Autism Conference, which we have been organising since 2022, inspired by the Czech edition in cooperation with ATYP Foundation.
How is your organization funded? Do you have stable or project-based sources?
We have several funding sources. One is European project funding. Another comes from paid training sessions and courses we offer to schools, teachers, and companies. We also receive some national funding—for example, from the Ministry of Education, specifically from the Youth scheme.
There are several challenges in obtaining funding. First, a lack of funding for long-term projects—we need to apply annually for funding and there are gaps in cash flow and an insecurity of funding. Sometimes funding ends while a project is still running, which prevents us from completing it.
Another issue is our narrative. In Slovakia, it’s not trendy to talk about autism as a natural variation. We promote the idea that autistic people can live full and meaningful lives, which unfortunately does not get as much attention as organizations that frame autism in more dramatic or tragic terms.
Additionally, the current government shows reluctance to support queer people or minorities, which also affects us. Finally, we face administrative difficulties when applying for European grants—the paperwork is extremely demanding, and we lack capacities for it.
Which other organizations (national or international) do you collaborate with?
We are closely connected with HANS, of which we are a member. HANS is nationwide organisation of individuals and families with Asperger’´s syndrome and autism. We also collaborate with ATYP and Adventor in Czechia and are part of the NeuroDem project along with EUCAP.
Additionally, we work with universities through the Living Library (Živá knižnica) project, where autistic adults or their parents share their life experiences with the public.
We also cooperate with companies, schools, and youth organizations to promote awareness about autism.
What value does EUCAP membership bring to your organization?
We greatly appreciate the European and international dimension of this collaboration. It allows us to contribute to policy discussions and consultations, both nationally and ensuring that the needs of Slovak autistic people are seen at the European level. Being part of EUCAP also boosts our credibility—it shows that the challenges Slovak autistic people face are shared by autistic people in Europe and worldwide.
What are your main goals or projects for the coming years?
We have many plans. One priority is employment support for people on the spectrum—many of them are talented and highly motivated, yet the job market overlooks them. We also want to start a social housing project and pay more attention to older autistic people, including seniors.
Thank you, Viera!
