The child is entitled to transportation to the kindergarten, but the father complained that the transportation arrived at their home every day after 8 am, and therefore his son got to the kindergarten 15 to 20 minutes late on a permanent basis. According to the complainant, the kindergarten day starts with getting everyone organized, after which the children receive special para-medical therapy; due to the constant delay of the transportation, his son missed the organization time and therapy which are important for him and his daily routine.
The investigation revealed that due to various constraints on the part of the municipality, the transportation was split into two rounds and for this reason the bus constantly picked the complainant's son up from his home after the official start of the kindergarten day, which is 8 am. The municipality claimed that there were parents who were not interested in having their child picked up too early.
The Office of the Ombudsman pointed out to the municipality that this manner of proceeding contradicted the directive of the Director of the Ministry of Education which regulates the matter of transportation and was likely to prevent meeting the child's needs. After talking with the municipality, the defect was rectified and the arrival time of the transportation was brought forward in order to enable the complainant's son to get to the kindergarten before its official opening time and to participate in the morning activities, which he needed.
The complainant sincerely thanked the Office of the Ombudsman, adding that it constituted a "true emissary" for the take-up of his son's rights.
On 2 April every year the "World Autism Awareness Day" is marked, aimed at heightening global awareness of autism and the way to handle it, as well as the situation of children and adults who have been diagnosed with autism.
The Office of the Ombudsman investigates the complaints of autistic persons and their relatives on different matters and makes recommendations to public bodies to take steps to integrate them fully into society.