Hospital network expanded to treat autism in minors in Jalisco

In order to decentralize health services in the metropolis and bring medical care closer to autistic minors throughout the State, the DIF Jalisco plans to build four regional centers in Tepatitlán , Puerto Vallarta , Lagos de Moreno, and Zapotlán El Grande , which will operate within the administration's first three years. Meanwhile, the first state-run care center is already operating at the CRIT de Occidente (Center for the Prevention of Autism in the West) and serves 200 children and adolescents. Additionally, the Zapopan Autism Center, the first public space dedicated to the autism spectrum, is serving 150 patients.

The president of DIF Jalisco, Maye Villa, stated that the first regional center in Tepatitlán would be operational in 2026 to accommodate 300 patients; however, she acknowledged that demand is very high, as there are 4,000 on the waiting list in Zapopan and Guadalajara alone. “ We have this in both the Zapopan and Guadalajara care centers. We collaborated with the CRIT de Occidente, where we now serve 200 children from across the state in the evening shift, but our waiting list is very long, hence the need to reach the different regions .”

These centers, explained Diana Vargas Salomón, director of the state DIF, will provide specialized therapeutic care, speech and language therapy, cognitive stimulation, pre-employment workshops, and attention therapies on a weekly basis. There will also be courses, tools, and training for parents, so they can take what they've learned home and engage their children with their environment.

For now, work is being done to raise awareness about the spectrum and encourage early diagnosis. In some cases, the condition can go undetected until adulthood.

Speech and communication problems, signs of autism spectrum disorder in children

The autism spectrum encompasses different levels depending on the level of care required by the individual. Therefore, the warning signs are different for each patient. However, there are specific characteristics that could indicate the condition, explained María Zenyasse Flores Aceves, director of care for people with disabilities at the Jalisco DIF (Division of Family Planning) in Jalisco.

“ Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by peculiarities and difficulties in various areas such as communication, socialization, sensory integration, and thought processes. It is a diagnosis identified at an early age; that is, we don't have people who present with autism immediately in adulthood or adolescence. However, there are cases that go unnoticed because parents may have misdiagnosed them. A person is born on the autism spectrum and will live with it their entire life,” he noted.

Another characteristic sign of this condition is the loss of language, which occurs around the age of two or three, when the child develops normal speech , but eventually stops talking and instead takes the person by the hand and leads them to what they want or shows them specifically what they are referring to.

They may also develop the habit of repetition; that is, when they speak again, they simply repeat what the other person says, without any communication.

Jalisco's Secretary of Health, Héctor Raúl Pérez Gómez, explained that the cause of autism is still unknown, as factors ranging from genetics to environmental factors during pregnancy could influence it. However, he reaffirmed that, as it is a spectrum, all children can find tools to become independent.

"The earlier a case is diagnosed, the more comprehensive care with well-defined strategies can help a child become functional. This child can become an adolescent capable of even completing an educational program that will allow them to be highly functional in life."

The care center at CRIT Occidente, the Jalisco DIF official recalled , and those that will soon open in the state, receive people from three to 60 years old, and these spaces also have tools to diagnose minors and provide training for parents.

Faced with need, Maria takes care of her daughter

María del Carmen Benítez was looking for a school that would accept her daughter, but they didn't accept a neurodivergent student. After months of asking, calling, and receiving rejections, she found a school in Ciudad Granja, Zapopan, that offered her the opportunity to attend her daughter.

“I found out about this school when she needed a place to go, and only this one accepted me after visiting 12 schools. It was a long process because all you think about is that your daughter is missing out on studying and being independent. Based on my experience—that 'rejection' that kept my daughter from getting into school—I decided to buy this school.”

The school was on the verge of closing, so she decided to buy it. She wasn't about to repeat the search. It now operates under the name Freinet Cultural Institute.

Although it was already inclusive and welcomed neurodivergent students , it opened more spaces, hired specialists, and sought out trainers from the state DIF and Zapopan to provide the best possible care not only to his daughter.

What is autism spectrum disorder?

• It is a condition related to brain development.
• It affects the way a person perceives and socializes with other people.
• This causes problems in social interaction and communication.
• It includes restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior.
• The term “spectrum” refers to a wide range of symptoms and severity.
• It involves conditions that were previously considered separate, such as autism, Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and an unspecified form of pervasive developmental disorder.
• Some people considered Asperger's syndrome to be the mild end of autism spectrum disorder.
• It begins in early childhood and, over time, causes problems in functioning in society: in social situations, at school, and at work.
• Children usually show symptoms of autism in their third year. A small number of children appear to develop normally in their first year and then experience a period of regression between 18 and 24 months of age, when symptoms appear.
• There is no cure for autism spectrum disorders, but intensive, early treatment can make a big difference in children's lives.

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