A new regional coordination center is launching across Central Asia and the South Caucasus, building on proven models already operating in Kazakhstan. The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation and the Global Autism Advocacy Coalition announced the partnership in September 2026, positioning the initiative as a pathway to expand evidence-based autism support across a region where services remain fragmented and difficult to access.
The partnership adapts successful practices from Kazakhstan's existing infrastructure—specifically the "Asyl Miras" centers—to fit the distinct social, economic and cultural contexts of neighboring countries. Kazakhstan's "One World for All" program operates 13 specialized autism centers across 12 cities, serving over 17,500 children with autism spectrum disorder. These centers focus on early diagnosis and intervention, specialist training and development of new support models tailored to family and community structures.
Almaz Sharman, chair of the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation's board, presented the regional model at the UN General Assembly in New York. "Sustainable support for autistic people requires more than proven solutions," Sharman said. "We must create the conditions for adaptation and implementation within specific national and regional contexts."
The GAAC, founded in 2025 at UN headquarters, includes the Qatar Foundation, Autism Speaks, the World Health Organization and UNICEF. The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation was a founding member. The new regional hub will bring together specialists, advocacy organizations, government representatives and families to share expertise, expand access to evidence-based approaches and build local research capacity.
Rather than creating parallel systems, the hub will operate as a coordination mechanism linking international expertise with regional organizations already embedded in their communities. Early intervention in autism spectrum disorder significantly improves outcomes across communication, social skills, adaptive functioning and quality of life.
CEO Ainur Karbozova said: "Kazakhstan has gained substantial practical experience supporting autistic children and families, largely through our Asyl Miras specialists. It is important that knowledge gained in Kazakhstan contributes to international dialogue."
The initiative launches as international frameworks increasingly recognize that sustainable development requires local ownership and contextual adaptation. For families and individuals across Central Asia and the South Caucasus, greater coordination may accelerate access to early assessment, expand the pool of trained diagnosticians and interventionists, and generate evidence specific to regional contexts. Autism affects roughly 1 in 100 children globally; early intervention and family support are transformative.
