Day Care Center for adolescents with Autism in west Attika
“Stin Avli tou Kosmou”
It is one of the few institutions in Greece which serves and covers the needs of adolescents and young adults with autism of medium and low functionality.
Taking into serious consideration the improvement of its benefiter’s daily life it provides the following services:
- Diagnosis
- Personalized therapeutic rehabilitation, based on the principles of, ABA, PECS, SI, Intensive interaction, Sherbone.
- Children psychiatric attendance
- Family consulting
- Speech therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Adjusted Physical education

The main goal of these programmes is to support people with ASD, help them develop their communicational skills and promote their socialising among their peers. All the above can be achieved through a variety of personal and team programmes.
An important part of our programmes (on a personal and team level), takes place in the community, in the form of both educational and recreational activities, in addition with fun events (shopping, super market, flea market, excursions), aiming at developing social skills, integrating in the community and fighting against the stigma.
All the above are implemented and co-ordinated by the scientific team of the Day Care Center, which consists of a child Psychiatrist, a Psychiatrist, a Psychologist, a Special educator, an Instructor of adjusted Physical Education, a Speech Therapist, an Occupational Therapist, an employee of general duties and an administrative executive.
All the therapists of the Day Care Center meet the requirements, defined by the institutional framework of the country to practise their profession and have all the necessary certified knowledge to provide their services. The Day Care Center functions in a way which protects the privacy of each benefiter, ensuring the medical confidentiality.
Helianthos
Helianthos is a specialized diagnostic and rehabilitation Center for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders ASD. It has been operating at Peristeri in Attika, since 2010 and specializes in children (starting from the age of 5), adolescents and young adults.
The therapeutic programmes are designed so as to allow the performance of general skills in different surroundings. Our main concern is to improve the daily life of people with ASD and the life of their families and help them become more functional. In order to achieve this we provide steady and frequent communication with every important factor in the persons’ life such as the family, the school and the work environment.
What do our programmes include?
- Psycho-pedagogical therapeutic programme
- Social Club
- Speech therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Adjusted Physical Education
- Psycho – kinetic Education
- Therapy through the art
- Social skills group
- Psychotherapy of Social and emotional development
- Many – hours Therapeutic programmes
The therapeutic programmes can be either personal or in a group and take place at the Hlianthos’ premises or at the community.
Other Services
- Diagnosis
- Supervision services to experts who provide additional support to people with ASD, during their pre-school and primary education.
- Child Psychiatric / Psychiatric attendance
- Supervision services to the supporting psychotherapy of social and emotional development.

The Helianthos Center also includes the “Nautilos” action-hospitality at the weekends. Its main puprose is to take the pressure off the families of the teenagers and young adults with ASD. Our programmes mostly aim at the entertainment of the people who are hosted there.
The scientific group consists of a Child-Psychologist, a Psychiatrist, a Psychologist, a Social Worker, a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a Special Educator, an Instructor of adjusted Physical Education, an art therapist and an administrative assistant.
All the therapists of “Helianthos” meet the requirements defined by the institutional framework of the country to practise their profession, and have all the necessary certified knowledge and expertise to provide their services.
Helianthos functions in a way which protects the privacy of each member, ensuring medical confidentiality.