A Coruña, 25 September 2026 – Galicia’s Minister for Social Affairs and Equality Fabiola García announced at a gala organised by the Fundación Autismo Coruña that a new autism centre in Friol is nearing completion. The Xunta de Galicia describes the project as pioneering across the region and locates it in the district of Lugo. The announcement was made in an official statement on the same day.
According to the regional government, the centre is designed as an integrated facility. It is intended to bring together various support services under one roof and make care easier to access for autistic people and their families. The Xunta de Galicia’s statement gave no specific details on the opening date, capacity, operator, staffing or funding.
At the same time, the government is working on the first Plan Galego do Autismo. According to Fabiola García, the plan aims to strengthen care services in Galicia throughout all stages of life, from early intervention through school and training to participation in working life. Measures to coordinate social, health and education services are planned. Details of the timetable, budget and legal implementation mechanisms have not yet been published.
The statement names civil society organisations as partners of the public authorities, including the Federación Autismo Galego. Associations and family organisations have long called for reliable daytime support, specialised therapeutic services and assistance with the transition to adulthood. Whether, and to what extent, the centre in Friol can meet these needs will depend on its service provision and staffing levels, which are not yet known.
The Xunta de Galicia’s policy aim is to safeguard the rights of autistic people and improve their social inclusion. Whether the new centre and the Plan Galego do Autismo will be sufficient to achieve this will be determined by measurable criteria: accessible services in rural areas, waiting times, professional standards and long-term funding. No firm opening date for the centre in Friol has yet been announced.
The announcement is significant for Galicia because care has often been fragmented to date, and the availability of family-centred support varies across the region. With the centre in Friol and the planned framework plan, the regional government is making a political statement; reliable conclusions about effectiveness and reach will, however, require further official information and publication of operational details.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).