At the age of eighteen, she became the 2007 Czech Miss. This is how many people remember Kateřina Sokolová to this day. But she has long had other priorities. Six years ago, she and her father founded the AutTalk, Endowment Fund, which supports families with autistic children.
The fund was created on the basis of family experience. Katka's brother and Jan's son Radovan is autistic. The Sokols thus know very well how difficult childcare for those on the spectrum of autism can be. "Our vision is actually simple – satisfied, caring parents in a well-informed and friendly society," Kateřina says. This is one of the reasons why the foundation has focused its efforts since the very beginning on two areas in particular: education and various forms of family support.
Books, photos and IT
The most significant educational activity is RUN AUT - an annual run to support parents caring for autistic children. "But we also managed to support the publication of books for autistic children called Fairy Tales for All and books for the general public The Emperor in the World and The Asperger's Cave, which provide insight into the world of autistic people. We also organized an exhibition of art photographs entitled What Reflects Autism in Us," Kateřina recounts. "Last year we also managed to be part of the preparation and pilot testing of a unique Autism & IT project, designed primarily for IT companies. In it, mentors, who are IT professionals, lead mentees - IT enthusiasts - from the ranks of adults on the spectrum of autism. The result is an original concept of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) with HR overlap, which includes authentic awareness about autism in the context of internal and external communications of the company. Mentees often have the first experience of a collegial relationship, the opportunity to increase IT expertise and gain feedback that can help them succeed in the future. Last but not least, mentors enrich their managerial and mentoring skills with the support of a supervisor, " she adds.
Supporting families
In terms of supporting caring parents, the fund has provided financial contributions since its inception for anything that can make it easier for parents to care for their autistic child. So, for example, assistance, relief services, various therapies and aids, food supplements, but also the necessary equipment or transport to school. "Currently, there are also requests from parents who got into an emergency situation due to the COVID pandemic and the care for an autistic child comes with the increased concern of how to ensure the basic needs of the family," Kateřina confirms the impact of COVID on this area. In addition to specific families, the fund also supports parents' associations and organizations that deal with autism, and organizing events for autistic children and their parents.
It was the story of her small brother Radovan that made Katerina and her father found AutTalk.
Open meetings
The fund also organizes meetings of representatives of organizations to seek synergies, consult and share experiences. The last meeting included over 40 representatives from more than 20 organizations from all over the country. After a successful pilot project of meeting parent groups at five locations in Czechia in 2019, the fund expanded its support to five other areas. "Meeting and sharing with people in a similar situation, where they don't have to explain much and get advice and understanding, is often a great relief for caring parents," Kateřina says. Since its founding, the foundation has also organized open meetings for all caring parents and others interested in the issue of autism with lectures and debates on various topics, such as nutrition and lifestyle, or volunteering. "Meeting a family that takes care of an autistic person is an exceptional experience for many people which affects their life afterwards, the way they perceive problems, common situations and themselves. We believe that we will gradually be able to connect families with volunteers and thus enrich our parents with new contacts, volunteers with new experiences, and children and teenagers on the spectrum of autism with new impetuses", Kateřina explains about her plans.
Autistic people in Czechia
The number of autistic people in Czechia is estimated at 200,000 and is still growing. More and more families will need information. Therefore, in 2018, AutTalk launched a discussion and information forum on its website, which allows parents to share contacts with experts and organizations. The forum is available for registered users free of charge at www.auttalk.cz. "You will find all the information on our website. We will be grateful for each contribution and we guarantee that everyone will find specific recipients," Kateřina emphasizes.
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