As part of State Autism Awareness Week, Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda is leading a major effort to strengthen care for individuals on the spectrum by expanding access to diagnoses, specialized therapies, and dignified spaces for families across the region.
Thanks to this strategy, patient backlogs have been reduced, the number of specialized staff has grown, and plans are moving forward to create a Regional Autism Center. With over 47 million pesos in investment, the center will offer comprehensive care with proper infrastructure.
“This administration has invested more than any other in infrastructure, early diagnosis, specialized care, and in increasing the number of specialists available across the state to support children, teens, and adults on the autism spectrum,” the governor said.
In coordination with CRI Teletón, which treats more autism patients than any other facility in the country, the state has strengthened services through joint efforts.
Specialized spaces have also been created, including Gesell chambers and sensory rooms in several municipalities, expanding access for those who need it most. Baja California now has eight Labor Multiple Care Centers serving 611 students, where individuals can gain job skills and specialized trade training.
Netzahualcóyotl Jáuregui Santillán, Secretary of Well-Being, noted that between 2023 and 2026, therapeutic services have been bolstered and public schools have introduced diagnostic screenings at the elementary level, helping identify cases that had previously gone unnoticed.
To date, more than 66,000 therapy sessions have been recorded. Additionally, over 44 million pesos have been invested in building sensory rooms in San Felipe and San Quintín.
This year, five more sensory rooms will be built: in Tijuana, at Villa del Campo, Amparo Sánchez, La Morita, and El Pípila; and in Ensenada, at Las Margaritas. Meanwhile, care will continue to expand across specialized centers.
Diana Asunción Pérez Álvarez, director of DIF, highlighted a key achievement: the introduction of a second shift at Autism Spectrum Disorder Care Centers in both Mexicali and Tijuana. When the current administration began, there were just 20 therapists and today, there are 45; a 125% increase.
Health Secretary José Adrián Medina Amarillas reported that through the Community Mental Health and Addiction Centers (CECOSAMA) and Health Caravans, a total of 7,122 people have received care.
Governor Marina del Pilar reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to families across Baja California so that no child is left without care and to becoming an inclusive state where health and development are guaranteed rights for all.
