1. JOIN THE JOURNEY, BE VOLUNTEER
Alternative Development Project
Psychosocial Support Program
Travel and Camp Programs
Art Workshops
Vocational Training and Employment Program
Transition House Program
Psychotherapy
Special Education
Parent Support Program
Early Intervention Program
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Do you want to experience life with autistics?
Have you ever painted with autistic individuals?
Have you ever cooked with autistic individuals?
Have you ever played football with autistic individuals?
Have you ever danced and sung a song with autistic individuals?
What do you think? Is it possible?
So, do you want to be involved in Alternative Development Project (AGP) as a volunteer of
Autistics Association for experiencing practices such these?
Autistics Association has organized summer camps (OyaKamp) since 1996.
Many volunteers went back home with enriching experience and
unforgettable memories.
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Contact us:
www.otistiklerdernegi.org.tr
facebook.com/OtistiklerDernegi
Burak İsmanur - General Coordinator
+90 505 312 39 91
burakis@otistiklerdernegi.org.tr
Sıraselviler Cad. Yeni Yuva Sok. 28/3
Cihangir, Beyoğlu, İstanbul, Türkiye

2. “The influence of camps are significant in my career and personal development. Spending a week on a holiday with autistics and having supervision provided
understanding autistics much better and give deep insight helped while studying whole cases.”
-Orkun Yontar, Clinical Psychologist, İstanbul, TR
“AGP is wonderful, very artful project all by itself and I wish that it become widespread. Here, there is a balance between intimate, warm, friendly atmosphere and
systematic, settled process.”
-Sevgi Çetiner Bacak, Counselor, İstanbul,TR
“There are many things that you can learn in university, reading a book or listening to someone. Some others you should experience, you should get close to them,
trying to feel the personal meaning that can have in your life. Working with people or being interested in them, should include also this second knowledge and in this
way Oyakamp was a great and precious opportunity in my professional and personal life.
Sharing and exchange are two words that can describe my experience. Living in close contact with Autistics I was able to understand them better and at the same
time I knew better even myself. It was also an exchange of skills, with the team and other volunteers involved in the project. For me was an opportunity to get in
contact with a different approach that I couldn't deepened during my training in Italy and offer and share my experience. My senses were involved from the music, the
colors of art, the tastes created in a pleasant and naturalistically fantastic place, where Oyakamp is located. For sure a deep, important and significant experience"
-Elena Iori, Psychologyst, Reggio Emilia, ITA
“In my voluntary process I felt happiness, sadness, astonishment. All of them were very real. Experiments with autistics provided me discovery and confrontation
which I have never thought that it is part of me. For me these are very precious and educatory.”
-Püren Şenyuva, Undergraduate student-Psychology, İstanbul, TR
“Complementary activities such as Transition House and camps (continuity), originality in approach, project’s specificity, be given meaning to things we live in the
day by supervisions, be nourished by analytic approach are important for me.”
-Ezgi Tozluk, Counselor, İstanbul, TR
“Generous experience and knowledge sharing, activity variety and be allowed to spontaneous are very positive for me.”
-Barış Canbakal,Translator, İstanbul, TR
“While I was believing that I started out to "give", I realized how I benefited in and after my voluntary process, met my autistic part and I started to discover deep,
secret meanings at this part. So, life with autistics for me is more enormous beyond contribution for them, benefit for society; it is being in a reciprocal transformation
process with autistictis.”
-Sezin Gündoğdu, Psychologyst, İstanbul, TR
“It was like a travel to my personality and others’. Thanks to this project, I could see the aspecsts of my personality that I have not been aware of before. Sometimes
it was difficult to face my complexities and not to hurt others at the same time but when I succeed this, I was used to feel the happiness in my deep inside. This
project helped me to use my strengths and face my weaknesses and most importantly use my empathy and foresight. In my opinion, success of ‘helping’ others and
‘doing something’ to others will be happened when we do something to ourselves.”
-Aslı Avşar, Graduate student-Psychology, İstanbul, TR
“I’ve been a volunteer in Otistikler Dernegi for three months in summer of 2012. It has left me an indelible impression. As I am a foreigner studying Turkish Language,
it was a great chance for me to enlarge my vocabulary in a specific field. Encountering the daily camp system and attending supervisions was a whole new
experience for me. Meeting with the Autistics and spending time with these individuals gave me an opportunity to understand them better. Though it was not a long
period I am still remembering every each of one that I met during the camps and day-meetings.”
-Jovita Dudoityte, Undergraduate student- Lithuanian Philology and Turkish Language, Vilnius, LTH
Being volunteer in Autistics Association means;
 Having a great experience, professional and personal development for people especially who will work autistics
directly, because autism is one of the most serious social and emotional developmental disorder of mental
illness.
 Witnessing in how art and game can be an expression for people who use limited language or even for people
who can not use it, and with this way how the relationships can be built, increasing in desire for socialization and
developing creativity in this process.
 Feeling as being part of a group, improving teamwork knowledge and capability in use of initiative.
 Increase of empathic feeling and learning in a relationship with "the other".
 Awakening people's sensitiveness, evoking curiosity and desire to build relationship with autistics by being a
model for society and breaking down prejudice againts autism.
 Encountering, meeting and having a relationship with volunteers from different countries, cultures and ethnic
backgrounds, etc.
 Having fun and holiday together in natural environment.
You can also be volunteer in Autistics Association and join the journey!