The Sluněnka Villa in Lanškroun will be transformed into a center for people with autism

Lanškroun – Villa Sluněnka, built in the 1930s in Lanškroun in the Orlickoústecko region, will have a new purpose. A family integration center purchased it for 8.5 million crowns and intends to create a facility for its services for people with autism and their families. The reconstruction is expected to provide barrier-free spaces, therapeutic rooms, and a modified garden. This was reported to ČTK by the organization's director, Hana Janiková.

The center in Lanškroun operates at two locations, in a primary school on Bedřich Smetana Street and in a building on Komenského Street. Both locations are inadequate. In the school, the center's activities disrupt the regular school environment, while the second location is poorly accessible for some clients due to stairs. "The number of clients is increasing, and we need to have spaces for therapies, consultations, a playroom, and snoezelen, which is a multi-sensory room designed for relaxation, calming, and stimulation of the senses," said Janiková.

At the new location, the center will continue to assist individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families. Available services will include early care workers, social activation services, social rehabilitation, personal assistants, and therapists.

The project also includes a service called home sharing. This involves trained hosts taking a child with autism into their home for an agreed-upon period, allowing the parents to rest or take care of necessary matters. The renovated building will have an elevator and will be barrier-free.

The project will also include modifications to the garden. Elements focused on tactile and visual perception are to be created there, which will serve in the training of social and communication skills.

According to Janiková, the center cares for over 350 clients annually throughout the Pardubice region. Approximately half, if not more, come from the eastern part of the region, that is, from Lanškroun and its surroundings. Due to insufficient capacity, some clients have to travel as far as Pardubice. "We have six staff members in Lanškroun, and they are in such a tiny space that it is no longer dignified," Janiková stated.

Villa Sluněnka dates back to 1934 and has been empty and deteriorating in recent times. The center purchased it from private owners and announced a public contract for its reconstruction. The organization will fund it using a grant from the European IROP program. The estimated costs for the project are nearly 26 million crowns, with the European grant amounting to about 22 million crowns. The reconstruction is expected to be completed by May 2028 at the latest. According to Janiková, the center would like to move by the end of 2027, if the construction progress allows it.