An autistic child slides down a slope at a playground during an awareness campaign held in the city. PHOTO: MYRA IQBAL
The government must make efforts to establish a special institute for autistic children, appoint professionals who can diagnose the disorder correctly and launch extensive awareness campaigns about it across the country.
These demands were made by parents of autism sufferers at an awareness programme titled ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Parents of a Special Child,’ organised by Step To Learn (STL) on Tuesday at Sylvan Park.
The event was held to mark the World Autism Awareness Day 2013.
Children at the programmed indulged in a number of activities, including poetry recitals, musical chairs, painting and tug-of-war. Parents said the government had established centres for persons with disabilities (PWD) but neglected autistic patients.
Nabeela Shahbaz, mother of six-year-old Abdullah Ahmed while talking to The Express Tribune said doctors had failed to diagnose her son with autism when he was six months old despite clear symptoms. Only after doing her own research did she realise her child was suffering from the disorder, and Ahmed was then officially diagnosed three months later.
Shahbaz said her son struggles to use the washroom, eats too much junk food and refuses to keep warm during winters, among other problems.
“I consider my son a gift from God and have dedicated my life to him. I am working to earn money for his treatment so he can live a meaningful life,” she said.
Kamran, a father of two autistic children, said he had to shift to Islamabad from Gujar Khan to seek treatment for them. “My wife and I had never heard of autism and couldn’t understand why our children behaved differently from normal children. We came to Islamabad and saw many doctors, none of whom could diagnose our children with this disorder,” he said.
Kamran eventually took his son, who also suffers from a hearing impairment, to the Directorate of Special Education who referred
them to STL.
STL teachers Naheeda and Najma informed The Express Tribune that a lack of awareness about autism means children suffering from the disorder are often termed ‘mentally unstable’.
Parents keep their autistic children in isolation and hesitate to take them to social gatherings, they added.
STL Director Umair Bin Tahir said there was a need to create awareness about accepting autistic children as part of society and urged the government to provide diagnostic facilities for them.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 3rd, 2013.
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