BSS, Dhaka :”Every parent or caregiver, particularly mothers of children having ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders), should be empowered through training to support their children in leading a normal life,” according to Saima Hossain, a member of Advisory Panel of Mental Health of World Health Organisation (WHO) and the chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on Autism in Bangladesh. Dr Aliya Naheed, interim head of chronic Non-communicable Diseases Unit of ICDDR,B, pointed out that the parents and close relatives, who need to serve as caregivers to the autistic children, should be provided with the particular knowledge and skills to administer them the occupational, speech and behavioral therapy including educational and social service requirements. According to a research titled “Research for Autism: Assessment of mental health status among caregivers of children with autism and feasibility of creating a community based support system in Bangladesh”, one out of every four mothers of autistic children suffers from depression and out of five, four ASD children are males.However, 79 percent of the mothers, who were quizzed under the study, said they received supportive attitude from other family members while 45 percent said they faced bitter experiences. Former vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Dr Pran Gopal Dutta said proper training of autistic children can take them in the mainstream of national scheme. “Proper training can help autistic children to lead a normal life and participate in the mainstream of country’s economy,” he said, adding every autistic child has some particular skills on specific subjects. The experts said they are firmly committed to creating awareness and working for early detection and treatment, research, education and training to ensure quality of autistic individuals from early childhood. Director of CNAC Dr. Shaheen Akhter said: “Continuous high quality training, both for the autistic children and parents is an integral part of the treatment. It helps the children to achieve their rights and enjoy equal opportunities in all aspects of their lives.” Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first three years of life, and affects the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. It is an uncommon disease, occurring in school-age children while boys are more affected with it than girls.
