AUTISM- No Longer an Angst! Karachi Overcomes Challenges

KARACHI-  Provincial Secretary for Special Education Sindh, Ahsan Ali Mangi stated that the Government is establishing yet another Center of Autism in May, within the area of Gulistan-e-Johar, Karachi. This center will be catering Autistic children up to the age of 18 years. This was revealed during the Autism Awareness Session, held at The Arag Auditorium, organized by the Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Center of Dow University of Health Sciences.

Moreover, the act for the heir ship and other legalities of these affected children, will be passed by the Sindh Assembly before July 2018.

The Pro Vice Chancellor, Dow University of Health Sciences, Prof. Khawar Saeed Jamali, Dr. Nabila Soomro, Dr. Irum Rizwan, along with parents of the affected children also expressed their views during the event.

Provincial Secretary, Mr. Mangi further added that, the Autism Center will be the first of its kind, by providing education and vocational training to the children, up to the age of 18years.

The Government of Sindh is simultaneously planning to construct hostels, that would cater the accommodation of people, even over the age of 18 years. In these centers, autism patients will not only be able to live a routine life but, will also be able to earn their livelihood through special skills taught to them.

Prof. Khawar Saeed Jamali questioned the audience to make them understand the sensitivity of this issue. He asked that, “We intentionally break the traffic signals and violate other civic laws, so can we be called as ‘Normal Human Being? We need to understand the difference between “Normal” and “Special People”, because anyone at any time can behave abnormal and fall in to the category of, as we call it ‘Special Persons’ through their deeds and acts.”
During the awareness session, parents of the autistic children discussed with the audience regarding the amount of improvement and progress they have seen in their children, after getting education and training, provided by these centers. They no longer create problems and have learnt to live a routine life, just like the other normal children.

The program also featured a number of autistic children’s performances on various national songs, that spread smiles on everyone’s faces. They all were well appreciated for their efforts.