Carrying placards with messages such as ‘Autism is not a word to be feared, it is a child to be loved,” special educators, autistic children and their parents took out a rally from Rajah Muthiah Mandram to Gandhi Memorial Museum where a function was organised to mark World Autism Awareness Day on Thursday.
“While the general level of awareness has increased in the last few years among people, acceptance by the society and families and neighbours of children is still lacking,” said programme coordinator Andavar P. Jaidev.
Numbers rising
“Statistics indicate that there is one autistic child among 58 children in the country. The number is expected to increase in the future. We need more special education centres and skill training avenues for autistic children,” Mr. Andavar said.
He said there were about 1,000 autistic children in Madurai and 15 schools catered to special children.
“Last year alone, three new schools run by parents of autistic children started functioning, an indicator that there is a felt need for an organised set-up to give lifelong support,” he said.
A special school teacher said that children with mild autism could attend normal schools if they undergo training and get guidance with special educators for a few years. It was organised by Association for Parents of Persons Affected by Autism (APPAA) and Sparks Vidyalaya, a school for children with autism.
A workshop with sessions on autism, identity and management of adolescent problems in youngters with autism were discussed.
Randeep Rajkumar, a Tiruchi-based psychologist, who addressed the parents of autistic children, talked about issues concerning adolescence, puberty and sexual education.
“Most parents wait for an issue to crop up and then choose to talk about it to their children. Educate the children early and, most importantly, talk to them about the ‘good touch and bad touch’ as children with mental retardation are more at the risk of sexual abuse,” he said.
