Public awareness of autism spectrum disorder

No matter how powerful you get, but you don't need to hurt your enemy instead you need to forget and forgive , it shows your good ethics and moral values.
ONLY THE STRONG ONES AMONG US CAN FORGIVE AND FORGET

“The most important barrier
to persons with disabilities
is attitudes. People feel
sympathy towards them but
do not want to understand
their capabilities, and they
can be given a job and do it
well. Some companies hire a
disabled person but tell them
to sit at home and they’ll be
paid a salary because the
workplace lacks necessary
facilities.”
Dr Shahida Sajjad, dean, Faculty of
Education, University of Karachi

“The willingness is not there.
We have fi ve star hotels
that are bound to have
arrangements but do not
have facilities for persons
with disability—why? They
can afford it, they have the
exposure and there is an
obligation to do it, but they
do not.”
Marriyum Aurangzeb,
parliamentary secretary,
Ministry of Interior, Pakistan

"Believe"

Are you at your lowest grades right now? If yes then what's a big deal. You may feel like you have lost everything but it's just a momentary thinking. The best way to overcome these problems is to spend your time with the person who understands you the most. You may go out to library, cinema , favorite food spots or things that can uplift your mood. Give your time to yourself, really for yourself. Turn off all the lights and talk to yourself, find your inner self.
Start doing things that you can perform in a best way. Eventually, you will feel like you are the winner of the game named as "life", and the hardships which were blocking your way were just stepping stones. You will start indirectly loving those hardships.
Everything is planned by God to strengthen His creature. One word is to believe and it means a lot when it relates to God, who is more merciful and beneficial.

Worth read👌
A student studying in Russia says:
The highest score for most of the exams in Russia is 5.
If a student does not answer any question and returns back his exam paper blank, with no question answered, he gets 2 out of 5.

In my first days at the University of Moscow, I did not know about this system and I was surprised and asked Dr. Theodor Medraev: "Is this fair that a student did not answer any question and you give him 2 out of 5? Why not give him a zero ?
Isn't that the right way ?"

He answered:
"How can we give a Human Being a zero ?
How can we give him a zero to someone who was getting up at 7 am to attend all the lectures ?
How can we give him a zero since he got up in this cold weather, and used public transport and reached to do the exam in time, and tried to solve the questions ?
How can we give him a zero for the nights he used to study and spent his money on pens and notebooks and bought a computer for studying ?
How can we give him a zero when he left all other life styles and pursued his studies ?
Here my son, we do not give a zero to a student just because he did not know the answer.
We at least try to respect the fact that this is a Human Being, and he is having a brain, and he tried.
Because this result which we give, is not just for the questions in the exam paper, it is also about showing appreciation and respect to the fact that this is a Human Being and deserves to have a score."

Truly I cried and did not know how to respond.
There I knew my value as a Human Being.

Zeros can actually decrease motivation on students, and can quickly destroy them and make them stop caring about their studies altogether.
Once a zero score has been put in the grade book, they need no longer care about that subject and they may assume that, there’s nothing they can do about it.
Today I tell my story as a message to our teachers, so as to change this shabby system of education which we have in our country.


Credits: Orakzai

No longer the hidden son

Since I was born, I was considered a curse to my family. My father earns a simple living as a clerk to support my mother, five siblings and I. We live in a rural area in Punjab, Pakistan. In my neighbourhood, families who have children with intellectual disabilities are forced to hide their children to protect us from being bullied and harmed.

I was born with a developmental disability as well as a hearing disability. Growing up, I struggled with my studies and did very poorly. I was isolated because I was not like the rest of the kids. Even my own cousins shunned and made fun of me because of my poor grades. I was referred to as “the odd one”. Just stepping out of my own home was a nightmare. I lived in constant fear of people pointing fingers and calling me names.

The turning point came when I was accepted into a special school for children with disabilities at the age of 14, the Institute for Special Education in pakistan. For the first time, I could breathe freely. I no longer felt oppressed and judged. I felt like I was a worthy human being. I was included in every activity and treated the same as all my classmates. For the first time, I made friends.

When I was 18, the school introduced me to Special Olympics Pakistan. In the beginning, I found it hard to adjust to the training but the coaches were very patient with me. Over time, I improved my fitness and started training in several sports, including badminton, basketball and football.

I love sports training with Special Olympics. I’ve never experienced such a supportive, fun and encouraging environment. My team-mates and I always cheer one another on, whether or not we score a goal. Special Olympics has boosted my confidence and brought out the best in me, both on and off the sports field.

In 2018, I found a job as a receptionist at a local guest house. In Pakistan, it is a struggle for people with intellectual disabilities to find employment, even in the bigger cities where there are more opportunities. In my hometown, it is considered a big achievement.

That same year, I also took part in the Special Olympics Pakistan National Games in 2018, where I won 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronzes in badminton. It was the first time I was apart from my family, travelling to another province to represent my team at the Games. It was an unbelievable feeling to be celebrated for my accomplishments. I was on top of the world.

In November 2019, I will take part in my first international tournament. It will be my first trip out of Pakistan, to represent my country at the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Unified Badminton Championship held in Thailand. I am immensely honoured!

My parents have never imagined that I would come this far. My family is so proud of me. I’m no longer the hidden son. These days, they flaunt my achievements and talk about me openly to all their friends and neighbours. People tell me that I’m an inspiration to my classmates and to the community.

I am thankful to all the people who have given me a chance to show the world what I can do. I just hope that similar opportunities can be given to others like myself in Pakistan and around the world, to enable our journey towards true inclusion.

Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.

Public awareness of autism spectrum disorder updated their business hours.

I've had tons of bullies who would call me re****ed, even on my page. It's sad and it really hurts. I want to tell people not to use the word. Don't say your friend's re****ed when they do something foolish. If you have a disability, keep working hard. Whatever it takes, do it, and don't be mean to people.
Lauren Potter

My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn't prevent you doing well, and don't regret the things it interferes with. Don't be disabled in spirit as well as physically.
Stephen Hawking

AUTISM is not a word to be feared...it's a child to be loved. ❤❤ LOVE needs no words ❤✔

Autism or Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects communication, social interactions and behavior.

This Autism Awareness Month let us aim to be more informed in order to better understand as well as support children and adults with this condition.

It’s time to aware people that autism is not a mental disorder.
Share if you agree!
💙💖💜♥️💛💚

deep words For Society:

The future of over 300,000 autistic children in Pakistan is in your hands
Mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety and attention deficit/hyperactive disorder are more frequently discussed today. Yet, when it comes to autism, most people have no clue about what the condition entails. In fact, not just public but even healthcare practitioners are highly unaware of autism. A survey conducted in 2011 in Karachi, reported in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, found that out of 348 general physicians only 148 (44.6%) had previously heard of autism.

Autism isn’t a single disorder but a complex group of conditions, varying in degree and symptoms. The most recent diagnostic manual, DSM-5, has combined these conditions under Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). It is generally associated with communication difficulties, repetitive behaviours and limited interests. These symptoms are more identifiable starting between two to three years of age. The disability ranges from mild to severe, but treatment can positively affect their abilities.
Autism in Pakistan

According to Autism Resource Centre, 345,600 people are estimated to be living with autism in the country. However, the condition is thought to be severely underreported as a lack of diagnostic capability and general dearth of experts, increase the chances of misdiagnosis. Hence the actual figure is thought to be considerably high.

Autistic individuals, both children and adults may have mild to severe disability. Early intervention and treatment have been proven to reduce these difficulties but such services are almost absent in Pakistan. Even in high-functioning individuals, problems such as irritability and hyperactivity may make it difficult to score a job. This leaves almost 350,000 people, unarmed with basic skills to take up regular employment and manoeuvre the workplace.

In an absence of social security and the ability to meet basic needs of people with disability, the parents of autistic children are bound to lead a burdensome life. “I live in fear thinking what if my child stops speaking at all… I only want to see my kid leading a normal life like everyone else,” says Samina Azhar*, mother of four-year-old Hamza* diagnosed with ASD. She’s hopeful one day the society will be able to understand why her child doesn’t want to communicate with every outsider.

“Children with a speech delay are more likely to go through behavioural and emotional problems. So they’re bound to have a more difficult time,” says Maliha Nabeel*, whose five-year-old son was diagnosed with autism, leading to difficulty in communication. “It’s depressing to see your child unable to communicate and form bonds with others. It can be difficult for [even] us to interact with him as well,” she adds.

Working with autism
When it comes to ASD, most people are quick to group it as a mental inability and this is where we are wrong. Many of these ‘symptoms’ can be true assets in the workplace. In fact, the German software company, SAP AG has been employing individuals on the spectrum for a variety of jobs. The condition helps people with autism pay a lot of attention to details, a highly useful trait for the company’s software testing. Other jobs such as manual preparation and business procurement activities also utilise this skill set.

Improving education quality: Professional development training kicks off at FJWU

Yet, even in most developed countries, the unemployment rate for people with ASD can be as high as 85%. But it’s not the lack of ability that is the cause of unemployment. On one hand autistic individuals face difficulty in communication and social interactions, while on the other, we are unable to see past these differences. Both these issues prevent autistic people from getting and keeping a job.
Strategies to solve workplace problems

Just as every other person, individuals with autism should be trained from a young age. Saman Zafar, a Child Psychologist at IMPACT by Psyche’ Consultants, explains how their organisation follows a multidimensional approach. “We have a team of specialists including speech therapists, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists and play therapists. We focus on different areas of development like interaction and communication. Our focus is to train these children as well as their parents,” informs Zafar.

Qazi Fazli Azeem, the first self-advocate from Pakistan, also believes early intervention works better. In presentations delivered to 2009 South Asian Regional Autism Conference (Dhaka, Bangladesh) and United Nations World Autism Awareness Day 2013 (New York, United States), he presented his ideas for incorporating this training. He opined parents and mentors should provide these children exposure earlier in life so they can develop their skills based on their interests. He further added those individuals, who don’t have a verbal disability or are better at communication, should be taught basics about life in a visual structured manner. For example, better work equals greater pay, and not just one time, this should be done repetitively. Give them tasks and reward success through toys or food or an intangible form of ‘payment’, such as encouragement.

Another important part of training is to prepare them for the office environment. Azeem reflects on his experiences with various institutions, which provide a professional environment and mentors as they would come across in an office environment. However, he points out difficulty to communicate can make it harder for these individuals. Adjustments at the workplace can be made by using a messaging service, an email system through which they’re contacted or visual or tactile cues instead of directly talking to them, based on their communication preferences. Azeem has supported and advised several institutions such as Ma Ayesha Centre, Karachi Vocational Training Centre for the Intellectually Challenged and Network of Organizations Working with People with Disabilities, Pakistan in working with people on the autism spectrum.

Other organisations have come up with other solutions; one of them being virtual reality. Virtual interviewers are helping young people train for interviews. Dan Marino Foundation in Florida, US, has seen a rise in employment rates of autistic students after being trained through virtual avatars. We also need to make the work environment friendlier for them. There is a dire need to train staff to help them see autistic individuals as more than people with a disability. In fact, these behaviours are usually what disturb the autistic individuals.
They also need scheduling and perhaps regular feedbacks because of their tendency to keep things in order. Provide clear instructions without any use of metaphors or any unsaid directives. They tend to communicate better in writing rather than verbally. In order to judge their abilities, you can substitute usual interview questions with a written test. Try to manage a routine and avoid interruptions while they’re at work. A surprise birthday celebration isn’t their idea of a good time, mostly because it isn’t scheduled. Just let them know beforehand if any rescheduling is in order.

Agreement signed: AIOU to promote skill-based education

A hope for tomorrow

Although there are a few organisations working with autistic individuals in Pakistan, such as Autism Society Pakistan, these are not enough for the ever increasing number of people on the spectrum. Their integration needs individual efforts. Own a business? Train and hire autistic individuals. Whether you’re a store owner or a tech entrepreneur, you can teach them a skill or two. Help them navigate the work environment. This isn’t philanthropy; you will be getting much more in return as autistic individuals can be highly accurate in their tasks.

It is very clear our country’s future depends on our youth. Involving more people with learning or other disabilities in the workforce can only benefit our nation. However, this requires initiative on the government level. “Awareness about autism, training of paediatricians for correct assessment and early intervention are the three steps through which we can make real progress,” concludes Zafar.