DILI, 02 april 2023 (TATOLI) – Association of the Institute for Lay Missionaries (ALMA) Sisters encourage Timorese parents to accept the condition of their children with autism in order to avoid discrimination against their autistic kids.
ALMA therapist, Makrina Lewo said that in Timor-Leste there is still a lack of awareness and insufficient knowledge about autism among parents.
“Parental acceptance of autistic children is worse in Timor-Leste. This is because most parents feel resentment and shame toward their autistic children. Besides, many parents have high expectations of their autistic children. Some parents care more about their normal children than their autistic kids,” Lewo told TATOLI, in Dili.
She said, therefore, family acceptance of autistic children requires socialization: “There was a grandmother who did not want to accept her grandson when we brought him home. Her refusal was simply due to his autistic condition.”
“So, most people are still not aware of autism and we need socialization to sensitize communities about the condition of the children with autism,” she reiterated.
Lewo said that the only treatment for autistic children is therapy at an early age: “I believe that there are many autistic children who are abandoned by their families.”
“Autistic children should be taken into therapy at an early age. It is very difficult to give them therapy when they reach adulthood because they are very aggressive. If you have a child, you should find a therapy center immediately,” she emphasized.
She called on the government to pay special attention to autistic children as the number is increasing.
“There is only one therapy center in Dili which is located in our hostel. Therefore, the government needs to create an Autism Specific Care Program (ASCP) to provide early intervention and special care for autistic children in Timor-Leste,” Lewo stressed.
Parental acceptance and seeking early intervention help children acquire the basic skills they normally learn in the first five years of life, including physical, thinking, and communication skills.
The Clinical Director of the Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares, Marcelino Correia also called on parents to seek early identification and treatment for their autistic children at health care centers: “Early diagnosis and interventions for autism are more likely to have important long-term positive effects on symptoms and later skills.”
“Thus, parents are the first persons who should know the condition of their children in order to avoid any kind of discrimination against their kids with autism in the family,” he added.
Currently, ALMA provides special support to 18 autistic children with special educational needs to guarantee their right to education like all other children.
According to the most recent Population and Housing Census, there were just over 38,000 people in Timor-Leste with a disability, and only 30 percent of children with disabilities in the country attend school.
Research by the UNICEF International Child Development Centre on Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities found that children with disabilities and their families consistently experience barriers to their enjoyment of their basic human rights and their inclusion in society.
The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres said: “On World Autism Awareness Day, we celebrate the contributions of persons with autism and renew our resolve to advance their inherent rights.”
He said Despite important progress, persons with autism continue to face social and environmental barriers to the full exercise of their rights and fundamental freedoms, in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“We must do better – by promoting inclusive education, equal employment opportunities, self-determination, and an environment where every person is respected. And as we do so, we also recognize the role of families, caregivers, and support networks in the lives of persons with autism,” Guterres said.
Related News:https://en.tatoli.tl/2023/04/02/timor-leste-must-ensure-early-intervention-for-children-with-autism/09/
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
