Help build autism awareness

Saturday, 6 April 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

An autism awareness program called ‘Light It Up Blue’ is to be held this Saturday at the ABC School of Early Learning in Chitra Lane by a group of professionals working with kids with autism and other special needs.

“You are invited to come and light a blue candle,” says Malathi Kahandaliyanage, who has a 20-year-old son with autism.

All those interested and keen on supporting kids with autism are invited to take part in the program and light a blue candle. The event is planned for 5pm - 7pm on Saturday, 6 April at the ABC School of Early Learning, No 66, Chitra Lane, Colombo 5.

“The event is intended to shine a light on autism by raising awareness about the condition,” says Malathi, who works as a Consultant Special Educator at Ability Foundation, a national cross disability organisation in Chennai, in India that is a public charitable trust for the empowerment and mainstreaming of persons with disabilities.

“The programme will help parents understand the condition of these kids can be improved provided they get proper assistance. There are special therapies and schools for children with autism.” April is the global awareness month on autism which is used to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community.

About one in every 55 kids born globally is prone to have autism, a developmental disability that affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is not a sickness and there’s no cure, but early identification of the condition, signs of which typically appear in the first three years, can change the lives of afflicted children. An early sign to look for in the children in your life is lack of or delay in spoken language.

Autism is treatable with early diagnosis and intervention leading to significantly improved outcomes.

Malathi Kahandaliyanage is working with a group of five professionals – an educational psychologist, a clinical psychologist, a speech therapist and an educational therapist – to set up a facility with a holistic approach to helping children with the condition.