DHAKA: Saima Wazed Hossain, chairperson to national advisory committee on autism affairs and also daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, advised people concerned to change the misconception regarding a child’s disability.

She said that there is a need of changing attitude towards misunderstandings related to autism before creating awareness about it.

“Autism is not a disease. Due to autism, some complexities exist when it comes to normal movement, for example, talking, behavior, intelligence and other things related to human life,” she added.

She came up with the assertion at a workshop on neurodevelopment disorders at National Parliament building in city on Tuesday.

According to her, there are many types of disabled people existing in society. Some of them can talk after a long period of their lives while some never talk but only understand.

Citing an example of an erroneous idea, she said some mothers consider it to be normal when their children cannot talk, even when they are 3 years old.

The mothers consider other children who may start talking at the age of five.

“This is a misconception. When children reach 18 months, they started understanding and their brains start working. If there is late, they should be sent to doctors,” she added.

Saima Wazed also suggested that measures should be taken as early as possible to tackle disability. A child’s brain grows in the age between 18 months and 7 years. Parents should be more concerned about it.

She also urged all to nourish disabled children and make them human-resource so that they can be established in society.

BDST: 2055 HRS, DEC 22, 2015
AS/RR