AUTISM AWARENESS

It's Autism awareness day and one NGO is calling on Government to make their needs a priority.

Transcript

00:00In observance of World Autism Awareness Day today, the Fond of One NGO has issued an urgent

00:06call to the health authorities to reduce diagnosis wait times.

00:11In a statement, Dr Radhika Mahes of the Autism Support Network, TNT, urged Health Minister

00:17Terence Dielsing to take immediate action to reduce the long waiting times as she says

00:23parents and caregivers currently face excessive delays in accessing diagnostic assessments

00:29for their children.

00:30In the past, she says the average wait time was to be 12-18 months to get an appointment

00:36at a public health institution, but Dr Mahes contends for the past few years, that has

00:43increased to 18-24 months.

00:46The delays hinder early intervention on timely diagnosis and intervention which she says

00:52is not a privilege but a necessity.

00:54Early diagnosis allows children on the autism spectrum to receive appropriate educational

00:59support, therapy and resources that enhance their quality of life and ability to thrive.

01:06Dr Mahes says without timely access to these services, families struggle, children fall

01:13behind and opportunities for development and inclusion are lost.

01:17The network calls on the Ministry of Health to increase the number of professionals qualified

01:22to diagnose autism in the public health care system to implement streamlined processes

01:28to ensure early screenings and referrals and to establish more outreach clinics throughout

01:33the country.

01:34She encourages the government to address the ongoing challenges faced by the autistic community

01:40including inadequate access to special education and inclusive schooling, specifically the

01:46non-allocation of teacher's aids and the absence of speech and occupational therapy in schools.

01:52She also calls on the government to treat with the limited employment opportunities

01:56and of vocational training for autistic individuals.