More work needs to be done for children with special needs

DHAKA, Nov. 26 (NsNewsWire) — Speakers at the seminar emphasised that more work needs to be done for children with special needs, particularly for children with autism. There is enough awareness regarding the status of these children, but there should be more focus on their wellbeing. The seminar was jointly organised by BRAC and the UK based development organisation Apasen International, today at BRAC centre.

This seminar was held to mark the 12 year anniversary of BRAC’s “children with special needs (CSN)” initiative where the disability situation in Bangladesh and its global context was discussed. Speakers also highlighted the initiatives taken to address the issue and a way out to achieve the SDGs pertaining to this cause.

Explaining BRAC’s work in the last 12 years in this sector, BRAC’s executive director Dr Muhammad Musa said, “so far more than 2 lac students with special needs have finished their courses from BRAC’s pre-primary, primary schools and education support programmes. Many of them are now studying in secondary and higher secondary level classes. In addition to this, under BRAC’s PACE programme, more than six thousand students with special needs are now getting support from schools.”

Various cultural and social activities and sports have been integrated from 2007-2010 in order to increase socialisation and access of students with special needs. Currently there are more than five thousand adolescents with special needs in BRAC’s nine thousand adolescent development clubs (ADP). Besides, near about 35 thousand community representatives participate in BRAC’s awareness raising workshops every year.

BRAC’s senior director Asif Saleh said, “We have to come out from the notion that children with special need cannot do any regular activity. BRAC started its centre in 2014 for neuro developmental disable (NDD) persons, the most neglected segment of disability. Now we are running five centres successfully in Dhaka, Pabna, Gajipur, Khulna and Sylhet. More than 100 neuro developmental disabled children are studying in these centres.”

The sessions in the seminar included access, education, health and empowerment for neuro developmental disability (NDD), experience sharing from parents and children and discussions about the importance of inclusive education and role of government and non government organisations to achieve SDG focused on disability.

Secretary of ministry of women and children affairs, Nasima Begum NDC said, “There is a significant lack of institutions for autistic children’s study and care. But BRAC’s role here is definitely commendable.”