A Story of Triumphs and Tribulations: Implementing Services for Autism in Bangladesh

Persons with NDDs participating in an art competition organized on the occasion of birthday of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, March 2019. Credit: NDD Protection Trust, BangladeshBy Saima W. HossainDHAKA, Bangladesh, Mar 30 2020 (IPS) A few days ago, a friend said to me that my focus on autism, although rather successful, had “sucked out all energy from other critical areas of social need in Bangladesh.” My friend wanted to know if I would be interested in expanding my visibility and successful approach to autism, to other issues that have apparently been left by the wayside due to everyone’s eagerness to work on an issue popular with the Prime Minister’s daughter! I know my friend’s statement was meant to be provocative, but it also made me reflect on what it was that I had set out to do when I began working in this area in Bangladesh. Has enough been achieved for me to ‘pass on the baton’ to the many others who have now dedicated themselves to this issue, thereby beginning to shift my focus towards addressing other social needs both in Bangladesh and elsewhere? Bangladesh in many ways has been in the forefront of the autism conversation not because we have the most cutting edge innovative and effective services, but because we have achieved one of the most difficult issues in the area of autism: that of garnering the interest of those not personally directly affected by it. When looking at what Bangladesh has achieved in the area of au...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Aid Asia-Pacific Development & Aid Education Featured Global Headlines Health Human Rights TerraViva United Nations Source Type: news