Prof Dr Yasin Durrani
I refer to the letter published in your esteemed daily on 6.11.2020, on the occasion of inauguration of Autism Unit in the Department of Psychiatry at University of Peshawar. I fully agree with the remarks of extra-potential spread of Autism in Pakistan. Pakistan has many health problems which are being solved with the available resources. One of the seriously growing health problem of Autism in Children – a neglected field of medicine, which has never been given due attention to rehabilitate these children. According to an (un-official) study there are 8% Autistic children in the country.
And there are two institutions in the country, one in Karachi (without any indoor facilities) and the other is in Islamabad where the philanthropist claim to treat the special children through Equine therapy – FAAT (a therapy assisted through trained horses in the age group of 3-20 years) but their activities seem to be confined to the newspapers only. Unluckily, we do not even know their where-about. There is a big hospital for mentally sick patients in Lahore, but without any Department for treating Autistic children. In our country autistic children are labelled as ‘Pagals’ in our society, What a shame? Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder which becomes apparent in early childhood and affects all aspects of a child’s mental development. According to one school of thought, if patients are not properly treated for hypertension and diabetes during pregnancy, the normal development of brain suffer during intra-uterine life of the fetus. It is the fastest-growing developmental disability, four times more prevalent in boys than in girls. (Autism Society of America).
There is a triad of impairments, social development, communication and repetitious behaviours with restricted interests of daily life. Some children with Autism have superior abilities in discrete areas such as mathematics, music or art, but they need proper diagnosis and rehabilitation at an early age. There are many known scientists and professionals (even a few in Pakistan) who suffered Autism in childhood but after rehabilitative treatment they are serving as normal persons on responsible positions. There are many Pakistanis, who have left the homeland and now permanently settled against severe odds and financial difficulties in European countries, only to get rehabilitative treatment for their Autistic children.
I just quote one example of an Islamabad family with two autistic children, the husband is a highly qualified petroleum engineer while the wife is an Eye Surgeon with specialized training in the field of Autism from the UK. They are permanently settled in Canada, thriving financially on interrupted jobs, only to get the rehabilitative treatment for their children.
We have already requested the higher authorities to establish a much needed institution of Autism in the Federal Capital after acquiring a piece of land through CDA but we never received any response from the Government. We request the Prime Minister and the President to look for the care of these innocent children, being deprived of their inalienable right of treatment as well as to save the families from doomed life.
—The writer is occasionally contributing for the national Press.