Job plea for autistic adults

Uncertainty stares ‘Safwath’ in the face as he outgrows his childhood with a development disorder.

A year from now, the 15-year old with autism is unlikely to go to his special school, says his mother. As a matter of fact, he may have nothing to do.

“He’ll stay at home, if we cannot engage him in anywhere,” Nurjahan Dipa said on Tuesday, a day before the World Autism Awareness Day.

‘Safwath’ is one of hundreds of children with autism heading for an uncertain future in Bangladesh.

Idham Malek working at his office.

But their parents say they are quite capable of working, if given a suitable job.

Dipa, who is also a special educator for autistic kids, told bdnews24.com that children with such disorders usually do not go to school after they are 15 or 16 years old.

“Life in a special school and being engaged in a set of specific activities cease to be an attraction. They feel bored and do not want to attend (special school),” she said.

“Then, we have to keep them at home,” she said, but added, “There are exceptions."

Idham Malek is one such man with autism, who got a job in an IT firm at the age of 30.

His mother takes him to the office before 9am every day and escorts him back home at around 2 in the afternoon.

“It took four months for Idham to adjust. Now he is doing fine. We don’t get any complaints,” his mother, Rina Malek, said, “He can type and enter data."

Initially, his colleagues had a problem accepting him because he does not communicate like others.

Autistic children cannot pick up self-care tasks – dressing, self-feeding, using the toilet etc. – by watching and imitating. They do not make eye-to-eye contact and have a single-track thought process.

The problem usually begins to show up in the first three years of life, affecting the normal development of social and communication skills.

No one can say why, but the trend is rising.

Bangladesh has no data on the number of children suffering from the disorder, but a latest US study finds one in every 68 children to be autistic - a rate 30 percent higher than what it was three years ago.

Idham initially had difficulties adjusting to his new environment.

“It takes time and help for them to get used to new situations,” says Dipa, who, as a special educator, helped him settle down in his office environment.

He was accustomed to his life in school; so, an office environment had initially proved stressful.

“They cannot communicate like others. They’ll not stand up when the boss walks up to their desks. So the office staff need to be aware of their different behaviour,” Dipa said.

Idham found the environment conducive once his colleagues began to understand him.

Idham’s manager of the IT firm Devnet that employed him out of corporate social responsibility, said: “We didn’t expect getting any output from him (Idham). But we find he can type English well."

Sajida Rahman Danny, President of Parents Forum for Differently Able – parents of autistic children – told bdnews24.com that their children, growing up to be young adults, were confronting a challenge.

“They don’t go to schools. They will have to stay at home unless we find something for them,” she said.

She said they can do “a specific work, if given the chance".

She urged employers to give their kids the job they would be able to do. “It can be a waiter’s job or that of a guard in an office. We need to engage them once they are adults.”

On the eve of the Day, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also called for the creation of suitable jobs for adults with autism for their social integration.

“Persons with autism deserve to walk the same path,” he said. “They deserve all possible opportunities for education, employment, and integration."

“Schools connect children to their communities. Jobs connect adults to their societies,” the Secretary-General said in a message.

He also urged the government to continue to invest in services that benefit persons with autism. “When we empower them, we benefit current and future generations.”

Idham’s mother says she is lucky that her son got a job. He is paid for his work – something “beyond our expectations,” she said.

“We are happy that he can come to an office,” the contented mother said, sitting outside his son’s place of work.