Latif Siddique to work for special children

Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Abdul Latif Siddique has pledged to work for the children with special needs.

Speaking at a function on Friday, he said he would work for their skills development and try to create employment opportunities for them using his office.

Parents Forum for Differently Able that work with the children and persons with autism, cerebral palsy, down syndromes, and other intellectual and neurodevelopment disorder organised the function marking April, the month for autism awareness.

The Parents Forum said State Minister for Social Welfare Promode Mankin and Secretary Nasima Begum also pledged to help them out at the function.

Children with autism cannot pick up their self-care tasks by imitating others and cannot make eye-to-eye contacts.

They grow at their special schools as there are limited scopes to move in societies like Bangladesh.

But after certain age, 15 or 16 years, they do not want to go to those schools and remain confined within walls of their homes, said President of the Parents Forum Sajida Rahman Danny.

She said given opportunities they can do some “specific” jobs. “It can be anything. But we need to engage them when they are adults.”

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.

The special kids rendered a colourful cultural show after the discussion at the Institute of Diploma Engineers.