Call given for more support to autistic children

Chairperson of Margao Municipal Council, Dr Babita Prabhudesai, flagged off the rally from the SGPDA grounds, even as hundreds of blue balloons were released in the air to mark the occasion.  

In her address, Babita said autistic children needed to be included in the mainstream education system and “we needed to respect their many special talents.”  

Maria Rebello, a parent of an autistic child, advised parents of autistic children not to be ashamed of their children and instead bring them into the mainstream, as she had done with her son.  

Enroute from Margao to Sanguem, students of the special education course at the Lokseva Pratisthan college performed street plays on autism in the market squares of Raia, Curtorim, Chandor and Curchorem.  

In the concluding function held in Sanguem, MLA Prasad Gaonkar said that he was grateful to all the special schools in Goa who were working with autistic children. “We must all join hands to continue building awareness about autism in Goa. I will be happy to work with Sangath in Sanguem taluka,” Gaonkar said.  

Earlier in the same function, Anuradha Joshi, the state disabilities commissioner, pointed out how the Rights of People with Disabilities Act of 2017 was a boon for autistic children, as it made it mandatory for mainstream schools to admit autistic children.  

Varsha Dessai, headmistress of the Davorlim based Jyot school and parent of an autistic child, urged  parents of autistic children to gain fresh knowledge about autism via the internet and YouTube.  

Waman Pednekar, site director, Colorcon Asia Pvt Ltd, supporters of Sangath, was of the opinion that autism must be treated as a disease. “Only when we do that, will we find a permanent cure for autism,” Pednekar said expressing his company’s willingness to continue working on autism.  

Percy Cardozo, Project Lead, Sangath, concluded by stating that more awareness building was the need of the hour.