The inclusion of autistic children in the society is a priority, parents said at the meeting organized for the World Autism Awareness Day in Zenica on Monday, some 70 km northwest of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) capital Sarajevo.
The World Autism Awareness Day was marked at the main square in BiH city of Zenica, where parents and children symbolically released blue balloons that symbolized their message of support to people from autistic spectrum.
Parents of autistic children who attended the meeting shared their daily experiences and difficulties they face because their children are in some way “different”. All of the parents agreed that that there is a priority for autistic children to be included and accepted in the society as soon as possible.
They send the message that they face problems, but that it is easier when they accept the fact that they have to live with them.
Gathered parents pointed out that the exact number of the autistic children in BiH is unknown due to non-existence of the register at the state level.
In BiH, there are various pre-school institutions that work with children with an early stage of autism, but there are no institutions to work with them after they start the high school.
Since 2007, the World Autism Awareness Day is marked every year on April 2 in BiH, drawing the attention on the increasing number of people diagnosed with autism.
People that are diagnosed with autism, a particular neurobiological disorder, are characterized by social-interaction difficulties, communication challenges and a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors.
Sarajevo Times
