Today, on April,2, on the dayof raising awareness about autism, parents of children with autism and social organizations had a meeting near the Ministry of health claiming their kids have the right for education. According to the world statistics last 10 years 1% of all newly born have autistic syndrome. This means that in Ukraine nearly 5 000 children with autism shall go to school. But even new program of the Ministry of health on inclusion for children with special needs there is no word about autists.
“There is a myth in the society and among professionals that autists can’t study, or on the contrary they are genius. But most autists – are average children, who due to difficulties with communication cannot go to school. They can’t demonstrate their intellect by the way we are used to. They need to be taught to do it. But neither kindergartens, nor schools do not teach it. And in universities teachers are not being taught to work with such children. That’s why today we ask Ministry of health to pay attention at our children and give them chance to be educated – basic right of each child”, – says Inna Sergiyenko, founder of the Children with autism relief foundation “Child with future”, initiator of the meeting.
“Next year my son needs to go to school. But today I face the problem that there is only school for retarded children, which can accept my child. But his intellect is fine and it means that for his development we need an average school, average children, only this way he can learn to live in this life and have an independent life. Taking him to the school for retarded children – means closing him from life, which I cannot do as a mother”, says Eugenia Panichevska, mother of 6-year old Timur, Head of the Association of parents of children with autism.
Parents and social organizations made an application to the Minister of education Dmitriy Tabachnik with the request to include representatives of parents and social organizations to the process of implementation the Program on inclusion into the public schools.
On the last session General Assembly of the UN adopted new resolution on autism, demonstrating willingness to help families, which faced this problem. “Recent research shows that early intervention may help people with autistic disorders to achieve improvement of their skills. It is time to work on the society, to make it more inclusive, to see talents of these people and provide opportunities, which would allow them to maximize their potential”, said Pan Ghi Mun, general Secretary of the UN on the Raising awareness about autism day.
