A collective responsibility

In 2007, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution designating April 2 as a world day for autism awareness and encouraging nations to join ranks to deal with this developmental disorder.

In Jordan, the Ministry of Social Development partnered with the Higher Council for Affairs of Persons with Disabilities (HCD) and civil society institutions, seizing the opportunity this year to remind all stakeholders of our responsibility to stimulate quality efforts to face this challenge by promoting a systematic approach and orchestrated endeavours engaging all concerned, including government and civil society institutions, parents, teachers and members of the community at large.

In this pursuit, we are inspired by the concern His Majesty King Abdullah shows to people in general and the marginalised segments in particular, and by his fatherly humanitarian gestures benefiting every needy, ailing and disabled person.

Science has not been able to find a cure for autism, whose very definition is still a matter of controversy.

We know it is a functional neurodevelopment disorder that surfaces in the first three years of an autistic child’s life.

Those affected by autism have communication and social interaction difficulties, linguistic inability and distinct challenges in social and imaginary play, along with abnormal behaviour.

Despite the huge challenge autism poses to parents, there is a bright side, namely, the possibility that autistic children could be gifted.

There are brilliant individuals in the world who were diagnosed with autism in their early childhood.

The support talented autistic children receive from parents, behavioural specialists and the community leads to impressive successes.

Being a rare phenomenon, discovering capabilities in those afflicted by autism is difficult without adequate attention from parents and trainers.

They need special care by the state, and educational and scientific research institutions to develop and polish their talents in science, art, language or any other field.

The presence of an autistic child in a family is a challenge that can be turned around into a blessing through a nurturing family environment.

At the Ministry of Social Development, we seek to compile a comprehensive database for autism and related statistics in Jordan, with the help of HCD and concerned civil society organisations.

This will help us assess the situation accurately and, subsequently, enact the right legislation and draw up workable policies and programmes to handle autism and make a difference.

World Autism Awareness Day is also a reminder of the need to prepare and rehabilitate qualified care givers to manage the various manifestations of autism by training them in the most advanced international programmes that have proved useful in cases of autism.

Higher education institutions are required to introduce specialised courses and programmes for special education students. Such step would constitute a milestone, especially in view of the shortage in qualified autism specialists, not only in Jordan but also in the Arab word.

By preparing specialised caregivers, we would be both serving children in need and ensuring that our country remains a rich source of qualified and well-trained specialists that meet local and regional standards.

The occasion also inspires us to carry out more awareness campaigns on this developmental disorder, targeting parents.

Early detection of autism gives a better chance of behavioural improvement and puts autistic children on the right track towards ensuring their social integration so they become productive members of a caring society.

In this context, we should highlight the excellent work done by several stakeholders to integrate children with disabilities in society, including autistic children, who need, perhaps more than others, to mingle with other children to overcome their disorders.

Many impressive success stories have been achieved in the world by the mothers and fathers of autistic children.

It is an uphill battle, but these parents, some of them Jordanian citizens, saved their children from a world of isolation and introversion.

Achievement is only possible when we work shoulder-to-shoulder to create the right environment for success.

The writer is the incumbent minister of social development. She contributed this article to The Jordan Times.