Recognizing autism

Every year on April 2, World Autism Awareness Day is marked to understand autism and how it affects individuals. As organizations and governments around the world attempt to be more inclusive, we in Pakistan can only wonder just how many people suffer from autism in Pakistan and how many must struggle to cope with it undiagnosed and without specialized help. According to the Pakistan Autism Society, which attempts to offer help and advice to individuals and families living with autism, at least 400,000 children suffer from autism in Pakistan. The precise number of people living with autism is not clear, given that many do not report neurological disorders of any kind due to social stigma and a general lack of awareness about autism and other disorders that can be characterized by challenges with social skills, and speech and nonverbal communication. In most cases, symptoms of autism surface before a child is three years old and can affect him/her for life. The nature of autism differs so greatly from individual to individual that it has in recent years been labeled Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a better way to define autism.

While many autistic persons often struggle with making social connections and may struggle with speech and other functions, many are otherwise also quite high-functioning. In Pakistan, there is little specialized help or recognition of the needs of children who live with the disorder. This is most stark in how there is very little effort to ensure effective schooling for children on the spectrum. With proper help, many autistic children can learn to communicate with others, though there is a population that struggles with this for life.

There is an immense need to raise awareness about autism in the country so we can put together real figures on the number of persons who are currently living with the condition, including adults who may have gone undiagnosed. This will also help children with the disorder live lives that ensure they can use their unique skills in an environment that does not only see life in a binary that adheres to there being one kind of ‘normal’ way of being. This is very important — most so in a country that has largely struggled with empathy and sensitivity to anyone perceived as ‘different’. A more empathetic Pakistan will help parents and families who not only have to learn to live with unique individuals but also have to in many cases shield them from a society that is brutal so that their children can grow up safely with knowledge and self-awareness.