First Lady urges to utilise support groups devoted to assisting those with an autism spectrum disorder

First Lady Fazna Ahmed urges to utilise assistance from support groups devoted to serving those with an autism spectrum disorder. The first lady made the remarks speaking at a family breakfast held at the Autism Centre to mark World Autism Day.

Speaking at the ceremony, First Lady Fazna Ahmed spoke about the importance of turning to the various support groups devoted to assisting those with autism spectrum disorder as well as their parents and guardians, in order to be properly educated and up to date regarding the condition. Parents raising children who are on the autism spectrum face unique challenges and in order to address them one of the best options is to turn to each other for assistance, according to the first lady.

The first lady further stated that a dignified life is a basic constitutional right accorded to all citizens and that those who find difficulty in meeting the needs of their own accord because of a condition or ailment were entitled to positive action by the state. As such, she stated that the Maldives’ wider community have a moral obligation to ensure that individuals on the autism spectrum can live a normal life.

Continuing on, the first lady highlighted the importance of the work done by groups such as the Autism Association in ensuring a reasonable quality of life for individuals with autism and highlighted that it was imperative that the services they provide should be either freely available or at the very least easily affordable. She additionally stated that as month of April is especially devoted to autism, people should take this month to reflect on the unique challenges faced by individuals on Autism Spectrum disorder and take the time to educate themselves about the condition.

During the event, the first lady inaugurated the Autism Association’s website and child screening program targeted for 100 children also being developed by the association.