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SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region - A government-funded autism center in Sulaimani is struggling to overcome the lack of financial support, putting in jeopardy the services it provides to children with the condition.
The director of the center says they have been unable to develop it because of the low budget allocated for it.
“We cannot reward our coaches properly even if they are good because we do not have enough budget, that does not encourage anyone, and we cannot afford a single simple meal for the children,” Rizgar Osman, the director of the Sulaimani Autism Center told Rudaw’s Horvan Rafaat on Wednesday.
It takes up to one to three months for children with autism to adapt to the new environment presented by the center, specialists say.
“We give the autistic child the things they love for the sake of liking the center.” Omar added, “They may not like it, so we will set the first week just for testing,” Sawen Omar, a trainer for autistic children, said.
The children spend their time at the center with specialized trainers either individually or in a group. They also spend time alone in a room for short periods of time to boost their concentration and relaxation.
At the center, children are allowed to play freely and exercise so that they can feel at home.
“We are with them every day from 08:30 am to 01:00 pm and six days a week,” Basoz Abubakr added. “We have to work with them slowly and teach them everything.”
Five children from the Sulaimani Autism Center are now ready to attend public schools due to the improvements made.
Not only do the governmental autism centers in the Kurdistan Region struggle, but autistic people and their families also feel the repercussions of limited support from the government, with many families struggling to afford treatment provided by private centers.
Some families have risked their lives by illegally migrating to Europe with the hope of obtaining better care for their autistic children there.
More than 3,000 people with autism in the Kurdistan Region have little assistance besides the 150,000 Iraqi dinars a few of them receive every month. No facilities or laws have been implemented either.
The director of the center says they have been unable to develop it because of the low budget allocated for it.
“We cannot reward our coaches properly even if they are good because we do not have enough budget, that does not encourage anyone, and we cannot afford a single simple meal for the children,” Rizgar Osman, the director of the Sulaimani Autism Center told Rudaw’s Horvan Rafaat on Wednesday.
It takes up to one to three months for children with autism to adapt to the new environment presented by the center, specialists say.
“We give the autistic child the things they love for the sake of liking the center.” Omar added, “They may not like it, so we will set the first week just for testing,” Sawen Omar, a trainer for autistic children, said.
The children spend their time at the center with specialized trainers either individually or in a group. They also spend time alone in a room for short periods of time to boost their concentration and relaxation.
At the center, children are allowed to play freely and exercise so that they can feel at home.
“We are with them every day from 08:30 am to 01:00 pm and six days a week,” Basoz Abubakr added. “We have to work with them slowly and teach them everything.”
Five children from the Sulaimani Autism Center are now ready to attend public schools due to the improvements made.
Not only do the governmental autism centers in the Kurdistan Region struggle, but autistic people and their families also feel the repercussions of limited support from the government, with many families struggling to afford treatment provided by private centers.
Some families have risked their lives by illegally migrating to Europe with the hope of obtaining better care for their autistic children there.
More than 3,000 people with autism in the Kurdistan Region have little assistance besides the 150,000 Iraqi dinars a few of them receive every month. No facilities or laws have been implemented either.
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