Charlotte Taria of Lautoka says being a mother of a child who has autism was challenging but a humbling experience.

Her  daughter, 12-year-old, Luisa Taria had to pull out of regular school because there were certain disabilities that needed to be acknowledged and considered for her own benefit.

Now Luisa attends Lautoka School for Special Education where Ms Taria said she had an opportunity to learn and develop at her own pace.

Ms Taria spoke yesterday during the observation of the World Autism Awareness Day which was officiated by the Minister for Education, Mahendra Reddy at the Nadi Centre for Special Education.

“As a parent it is quite difficult for us trying to have a child with autism in a family,” Ms Taria said.

“And it was difficult in a sense that we had to make a lot of adjustments in the home for our daughter.

She also saluted the teachers for a job well done.

“My child was attending a regular school in Lautoka. We put her there thinking yes she will do well in a regular school however we had to reconsider for her benefit,” she said.

As parents and teachers, she said, one should know how to move with time and progress, but sometimes the children hold us back in a good way.

Mr Reddy stressed that the identification of the conditions of children with autism be made as early as possible so that they could be given special attention at an early stage, to allow them into regular schools.

He urged parents to send their children to school.

“This awareness is for all of us to take that little extra step that will make them normal and give them access to facilities and infrastructure be it education, or health so that they too can grow and develop and have a normal life,” Dr Reddy said.

The function was observed by the six special schools in the Western division along with the participation of schools nearby.

Edited by Paula Tuvuki

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