Latest news with #WorldAutismAwarenessDay
Observer
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Observer
20 artworks by children with autism spectrum disorder
MUSCAT: In celebration of World Autism Awareness Day, the Ministry of Social Development, represented by the National Autism Centre in collaboration with the Royal Opera House Muscat, inaugurated the Second Autism Spectrum Disorder Art Exhibition, titled 'Citizenship: Identity and Belonging.' The event was held under the auspices of HH Sayyid Dr Kamil bin Fahd bin Mahmood al Said, Secretary-General of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers; and in the presence of Dr Laila bint Ahmed al Najjar, Minister of Social Development, along with several high-ranking officials and members of the State Council. The exhibition aims to showcase the talents and creativity of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), highlighting their abilities particularly in the creative arts — as a means of expression that helps them communicate, interact socially, stimulate creative thinking, build self-confidence and promote social inclusion. The exhibition features 20 unique artworks created by children with ASD, along with a collection of artistic products. This year's works reflect themes of national identity and citizenship, aiming to foster a sense of belonging and community responsibility while raising public awareness of the individual's role in nation-building. It also highlights the role of culture and art in strengthening social cohesion and delivering meaningful messages through a visual language accessible to all segments of society. The Second Autism Spectrum Disorder Art Exhibition, titled 'Citizenship: Identity and Belonging' was opened on Tuesday evening. The event also featured the official launch of the children's story 'A Spectrum of Light', the second in a series inspired by the real-life experiences of individuals with ASD. The book, authored by Fawzia bint Ali al Fahdiyah and illustrated by Haneen al Lawati, is supported by Omantel. The story tells the inspiring journey of a child with ASD and showcases the efforts of the National Autism Centre in supporting and developing the child's skills. The book aims to promote awareness, acceptance and empathy among children towards their peers with ASD. Additionally, an agreement was signed during the ceremony with the Mohammed al Barwani Foundation for Charitable Works to support the establishment of a Hydroponic Agricultural Reserve, designed to provide vocational training for individuals with ASD. The initiative seeks to offer a supportive learning environment where participants can acquire hydroponic farming skills, enhance their social integration and raise public awareness about the importance of including individuals with ASD in community and developmental activities. The National Autism Centre continues to provide comprehensive rehabilitation programmes; and specialised educational and psychological services aimed at developing the skills of children with ASD and enhancing their integration into society. The centre also strives to organise exhibitions and events that showcase the talents of these children, encouraging interaction with their families and the wider community to build a supportive and inclusive environment that recognises their needs and celebrates their abilities.
The Citizen
07-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
The Parktown community came together to raise awareness about neurodevelopmental disorders
The Parktown community came together to raise awareness about neurodevelopmental disorders The Key School for children with autism embarked on a walk on April 25 around Parktown with its neighbours, JMPD, SAPS bikers and other stakeholders to bring awareness to autism and neurodiversity during Autism Awareness Month. Read more: Local non-profit raises awareness about head and brain injuries School principal Michelle Pallaton-Emerick said there was autism awareness every day at the school. 'Our aim this year is to spread knowledge and give our learners and their families a space where they feel heard and accepted without judgement and the stigmas around autism. My teachers teach with heart and lead with hope.' Pallaton-Emerick added that every small step was a victory, and the staff would continue to fight for every voice to be heard and every child to be seen. According to the United Nations, World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 was observed under the theme Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlighted the intersection between neurodiversity and global sustainability efforts, showcasing how inclusive policies and practices could drive positive change for autistic individuals worldwide and contribute to the achievements of the SDGs. Also read: Parktown Girls High School learner inspires awareness for neurodiverse individuals through pageantry 'Bringing together global experts, policymakers, and autistic voices, the event features keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive sessions, addressing areas such as inclusive healthcare, education, employment, and urban development. This year's discussion explored the role of neurodiversity in shaping policies that promote accessibility, equality, and innovation across multiple sectors,' noted the United Nations. Discussions focused on inclusive healthcare, quality education, workplace accessibility, reducing inequalities, and designing autism-friendly cities and communities. The school aims to provide a safe learning environment for children on the spectrum and embraces each learner's educational needs through a different way of teaching. Head facilitator at the school Ronel McIntosh concluded, 'Raising awareness helps reduce stigma, encourages empathy and promotes inclusivity in schools, workplaces and communities; creating a more supportive environment not only for the children but also the families.' Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! Related article: Join ILoveBoobies and the Imagine Challenge 2024: a step towards creating awareness for breast cancer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why RFK Jr.'s search for autism's cause is so divisive
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s pledge to investigate autism's 'root cause' has split advocates for people with the condition: Some, like Kennedy, want to know what's causing it, while prominent groups think his search could do more harm than good. Kennedy's grim depiction of the most profound cases of autism — many 'will never use a toilet unassisted,' he said in April — sparked condemnation from several groups devoted to championing autistic people. They said his remarks perpetuate stigmas associated with a condition that has a broad spectrum of manifestations — and, coupled with his well-known vaccine skepticism, color any attempt by the agency he leads, the Department of Health and Human Services, to conduct further autism research. But others who say they speak for people with severe autism were heartened that Kennedy is promising to devote HHS's resources to help them as autism diagnosis rates continue to climb. 'America has a big problem, and we have to face up to it,' said one of them, Jill Escher, president of the National Council on Severe Autism. The divide shows how Kennedy's search for autism's source — he's pledged to have some answers by September — has inflamed a long-simmering debate among people who advocate for those with the neurodevelopmental disorder and suggests that his investigation, whatever its findings, will be politically explosive. In a statement, an HHS spokesperson said Kennedy is 'committed to working toward a society where people with autism have access to meaningful opportunities, appropriate supports, and the full respect and recognition they deserve.' Kennedy's plan, the spokesperson said, aims to further those goals, 'not to stigmatize individuals with autism or their families.' But many in the autism community said Kennedy's not the person to lead the effort. After his speech, several leading groups, including the Autism Society of America, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, and Autism Speaks, slammed him for spreading misinformation. 'Claims that Autism is 'preventable' is not supported by scientific consensus and perpetuate stigma,' they said in a statement. 'Language framing Autism as a 'chronic disease,' a 'childhood disease' or 'epidemic' distorts public understanding and undermines respect for Autistic people.' But that view is not universal. Escher, who briefly met with Kennedy in April, said she agrees with him that rising autism rates constitute an 'epidemic' even as she rejects his long-held view that they're linked to vaccines. She appeared in an HHS-produced video marking World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. Her organization also took issue with those, like the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund and experts quoted in a New York Times op-ed, who said they thought Kennedy's research plan was rooted in eugenics — the idea that science could be harnessed to prevent autistic people from being born. In a statement, the National Council on Severe Autism said it 'categorically' rejected the claim. That group and others, like the Autism Science Foundation and the Profound Autism Alliance, believe autism's rise — the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data says 1 in 31 eight-year-old children have the condition — underscores the need to continue studying potential causes so that people can better understand risk factors and develop treatments for individuals with more severe forms of autism. The Autism Science Foundation chose not to endorse the statement of its peer groups condemning Kennedy, President Alison Singer told POLITICO, because 'there was a focus in that letter that we shouldn't be focusing science on prevention, and we believe strongly that we should.' By identifying causes and developing treatments for severe autism, she said, 'we can prevent our family members from suffering.' While parents of severely autistic children said they appreciate Kennedy's recognition of their experiences, they still take issue with his choice of words. In his April speech, Kennedy also said many people with autism 'will never pay taxes, they'll never hold a job, they'll never play baseball, they'll never write a poem, they'll never go out on a date.' 'You can talk about high-support needs without degrading someone's humanity,' said Judith Ursitti, co-founder and president of the Profound Autism Alliance. Many autism advocacy groups have shifted their efforts in recent years toward amplifying the voices of people who have autism and urging society to accept them — and away from the search for a cause or cure. 'Too large a percentage of autism research is focused on causation. We're missing out on research on things that can best impact people's lives,' Zoe Gross, director of advocacy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, said. It was that pivot that prompted Escher and Ursitti to form their own organizations committed to uncovering root causes while also pushing for more federal support for services. Kennedy's rhetoric has thrown fuel on these simmering fires, as has his willingness to favor some groups over others with face time. Representatives of the Autism Society of America, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, and Autism Speaks said their organizations have yet to get a meeting with Kennedy or other HHS officials. They said they'd like to register their disapproval with Kennedy's search in person. They dispute Kennedy's premise that 'environmental toxins' cause autism and are alarmed by the reported involvement of David Geier, an anti-vaccine researcher, in the search. Those who are talking to Kennedy and HHS said they're not endorsing Kennedy's predilections but hope they can help direct the research by sitting down with those leading it. 'Meeting with people doesn't mean you agree with them,' said Ursitti, whose group has corresponded with staff at the National Institutes of Health who will play a key role in Kennedy's search. Critics of Kennedy's interest in environmental toxins point to studies that have found that genetics play a role in who develops autism and that autism can run in families. Older parents may be more likely to have a child with autism, some research suggests. Other studies indicate that infections or obesity during pregnancy could be factors. A number of large studies have found no link between vaccines and autism. Still, advocates for those with severe autism said they've been largely shut out of clinical research since the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, known as the DSM, was updated in 2013 to collapse subtypes into one diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Trial recruitment for clinical research is especially difficult for a population with high-support needs, Ursitti said, and severely autistic people may have trouble demonstrating consent to participate. But she thinks it can be done. 'As we move forward, we don't want to stomp anyone else,' she said. 'We just want to make progress for this particular population.' Gross said Kennedy is undermining his own effort by cutting research. A University of Virginia study that Gross' group was involved in was canceled as part of a Trump administration purge of research related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Gross is also critical of Kennedy's plan to move programs from the Administration for Community Living, which has traditionally supported people with disabilities, into a new agency dubbed the Administration for Healthy Living. And she worries about possible cuts to Medicaid, the federal-state insurer of low-income people, that Republicans in Congress are considering. Kennedy 'is, with one hand, trying to take away autistic people's needs and saying we're here to support autistic people's needs,' she said. Ursitti said she'd like to see her colleagues in the autism advocacy community put aside their differences. 'Everyone on the spectrum, the voices of all groups, truly matter,' she said. 'And we've gotten into this us/them mentality, which really just gets us nowhere.'
Politico
01-05-2025
- Health
- Politico
Why RFK Jr.'s search for autism's cause is so divisive
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s pledge to investigate autism's 'root cause' has split advocates for people with the condition: Some, like Kennedy, want to know what's causing it, while prominent groups think his search could do more harm than good. Kennedy's grim depiction of the most profound cases of autism — many 'will never use a toilet unassisted,' he said in April — sparked condemnation from several groups devoted to championing autistic people. They said his remarks perpetuate stigmas associated with a condition that has a broad spectrum of manifestations — and, coupled with his well-known vaccine skepticism, color any attempt by the agency he leads, the Department of Health and Human Services, to conduct further autism research. But others who say they speak for people with severe autism were heartened that Kennedy is promising to devote HHS's resources to help them as autism diagnosis rates continue to climb. 'America has a big problem, and we have to face up to it,' said one of them, Jill Escher, president of the National Council on Severe Autism. The divide shows how Kennedy's search for autism's source — he's pledged to have some answers by September — has inflamed a long-simmering debate among people who advocate for those with the neurodevelopmental disorder and suggests that his investigation, whatever its findings, will be politically explosive. In a statement, an HHS spokesperson said Kennedy is 'committed to working toward a society where people with autism have access to meaningful opportunities, appropriate supports, and the full respect and recognition they deserve.' Kennedy's plan, the spokesperson said, aims to further those goals, 'not to stigmatize individuals with autism or their families.' But many in the autism community said Kennedy's not the person to lead the effort. After his speech, several leading groups, including the Autism Society of America, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, and Autism Speaks, slammed him for spreading misinformation. 'Claims that Autism is 'preventable' is not supported by scientific consensus and perpetuate stigma,' they said in a statement. 'Language framing Autism as a 'chronic disease,' a 'childhood disease' or 'epidemic' distorts public understanding and undermines respect for Autistic people.' But that view is not universal. Escher, who briefly met with Kennedy in April, said she agrees with him that rising autism rates constitute an 'epidemic' even as she rejects his long-held view that they're linked to vaccines. She appeared in an HHS-produced video marking World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. Her organization also took issue with those, like the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund and experts quoted in a New York Times op-ed, who said they thought Kennedy's research plan was rooted in eugenics — the idea that science could be harnessed to prevent autistic people from being born. In a statement, the National Council on Severe Autism said it 'categorically' rejected the claim. That group and others, like the Autism Science Foundation and the Profound Autism Alliance, believe autism's rise — the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data says 1 in 31 eight-year-old children have the condition — underscores the need to continue studying potential causes so that people can better understand risk factors and develop treatments for individuals with more severe forms of autism. The Autism Science Foundation chose not to endorse the statement of its peer groups condemning Kennedy, President Alison Singer told POLITICO, because 'there was a focus in that letter that we shouldn't be focusing science on prevention, and we believe strongly that we should.' By identifying causes and developing treatments for severe autism, she said, 'we can prevent our family members from suffering.' While parents of severely autistic children said they appreciate Kennedy's recognition of their experiences, they still take issue with his choice of words. In his April speech, Kennedy also said many people with autism 'will never pay taxes, they'll never hold a job, they'll never play baseball, they'll never write a poem, they'll never go out on a date.' 'You can talk about high-support needs without degrading someone's humanity,' said Judith Ursitti, co-founder and president of the Profound Autism Alliance. Many autism advocacy groups have shifted their efforts in recent years toward amplifying the voices of people who have autism and urging society to accept them — and away from the search for a cause or cure. 'Too large a percentage of autism research is focused on causation. We're missing out on research on things that can best impact people's lives,' Zoe Gross, director of advocacy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, said. It was that pivot that prompted Escher and Ursitti to form their own organizations committed to uncovering root causes while also pushing for more federal support for services. Kennedy's rhetoric has thrown fuel on these simmering fires, as has his willingness to favor some groups over others with face time. Representatives of the Autism Society of America, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, and Autism Speaks said their organizations have yet to get a meeting with Kennedy or other HHS officials. They said they'd like to register their disapproval with Kennedy's search in person. They dispute Kennedy's premise that 'environmental toxins' cause autism and are alarmed by the reported involvement of David Geier, an anti-vaccine researcher, in the search. Those who are talking to Kennedy and HHS said they're not endorsing Kennedy's predilections but hope they can help direct the research by sitting down with those leading it. 'Meeting with people doesn't mean you agree with them,' said Ursitti, whose group has corresponded with staff at the National Institutes of Health who will play a key role in Kennedy's search. Critics of Kennedy's interest in environmental toxins point to studies that have found that genetics play a role in who develops autism and that autism can run in families. Older parents may be more likely to have a child with autism, some research suggests. Other studies indicate that infections or obesity during pregnancy could be factors. A number of large studies have found no link between vaccines and autism. Still, advocates for those with severe autism said they've been largely shut out of clinical research since the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, known as the DSM, was updated in 2013 to collapse subtypes into one diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Trial recruitment for clinical research is especially difficult for a population with high-support needs, Ursitti said, and severely autistic people may have trouble demonstrating consent to participate. But she thinks it can be done. 'As we move forward, we don't want to stomp anyone else,' she said. 'We just want to make progress for this particular population.' Gross said Kennedy is undermining his own effort by cutting research. A University of Virginia study that Gross' group was involved in was canceled as part of a Trump administration purge of research related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Gross is also critical of Kennedy's plan to move programs from the Administration for Community Living, which has traditionally supported people with disabilities, into a new agency dubbed the Administration for Healthy Living. And she worries about possible cuts to Medicaid, the federal-state insurer of low-income people, that Republicans in Congress are considering. Kennedy 'is, with one hand, trying to take away autistic people's needs and saying we're here to support autistic people's needs,' she said. Ursitti said she'd like to see her colleagues in the autism advocacy community put aside their differences. 'Everyone on the spectrum, the voices of all groups, truly matter,' she said. 'And we've gotten into this us/them mentality, which really just gets us nowhere.'
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Let's accept autism walk in Mysuru on Sunday
Mysuru: In observance of World Autism Awareness Day , the Devdan Foundation Learning Centre , in collaboration with PADHA Trust, is organising 'Let's Accept Autism – Walk of Hope: Autism Acceptance Walk' on April 27 in Mysuru. The 3-kilometre walk will commence at 6.30am from the North Gate of Mysore Palace (Kote Anjaneya Swamy Temple premises) and culminate at the UoM Athletic Ground (Oval Ground). In India, for every 48 children, 1 child is diagnosed with autism. Speaking to reporters, Kotera Devaiah, director of Devdan Foundation Learning Centre, said, "This isn't just a walk. It's a movement. We walk for the children still waiting to be understood. We walk for the parents seeking help, support, and hope. We walk to challenge stigma, break the silence, and celebrate the strength and uniqueness of every autistic individual. We invite leaders of institutions, professionals, corporates, entrepreneurs, bankers, industrialists, students, and citizens to join us and show that Mysuru stands for acceptance. All participants will receive a 'Certificate of Autism Acceptance'—a symbol of commitment towards making Mysuru the first certified city for compassion towards autism." Apart from providing education to these children, the centre also provided job opportunities to many people with autism. Dhanya Ponnamma Ballachanda, chairperson, Devdan Foundation Learning Centre, said, "Autism is not an illness. It's a different way of thinking, feeling, and experiencing the world. It's not something to be fixed—it's something to be understood and embraced. And yet, many remain undiagnosed, families remain unsupported, and stigma continues to isolate those who deserve nothing but acceptance. Join Mysuru's first-ever Autism Awareness Walkathon to raise awareness about autism, promote early diagnosis and compassionate support, share practical insights on nutrition and behavioural wellness, spread a message of inclusion, love, and community. Your presence matters. Walk with us — for acceptance, for dignity, for hope." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Sangeetha, secretary of PADHA, said, "Twenty years back, for every 10,000 children, one child was diagnosed with autism, but now, for every 48 children, one child is diagnosed with autism. Hence, awareness of autism is very important." For participants, the dress code is blue.
