MPs demand comprehensive care for autistic children

It is high time the education ministry develops a coherent policy to tackle weaknesses in the system that fail to support children with autism, MPs at the House human rights heard on Monday.

Committee chairwoman Irene Charalambides slammed the fact that a special centre for children with neurodevelopmental disorders that should have been founded two years ago “is staffed with only two people, that have been tasked with other responsibilities beyond supporting autistic people”.

Amid a growing number of autism diagnoses including nonverbal, figures by Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) discussed during the session revealed 1,190 minors were diagnosed with autism in Cyprus last year, while 228 individuals over the age of 18 were diagnosed.

Deputies were concerned at the discrepancy with the education ministry figures however, which put the figure at 858 children.

Experts flagged the problem lay with some parents not wanting the children to get evaluated and that many children drop out of school after the age of 15, which is the age of compulsory education.

MPs, teachers and parents attending the committee session agreed the current legislation needs to be updated, to reflect new data on proper intervention, support, care and education for people with autism.

“It is disappointing that for years, a national strategy to offer the best possible education and care to these children has still not been developed,” Charalambides said.

She added the education ministry “is duty-bound to identify modern teaching methods and ensure that each of these children with autism has the best possible education conditions.”

Charalambides highlighted that teachers also need better training and tools, with the inclusion of education psychologists being paramount.

Education ministry reps attending the session said it was collaborating with state university Tepak to introduce new speech therapy tools, whilst undertaking specialist training for teachers.

Out of the 858 autistic children going to school, 184 go to special schools, 250 to special units and 424 in standard classrooms.

A total of 743 students were found to be on the spectrum last year of which 158 went to special schools, 241 in special units and 344 in standard classrooms.