AUTISM IN BANGLADESH

It is estimated by the Ministry of Social Welfare that the total number of persons with ASDs, could be as high as 1, 4 million -- of whom only a few hundred have been diagnosed. One estimation is also that one child in 500 in Bangladesh has autism, meaning that the approximate number of children with ASDs in Bangladesh is no less than 280,000. The general attitude towards autism is mostly negative and it is seen as a social barrier.  Even today, autism is considered a God-given curse and children with ASDs are taken as possessed by the Devil. Also bad parenting is accused: mothers going out to work still get the blame.

There is a lack of knowledge about ASDs even among doctors. Very often, children are misdiagnosed and given antipsychotic drugs by psychiatrists. In Bangladesh, there are only 20 schools for disabled children; all of them are situated in the capital city of Dhaka.  

SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION IN BANGLADESH 

According to the MDGs, every child has a right to education. However, the general education system in Bangladesh does not meet the needs of disabled children, especially the ones with autism. In Bangladesh, there are great obstacles to be met in the educational system. In spite of the National Law to ensure an equal and obligatory education for all children, the problem is that, among the poorest part of the population, children are still kept out of school. These children live in the slums, in the tribal districts, or in the most remote rural areas. Mostly they have to work daily to support their family or else they are physically or mentally challenged.

Education is still mostly the privilege of only the richest elite. Special needs education is lacking or does not meet the groups needing it. Persons with ASDs do not have a possibility for a proper diagnosis and treatment. Also chances to get into a rehabilitation process are poor.