PESHAWAR: The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Pakistan is escalating, leaving families grappling with limited treatment options and financial strain. Syed Arsalan Hashmi, an engineer from Bannu, recounts his journey with his son Azan, diagnosed with ASD. Despite extensive travels to seek therapy in Karachi and Peshawar, financial and physical burdens forced the family to relocate.
While talking with APP, mother of Muhammad Yousaf, echoes the challenges faced by families, emphasizing the emotional toll of caring for an autistic child. Bilawal, a parent from Nowshera, highlights the lack of affordable treatment options, with many families resorting to traditional healing practices due to financial constraints.
Muhammad Bilal, Managing Director of Talha Autism Center, emphasizes the urgency of accessible treatment, citing the alarming number of ASD cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Rizwan Ahmad, Project Director for Special Children with Autism in KP, advocates for government subsidies to support lower-income families in accessing treatment.
There is no such rehabilitation facility for treating adolescents with autism in the entire province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to Maryam Jehangir, a psychologist who also teaches online courses on International Behavior Analyst (IBA) from an American institute. Instead, the majority of private centers admit adult patients with autism and charge for their treatment.
Madam Tahira, a psychologist at the Autism Centre Peshawar, pointed out that “early diagnosis and proper treatment could minimize adverse effects of the disease, but due to lack of awareness people realize neurological disorder in their children at later stages.”
The majority of private autism centers are founded by parents of autistic children, but sadly, the care they provide is highly costly and out of the price range of the lower and middle classes. “The Centre for Excellence for Special Children with Autism in KP’s Project Director, Rizwan Ahmad, bemoans the fact that their minimum fees are approximately 60,000 PKR per month.”
With limited certified therapists and rehabilitation centers, early diagnosis and intervention remain crucial, asserts psychologist Madam Tahira.
Despite the challenges, a glimmer of hope arises with the invention of the ‘EKKO Wave Therapeutic Device’ by NUST researchers, offering promising results in home-based therapy for autistic children.
In a country where the prevalence of autism is increasing, urgent measures are needed to establish accessible autism centers and provide support for affected families. —APP
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