Over 9,000 children identified as autistic in Sri Lanka

“There has been a noticeable increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism in Sri Lanka. According to statistics, over 9,000 children have been identified so far,” said the Education Ministry officials. “Due to the lack of proper diagnosis, many children continue to suffer from various disabilities,” emphasized the Minister of Women and Child Affairs.

This information was disclosed during a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Women and Child Affairs, held in Parliament on Tuesday and chaired by Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj.

” Children with autism should be identified during their early developmental stages, and only through early diagnosis can they be guided toward a healthy developmental path,” she said.

She emphasized the need to implement an active mechanism to monitor and support children from birth, beginning during the period under the supervision of the Public Health Midwife and continuing throughout the early childhood development stages.

Minister Paulraj also revealed plans to establish three model daycare centers in identified regions for children with autism. It was also proposed to appoint a committee to carry out the necessary arrangements for this initiative, with the intention of guiding such children through appropriate stages of development.

According to the officials of the Education Ministry,  a six-month training program has been proposed for students who are undergoing training to become teachers, in their respective Colleges of Education, on handling children with disabilities.

The officials additionally mentioned that the aim of this training is to provide teachers with the essential knowledge and mindset to treat children with disabilities on par with other children.

The Chair of the Committee, Minister Saroja Paulraj, also mentioned that actions are being implemented to unify preschools functioning through different frameworks throughout the island into a single standardized system.

Additionally, officials informed the Committee that a joint policy on preschool education is currently being developed collaboratively by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.

END.