Citizens Development Business Finance PLC (CDB) in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Association for Child Development launched an island wide Autism Awareness Campaign, to ensure that every child with autism receives early detection and attention, reducing the negative impact that autism has on their lives. The Autism Awareness Campaign, the flagship CSR project being mooted by CDB with the collaboration of SLACD was inaugurated at the CDB Auditorium to coincide with CDB’s 20th anniversary. The Campaign will gain added value with the establishment of an Autism Trust Fund to ensure sustainability of the project.
Shedding light on the complexity of autism and the challenges children with autism face, Director General of Health Services Dr Palitha Mahipala said, “Every child with autism matters; find them early and count all of them in.” Given that autism impairs a person’s ability to communicate and relate to others within social contexts and is reported to impact one in 93 people with boys being more likely to be affected than girls, Consultant Child Psychiatrist Prof Hemamali Perera stated that it is vital, “To give these children a chance to grow.” If autism is detected in a child prior to the age of two, there will be positive impacts on the child, improving cognitive, behavioural and inter-personal development dramatically.
Managing Director and CEO of CDB Mahesh Nanayakkara elucidates the reasoning behind CDB making the Autism Awareness Campaign its flagship CSR project. “This complex neuro-developmental disorder is determined at time of birth although it becomes more evident as the child grows older, given that social relationships and language development are hampered. Therefore the parents play a vital role in recognizing this condition early, and they can make timely presentations to the health services. However this is not happening in Sri Lanka at present due to the lack of public awareness”.
Nanayakkara adds that CDB’s involvement in the project is due to the magnanimity of this disorder in Sri Lanka, which can easily be managed with early detection and more awareness among the public about the disorder. “Creating awareness will instigate timely interventions for early detection prompting an improvement of the child’s functional outcome and also bring about a better understanding of the disorder.”
Urging people to, “Detect autism early and act early to unleash the potential of children with autism,” the Chairperson of the project at the Sri Lanka Association of Child Development Dr. Samanamali Sumanasena said, “We plan on rolling out a comprehensive program to create awareness amongst all Sri Lankans, aided by a separate budget to establish the Autism Trust Fund. A telephone helpdesk (011 749 0000) will support communication channels, enabling parents to access information and when required will be referred for specialized services within their own districts. The Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children has also published a handbook on autism to assist the campaign.
Dr. Jacob Kumaresan – WHO representative, Dr. Samanmali Sumanasena – Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. Champika Wickramasinghe, Deputy Director General of Health Services, Mahesh Nanayakkara, MD/CEO – CDB and Prof. Hemamali Perera – Consultant Child Psychiatrist at the campaign launch