Lizla Shrestha from Lalitpur was always excited to go to school. She used to enjoy folding her school uniform and bag, but she is currently out of school. 17-year-old Shrestha has not been able to go to school since last Shrawan. Her family sent her to school until grade 8. She was expelled after the school complained that she had beaten her friend and other behaviors were not being corrected by the school. She is currently undergoing treatment at the therapy center.

She is undergoing therapy at the Mi: Khama organization run by painter Sarita Dangol. She draws, dances, and also performs at events. Lizla is struggling with the problem of Down syndrome. Her habit of sleeping all day and not sleeping all night since childhood had greatly disturbed her family. Now she goes to the therapy center herself and participates in dance, exercise, yoga, and counseling. Therapy has improved his daily life a lot.

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7-year-old Utkarsh Pratav Singh from Sarlahi was diagnosed with autism 3 years ago. He could not speak, could not communicate and behaved in his own way for 3 years. His habit of urinating in his clothes was a problem for the family.

After coming to Kathmandu for treatment, it was confirmed that he had autism. Now he goes to school and is undergoing regular therapy.

After the death of her husband, Utkarsh Pratav's mother Sarita Mahto has taken all the responsibility of her son on her shoulders. She says that it is very difficult to educate and provide therapy to children with autism. She says that therapy centers and schools charge high fees. She said, "The cost of educating children with autism is high, I could not afford it." 'I am raising children with the help of my family and raising awareness of autism.'

Realizing the need for socialization to bring about changes in the behavior of children with autism, she said that connecting them with society is a priority. 'It is necessary to make children with autism participate in society.' She said, 'It is necessary for families, teachers and therapists to work together to improve their behavior. If they get help, they can develop the children's abilities.'

Parents paying a high price, no monitoring

World Autism Awareness Day is being celebrated all over the world today. This day has been celebrated since 2007 at the call of the United Nations.

The number of autism in Nepal has been increasing recently. According to the National Census 2078, 647,744 people across the country, or 2.2 percent of the total population, have some kind of disability. Of these, 4,886 are autistic, including 2,258 males and 2,628 females.

Parents are paying a high price to raise and educate children with autism. Lizla's mother Lalita says that raising and educating her daughter costs a lot. She said that it cost up to 200,000 to educate her for 6 months in a school.

It is difficult for her family, who runs a cold store, to meet the expenses of her daughter. Since she has to give her regular medicine, a large amount of money is also spent on medicine. She is now keeping her in a day hostel for 2,500 rupees per month with the help of social organizations. She said, 'It is only with the help of the organization, otherwise it would not be possible to educate and provide therapy.' She said that the problem lies in identifying the child's problem, and raising it costs a lot. She says that a lot has been spent on treatment before.

Sarita has found it very difficult to raise her son after her son was diagnosed with autism. She visited many centers for therapy . She said that she had to pay expensive fees, and that half an hour of therapy alone cost between 8 and 12 thousand rupees. She said that the monthly expenses ranged from 70 to 80 thousand rupees. She said,  ‘With less than 30 thousand, children cannot be educated, and it is impossible to say how much it will cost to provide therapy and other activities.’

She said that parents with limited financial capacity cannot afford the expenses . Sarita said, ‘Parents have to bear the financial burden of educating children with autism, some are even selling land and keeping them in therapy centers. I have started a campaign to reduce this.'

The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens is running programs such as care training, socialization, and socialization for families and guardians of people with autism, intellectual disabilities, and hearing and visual impairments, said Durga Dahal, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens and Head of the Disability Rights Promotion Center.

She informed that the Social Welfare and District Administration Offices have the jurisdiction to monitor organizations. She said, 'The ministry, as a central body, also has a monitoring program for organizations with disabilities, but it is not being implemented at present. The ministry has not received any complaints.'

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Savita Upreti is continuously working to bring about improvements in children with autism through special schools and rehabilitation centers. She is educating 60 students with autism under 3 branches. About 40 female employees are involved in the care and education of children.

She said that the main challenge is that society does not recognize autism. ‘People with autism may appear normal from the outside, but many do not accept them as disabled because they behave differently and communicate differently.’ She said, ‘Although they appear to be physically developed according to their age, they face challenges if they do not receive the necessary support internally. If they are given the right love, support and environment, they can also become capable.’ She informed that although free education is provided, fees are charged for therapy according to the financial status of the parents. She said that it is difficult to get regular support from the government and they have to rely on grants.’

According to the Act on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 074, autism is a type of disability. Autism-related disability: A person with a congenital problem in the development of nerves or tissues and their function. (Such as: Difficulty communicating, understanding and using normal social rules and not showing normal behavior with age, showing unusual reactions, repeating the same action repeatedly, not being very happy or reacting sharply. 

  Therapy is the only treatment for autism 

Dr. Utkarsh Karki, Kanti Children's Hospital 

Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist 

What is autism ?

Autism is a neurological and developmental condition. It is not a disease but a condition of disability.

When is autism diagnosed ?

Autism can often be identified from early childhood. Its signs usually begin to appear at the age of 2 to 3 years.

What is the main cause of autism ?

The main cause of autism is considered to be biological and hereditary. But exactly this There is no clear evidence to prove that it is the cause.

What are the symptoms of autism?

Children with autism have delays in speech, language and social development. Symptoms such as not responding when called, not being able to communicate in pairs, not showing non-verbal gestures, not sharing happiness are seen. In addition, problems with word pronunciation, difficulty in social interaction and communication, and the habit of repeating the same activities may also be seen.

Who is more likely to have autism, a boy or a girl?

According to research, autism is more likely to be seen in boys (boys). It is seen in about 4 out of 5 children and 1 in girls. The clear cause of this has not yet been discovered.