Centres tasked with providing care for children with autism reproach government stakeholders from Education and Health ministries for overlooking related issues. Owners and managers of several centres expressed their discontent at a panel that was organized earlier last week by the Nia Foundation at the Skylight Hotel. Tigist Abebe, manager of Bright Hawasa Autism Centre, said that the health policy does not incorporate the case as though they are pressing. According to her, the very essential task is to integrate kids with their peers in ordinary schools. Genet Nigussie, founder of Betel Adama Autism Centre concurred and provided anecdotes that relate to the poorly conceived inclusive education program. According to Genet, schools with inclusive classrooms often find it difficult to deal with the kids as they demand special attention tailored to instruct them. While several reports indicate that the autism rate in Ethiopia stands at 408 per 1,000 people, the figures are likely to be higher as many cases remain undiagnosed due to a lack of available resources and awareness in rural communities.
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