Odile Villavizar talks about the challenges of autism in the country


World Health Awareness Day is celebrated on April 2 of each year. Autismdate established by the United Nations to make visible the need to contribute to improving the quality of life of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Regarding the date, we spoke with Odile Villavizarcreator and president of the Manos Unidas Foundation for Autismthrough which it offers intervention services and therapies to people with this condition to achieve their development, autonomy and social inclusion.

This foundation was born as a support group for parents who, like her, have children with ASD, to share experiences and knowledge about what was then a disability that was rarely talked about.

Autism is a condition, not a disease. What does this mean?

When we talk about a condition, we are talking about something permanent, unlike a disease, which with medication or treatment can be cured. He autism improves with therapies and treatment, but is not cured.

When a person identifies as the father of a child with autism, there are those who understand that it is a reason to feel sorry for…

Yes, I lived it when my children were little and I still do. Now, luckily, there is a lot of information and foundations that work to break down those barriers. What I think is that, as parents of children with autism, we must help the population to know about this condition and teach them how to treat our children. For example, when I went out with my children, I would carry brochures that I made and printed myself and give them to people who asked me what they had or why they acted like that.

Once people already have knowledge about the condition, instead of judging or pitying you, what they do is support you. But we parents are the ones who should talk about autism. As you talk about that condition, the other person will welcome you with open arms or feel sorry for you.

“Children with autism are people first and then there is their condition” Odile Villavizar

In the Dominican Republic, has the diagnosis of this condition improved?

I feel that yes, that progress has been made, but unquestionably the demand is greater than the response that can be given to families, because there are not so many professionals in the area and the few that do exist are very expensive.

What signs can parents use to identify that their child has autism?

The first thing is to look for development milestones, to know what the child should be doing at each age. If, for example, the child is one and a half years old, the age at which she should begin to speak, and that language does not arrive, it communicates through squeaks, murmurs or speech without expression, the family must be vigilant. Other signs are inappropriate behaviors, such as covering the eyes and ears in crowded places, stereotyped movements, such as hand flapping, focusing on something that is not relevant, or hyperactivity.

It is important to know that each person with autism He is different in his behavior. I believe that what we should pay more attention to is the language and the part of socializing with other children.

What are the challenges of autism that persist in the country?

For me, one of the biggest barriers that families with children with autism is education. People do not imagine the number of children with autism that they stay out of school or that after they enter they are thrown out due to their condition, because the center does not have the adequate school system that they need.

In adulthood I think that the professional technical training centers where they are not accommodated and then there is the labor part. There are many people with this condition who could be productive, but they are not given the opportunity.

There is also the issue of therapy coverage, which is very expensive and should be covered by insurance. We have been making progress, but I feel that when comparing ourselves to other countries, we are still far behind in terms of giving an opportunity response to people with autism.

Source-www.diariolibre.com