Speaker Dr. Rewaz Faiq’s message to parents on World Autism Awareness Day

On World Autism Awareness Day, I pay tribute to the loving concerned parents who selflessly and tirelessly face great challenges in raising and caring for their children. They deserve our gratitude and great admiration.

The government and health institutions, as their duty, must share with parents the difficult and important responsibility of education for children with autism, by opening the right number of training and treatment centres.

It is the duty of the Kurdistan Parliament, in coordination with the relevant authorities and humanitarian organizations, to provide for the rights and needs of children with autism and for their families through legislation. According to the United Nations, one out of 160 children suffers from autism.

The prevalence of this disorder has wider effects. Parents of children with autism sometimes suffer from depression and different forms of mental instability from the stress of raising their children, and of course this has an impact on their wider communities.

I thank and empathize with all parents who have made sacrifices to help their children with autism.

Dr. Rewaz Faiq

Speaker of Kurdistan parliament

2 April 2022