Biratnagar Metropolitan City has launched a free ‘Metropolitan Autism Service Center’ for children with autism, effective from October 23. The center was inaugurated by Mayor Nagesh Koirala and Deputy Mayor Shilpa Karki, and is located at Biratnagar Metropolitan City-4 Dudh Farm. The Autism Service Center is now officially in operation.
In the inauguration program, Mayor Koirala stated that the Autism Service Center is his “dream project” for his term. He further added that there are many children with autism in Biratnagar, and he felt the need to do something for them since he became mayor..
“What I desired from within has now been fulfilled today.” He also mentioned that the Biratnagar Metropolitan City has plans to quickly construct a dedicated building for the ‘Metropolitan Autism Service Center.’
They allocated 10 million rupees in the current fiscal year’s budget for the operation of the Autism Service Center. Dr. Dilip Yadav, chief of the Health Division, stated that the center has been established with a cost of 3 million rupees from the allocated funds.
The ‘Metropolitan Autism Service Center’ will operate from 9 AM to 3 PM. Currently, 25 individuals, including five girls, are receiving services at the center. According to statistics, there are 51 children with autism within Biratnagar Metropolitan City.
The center launched by the Biratnagar Metropolitan City will provide physiotherapy, speech therapy (for learning to speak), and psychiatric services for children and parents.
Within the centre, various toys and equipment have been arranged according to needs, including a trampoline, slide, seesaw, pull ball, rocking horse, spinning top, and table tennis.
The centre will not only provide treatment for enrolled children but also facilitate their education.
Autism is referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder in medical terminology. It is a developmental issue that makes it difficult for affected individuals to speak, read, write, and socialize. Experts in autism explain that it is a condition in which the brain of an affected person functions differently than that of others.
