Beauty

Autism: What is it and how they see the world

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02.04.2016

By Rachel Au

Autism: What is it and how they see the world

World Autism Awareness Day falls on 2 April every year and it’s recognised by the United Nations. It’s a day celebrated to encourage communities to help spread awareness of children with autism. The condition is complex, if not confusing, as every autistic person has a different learning difficulty, characteristic or symptom—and thus requires different types of support—and yet it’s one of the fastest growing disorders with a vast amount of research put into it. 

 

So what is autism? It is a condition that affects brain development causing difficulties in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and even motor coordination. It usually appears during the first three years of life but it is four times more prevalent in boys than girls. There is no cure and no answer as to why or how one gets it. But what we can do is to understand it to help give an autistic child the right support and help. Watch the two informative videos below by Autism Speaks and The National Autistic Society to get a grasp of how a person with autism sees the world:

Malaysia is also celebrating World Autism Awareness Day; in fact, the National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom) is holding the first ever National Autism Week in Malaysia from 1 April to 9 April with the theme focusing on inclusiveness, diversity and collaboration—it’s called ‘Difference in No Barrier’.

 

The Petronas Twin Towers will be joining the global Light It Up Blue campaign for the first time and even Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) will be turning blue to help increase awareness. The cinema will also be screening an upcoming local movie, Redha, which tells a touching story about a couple and their autistic son. The movie, which has a high chance of being sent to international film festivals, was produced by director Tunku Mona Riza and edited by a film expert from France. 

To help show your support, watch Redha at GSC Cinemas where RM1 for every ticket sold will be donated to Nasom. The movie premieres on 2 April at GSC Pavilion and will be screened nationwide from 14 April onwards. 

 

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