Last year, 800 children on the autism spectrum passed through the Center for Early Development. Although a registry of children with autism does not yet exist, the challenges are numerous, says a mother whose child is now going through puberty.
"A few years ago, on our initiative, we adopted a law on the registry of people with autism in the Parliament. The registry has not yet been adopted. It would be very important to adopt the Law on Social and Child Protection and to start implementing it. We currently have a deadlock in the socio-medical commissions, so my appeal to the government is to start solving this problem because a large number of families are waiting for their status," says mother Sabina Imeri.
Authorities are aware that science faces many problems. The Ministry of Health notes that training in providing psychological support to parents will begin in April.
"So far, more than 300 healthcare workers and educators have received training in the field of neurodevelopmental disorders. Specialized training for special education teachers and speech therapists has been organized and will continue in the coming period. A protocol is being developed on the treatment of healthcare workers with people on the autism spectrum, as well as a preventive dental care program that recognizes the importance of comprehensive child care,"
"I would like to especially emphasize the role and importance of the Early Childhood Development Center, which carries out its activities as one of the organizational units of the Clinical Center. It receives and provides health care services to around 12,000 people annually. During the previous year, around 800 children with autism spectrum disorders were treated," said the director of the Clinical Center, Aleksandar Radović.
Autism doesn't just change the child - it changes the entire family. It teaches patience, pushes boundaries, and reminds us every day how small steps can actually be big successes.
"We have overcome some things, let me say, a little more easily, we are still overcoming some, but all in all it is not simple, it is not easy, but we are certainly here as parents to always look forward and to always try to improve and empower ourselves and other parents," explains Sabina Imeri.
"Diversity is not a weakness of the system, it is its most important test - a test of how much we as a society are ready to see, understand and support each individual as they are," says Iva Ivanović, from the Center for Early Development, KCCG.
Because the question is not how different these children are from others – but how ready society is to understand and support everyone being who they are.
