How to utilize talents and abilities of autistic individuals

How to utilize talents and abilities of autistic individuals

Most people with autism have some latent talents and abilities in certain areas. Parents must find out and use these latent talents and abilities to make themselves dependent. If the talents of the autistic children can be properly identified, they can be trained to sharpen their skills and make them excel in the field. People with autism are also very effective at their jobs when they are motivated to do so. You can do any job like a robot. So if we can include them in their preferred jobs then they can definitely perform exceptionally well as they are never dishonest, insincere or deceitful.

We know that autism is a lifelong disability that cannot be cured. But we can bring some development into their lives. So our first task is to do everything we can to improve their lives. After a child is diagnosed with autism, they should receive appropriate treatment and therapies to ease them into normal life as much as possible. Then we have to find out about his latent talents and abilities. After discovering his talents and abilities, we need to focus on this area. This will help improve their lives, keep them busy and make them self-sufficient.

According to DSM-5, there are different levels of autism, Level 1 (requires support), Level 2 (requires significant support) and Level 3 (requires very significant support). They have different types of disabilities and abilities depending on their level. First, we need to categorize children according to their disabilities and abilities, and then provide them with general education and vocational training according to their talents. There are also some autistic children who can do wonders with their latent talents and abilities if we can nurture them effectively.

Recognizing the talents and abilities of autistic children is a major challenge for parents, carers and teachers. A thorough examination of the child is essential to find out his talents. It's a long process. After identifying his latent talents, it will be easier to deal with him. Since autistic children have multiple disorders (spectrum disorders), these must be taken into account when assessing their latent talents and abilities.

In this article, I would like to discuss the different areas of employing autistic people according to their talents and abilities.

Some of the autistic individuals have extraordinary talents which are called autism scholars. Autistic scholars are exceptionally adept at mathematical calculations, memory skills, artistic abilities, and musical abilities. However, we will talk about autism scholars in another article.

Education for autistic children

Normal training. The Level 1 autistic children who require support may be able to learn in mainstream education. I know some of the autistic children who study in different schools. They may not be as good as normal children. But can continue their education up to a certain grade. Even some of them can be included in the normal educational stream. Statistics show that about 102 children with special needs from various branches of Proyash, a special education school, were transferred to the general education sector. There are some other students who have passed primary, junior and secondary school levels. The overall picture of the country could be better numerically. My son Ferdous Mahi has passed the Proyash Junior School Certificate (JSC) exam and is now studying in Class IX. One of the children with special needs, Md Eram, was brought into mainstream education through his talents and skills and is now studying at Faith International School.

Part-time or full-time job. After dropping out of any level of education, an autistic adult can be placed in some office jobs or jobs at the mall, gas pumps, food courts, etc., depending on their abilities. But everyone should cooperate with them in carrying out their work. Md. Shamiuzzaman Tusar, a person with special needs, works at International Chain Shop KFC in Bangladesh at Banani branch in Dhaka. Another boy with special needs works as an office assistant at Exim Bank at Gulshan branch. Big companies, corporations and other social conglomerates should come forward to rehabilitate the talents of autism.

Different work areas for autistic children

The Level 1 (requiring support) and Level 2 (requiring significant support) autistic individuals, all of whom are unable to further study or work in any of the above occupations, may be tested for their abilities, undergo vocational training and some perform the following jobs according to their abilities.

Make crafts. Many autistic children are good at crafts. If they are trained with their skills and involved in the work, they can be very productive. As their interest in work increases through various types of incentives, they can become effective workers. Many of the autism schools and centers provide this type of vocational training to autistic children, selling their handmade products and paving the way to self-dependence. Here we can see some of the eye-catching handicrafts made by people with special needs.

Make bread and pastries. The autistic people can be trained to make limited amounts of pastries and bread. Bangladesh Autism Forum conducts this type of training for autistic children to make them self-sufficient. Here we find some of the children with special needs who work in the bread and pastry shop.

Artworks. There are some autistic people who are very good at artwork. You can be trained by the efficient trainer and perform works of art by them. Some organizations like ShilpoProbha can come forward to appreciate their work and inspire them. Various banks, companies or governments can come forward to display the autistic children's artwork in their annual calendar and magazines. The Honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh is doing an excellent job in describing the artworks of the autistic children in her invitation cards of various programs. My son Ferdous Mahi is very good at graphics. One of his artworks has already been published on the Prime Minister's invitation card and he has received an honorarium from BDT One lac.

Cultural programs. There are some special needs people who are all very good at various cultural things like dance, music, etc. This is one of the areas where these children can do very well if they receive proper training. It is indeed a great pleasure that a group of persons with special needs from the KARISHMA cultural group of the Vocational Training Center of the Parents' Forum for the Disabled (PFDA) participated in the "Autistic Talent Gala 2017" of an international educational foundation in Hong Kong and Australia and won the 'Best Visual Effect Award' in the group category of the competition. KARISHMA performed “Beautiful Bangladesh” (Amar Desher Matir Gondhe: Smell of the Soil of My Country) reflecting the culture and heritage of rural Bangla. Bioscope, kite fly, farmers working in paddy field, flute, doi (yogurt) seller, wedding norms in village, Hadudu game, picking raw mango during Kalboishakhi etc. which reflects the beauty of Bangladesh which we keep in our heart. Around 13 countries took part in the competition.

Computer typing. There are some autistic children who are all very good at computer typing. They can be adequately trained and can only be used for office computer training. My son Ferdous Mahi can type very well on the computer. He can type both English and Bengali efficiently. The autistic people like him can be employed in this job. The autistic persons can be employed in various government and non-government organizations to become self-employed.

Various works on IT. In addition, some of the autistic people are familiar with other IT-related work. Some of the autistic children can even learn the work of graphic design, Photoshop, Facebook marketing and programming etc. If properly trained, they can be employed in various IT-related jobs in various IT farms. There are a few examples where some brilliant autistic children have demonstrated their talents and abilities through their work in this field. Md Rafid, one of the autistic boys of Proyash, is very good in MS Office, web design and computer programming. Now he has become an IT icon of the country and has received a laptop from the IT Ministry's 'Earning & Learning Program'. He also took part in a competition in China representing Bangladesh.

Games & Sports. Some of the autistic people are very good at games and sports. Even they take part in the special Olympic signs of their talents and abilities. Many of the people with special needs in Bangladesh have earned name and fame for the country. Ms. Sadia Akhter Urmi is one of the persons with special needs and autistic features. She is exceptionally good at games and sports. She is only 19 years old. At this point, she has won 10 gold medals and 3 bronze medals in the various international athletics competitions.

Conclusion

The autistic individuals of different ages have different latent talents and abilities. If we can nurture them through proper training, they can become assets of the country. Some of the people with special needs have already demonstrated this through their exceptional achievements at national and international levels. The country's government has the responsibility to make the country's population aware of autism. When the owners of the different organizations come forward to sponsor their training and use them in different plants.

Inspired by Md Mahtazul Haque