The Department of Psychology with the collaboration of Bureau of STAGS, University of Sindh has organised a lecture on "Awareness of Autism and Learning Disability". The keynote speakers for the event were Rukhsana Shah, Director Autism Spectrum Disorder Resource Centre (ASDRC) Lahore along with Dr Saima Khalil and Asma Ahmed from the same institute.
Professor Dr Nagina Parveen, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, as chief guest, presided over the event. In her presentation, Rukhsana Shah said Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioural challenges. There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people, but people with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged.
Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need less. Another speaker Asma Ahmed discussed different therapeutic/intervention techniques to manage children with ASD. She reiterated parents to be skilled enough to handle this challenge.
Another expert Dr Saima Khalil discussed Learning Disability and said people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder shows a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. She also discussed different strategies that can be applied and used at home to manage such people.