July 10, 2018, Christian Science Monitor: School in Bangladesh builds confidence for autistic students – and their parents https://www.csmonitor.com/EqualEd/2018/0710/School-in-Bangladesh-builds-confidence-for-autistic-students-and-their-parents No parent is ever prepared to hear that his or her child is anything other than happy and healthy. But there are many ways in which special education can help improve the quality of life for children who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The Unique Gift Foundation’s school in Saidpur, northern Bangladesh, is a helping hand to families of such children. The Unique Gift Foundation is a nonprofit founded in 2012. Its mission is to offer support, giving children the confidence to perform day-to-day tasks without depending on their parents or others. The school was the first one dedicated entirely to autistic children to open in the Nilphamari district, the highest ranking region in education in the country, about 250 miles from Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital…. A UNICEF report published in 2014 estimates that between 1.4 percent and 17.5 percent of children in Bangladesh have special needs or disabilities – as many as 10 million children.
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.