More opportunities for children with Autism – Miriam Dalli

A pilot project being administrated by the government and Hand in Hand – a company dedicated to offering programs that support children with behavior difficulty – has started to deliver positive results, Labour MEP Miriam Dalli said on Saturday.

Dalli was speaking during a visit to a facility currently offering an intensive therapy programme for children with autism, where she stressed the importance of building on the programme’s success.

The intensive therapy programme currently on offer is based on Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and aims to teach children with autism, to speak, develop social skills and develop other skills that will enable the children to live independently.

A statement issued by Dalli’s office said that the facility is currently offering its services to 120 children, 12 of who are enrolled in the pilot project.

Hand in Hand CEO Jacqueline Abela De Giovanni, explained how all teacher at the school are specialized and qualified professionals, ensuring that children receive the best ABA therapy possible.

She added that the type of therapy is used in some European states, such as Ireland, where it is offered at a young age, as an early intervention method.

On her part, Dalli highlighted that different types of therapy exist for children with different needs.

Therapy for children with autism is an investment in society to ascertain that, in the future, they can lead an independent life in which they can work and actively participate in everyday life, she said

Dalli called for an educational system that adapts to the different abilities of children, and that is flexible enough to address their different needs.

“We have to focus on equity, where the necessary tools for them to succeed are provided to children according to their needs. It is only through this method that we can ascertain that all children progress and nobody lags behind,” Dalli said.