The exhibition was held on April 28 and 29 at the foundation's school at Shyamoli.

"As autism is a new issue and hardly do we find anyone, except the parents of autistic children aware of autism in our country," said Dr Rownak Hafiz, chairperson of AWF.

"Even parents are not fully aware as the onset of autism is within three years of a child's birth," she added.

"They are not physically disabled. They look quite normal, and because of this nature parents cannot understand the situation they would have to face in the future," she said.

"These children lack communication skills, and teaching them to communicate is a vital part of creating awareness," added Dr Hafiz.

Some students of Kanan, the school established by the AWF made different handicraft and cottage industry items helped by their teachers. Pen holders, flower vases, wall mats made of matchboxes, designed paper shopping bags, hand work on T- shirts and Fatuas, jute wall pockets, clay pot and ornaments and paper masks were some of the items on display.

"Such events are required to create mass awareness and encourage both children and parents," said Salma Haque, a founder member of Society of the Welfare of Intellectually Disabled Children (SWID), Bangladesh.

"Kanan has a total number of 92 students and 42 teachers in two shifts. During training the student teacher ratio is 1:1. The school lays emphasis on developing communication skills, social skills, amicable behavioural patterns, and functional education," said Mariam Monowar, a senior teacher of the school.

Autism is still a relatively unknown lifelong developmental disability, although it was identified in 1943. This affects a person's way of communication and how he relates to people around him, even with one who has he same disability.

They cannot develop friendships, as their capacity to understand other's feelings is impaired, explained Dr Rownak.

According to AWF, the degree to which people with autism disorders varies. But all those affected have impairment in social interaction, social communication and imagination. This is referred to as triad of impairment.

In addition to this triad, repetitive behavioural patterns are a notable feature as is a resistance to change in routine.

One in 10 autistic persons shows exceptional skills in areas such as art, music, calculation or memory. Appropriate social behaviour does not come naturally to children with autism. They cannot interpret facial expressions or emotions. They do not know how to share or make friends. Individuals with autism may also experience sensitivities in the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. (Source: AWF)

Aquib, 7, is an autistic child. "When he was three, we took him to an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) specialist, who found nothing wrong with the related organs," said his mother Sharmin Islam.

"Later through hospital sources I came to know about Dr Rownak Hafiz who treat autistic children through therapy and parent counselling," she said. "In April 2004 when AWF established I admitted my son to the school and in two years my son has improved a lot," she added.

"Though he can not produce words he can communicate with me. He just repeats words I tell him. Doctors assured that learning will take some time," she further said.

The exact cause or causes of autism is/are still not known. Autism is a brain disorder that affects the way the brain uses information. But research shows that genetic factors are important and the disability may be associated with a variety of causes affecting brain development before, during or very soon after birth.

Autism is not caused by emotional problems or deprivation. It is a brain based development disorder and is not a result of poor parenting; family income, life style and educational levels.

Studies show that people who have autism can improve with proper education. Early diagnosis and intensive behavioural intervention can have a significant and lasting positive impact on autistic children and they can benefit from a good educational programme.

Through trained teachers, using specially structured programmes that emphasise individual instructions, persons with autism can learn to function at home and in the community.

The number of autistic children is increasing the world over. In Bangladesh, its number would be staggering. On an average, autism is now thought to affect one person in 500, said Dr Hafiz.

"As there are limited seats in the school I can not accommodate autistic children from other parts of the city as well as out of the city," shed added.

"One of my future plans is to establish our own complex and to establish more Training and Education Centres in Bangladesh for the convenience of autistic children," she further added.