What's important and our hope

We either help the autistic children now to gear them towards independent living and possibly develop their special talents (if they have any) or we face a future generation of “retarded” and “handicapped” adults who are beyond our help except to feed and clothe them. About 10% of autistic individuals possess extraordinary or exceptional skills such as mathematical calculations, memory feats, artistic and musical abilities.

To quote Bernard Rimland (head of the Autism Research Institute in the United States of America), “ Every dollar spent in providing intensive behaviour modification to young children will save many special education dollars in later years. I hope that in this age of tight budgets, sufficient dollars will be found to invest in the future of these autistic children, not only for their benefit, but in order to save many more dollars; not only on their future education but also in reducing the likelihood that they will require lifetime care.”

Hopes for those who are severely affected by autism – what can be done for them?

For those who will require lifetime care, we hope that sheltered workshops and group homes will be set up to take care of them once their parents or guardians have gone so that they will not be left to wander the streets , neglected and not taken care of.

We hope that the government, corporate bodies, service clubs and the general public will extend their help through financial assistance to enable SAA to build a better future for the autistic individuals in our country. Better educational and vocational training for them will enable them to lead more independent lives so that they will be less of a burden to their families and society in future.