National autism awareness campaign: I’m different… like you!
The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) hosted on the 1st of April 2014 a conference to launch the national autism awareness campaign, the first campaign of the kind in Morocco. This campaign is organized by the Collective Autism Maroc, with support of the CNDH and in collaboration with the Junior Chamber International-Rabat and the Collective of disability rights promotion in Morocco (Collectif pour la promotion des droits des personnes en situation de handicap au Maroc).
“I’m different… like you” is the theme chosen for this campaign, which aimed to mobilize public opinion and state and non-state actors to consider autism as a national cause and to include it in the public policy in preparation.
The program of the campaign included a Light It Up Blue activity, awareness activities in the regions of Morocco, capacity building for stakeholders and families, meetings and roundtables to shed light on the latest scientific research findings, effective education and rehabilitation approaches (1st international autism conference on 29-30 April 2014 - Collective Autism Maroc and the Ministry of Solidarity, Family, Women and Social Development).
The CNDH and the Collective Autism Maroc signed, on this occasion, a partnership agreement to work together for the protection and promotion of the rights of people with autism in Morocco. This agreement covers autism awareness-raising activities, training on the rights of persons with autism for institutional actors, drafting guidelines and teaching tools for the promotion and protection of the rights of this group and organizational and institutional capacity building for the organizations of the families of people with autism.
Autism spectrum disorders are characterized, according to the World Health Organization, by difficulties in social interaction and communication and a restricted and repetitive repertoire of interests and activities.” The identification of an autism spectrum disorder, according to the WHO, “is difficult before the age of about 12 months but diagnosis is ordinarily possible by the age of two years. Characteristic features of the onset include delay in the development or temporary regression in language and social skills and repetitive stereotyped patterns of behavior”.
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day (A/RES/62/139) to “highlight the need to help improve the lives of children and adults who suffer from the disorder [autism] so they can lead full and meaningful lives.” The world started celebrating this day in 2008.