Inclusive spirit of mental helath care

We have just joined the world in marking World Autism Awareness Day. Bahrain has 1622 registered individuals who identify as autistic. But many believe that this is just a small proportion of the real numbers. Families still battle social stigma on all matters pertaining to mental health. It is a fact that a family would admit to a child needing wheelchair assistance more readily than needing mental health care.

According to UNICEF, 49% of the approximately 240 million children with mental health challenges worldwide, never make it to school. We seem to have dropped the ball where these children’s rights are concerned – because, it is a fact that an inclusive society must make a place for these children and individuals alongside the ordinary children. Our problem is that we see children and individuals with special needs as requiring our charity and not our support.

During the events to mark the recent awareness day, H.E. Shaikha Rania bint Ali Al Khalifa, Chairperson of the Bahrain Association for Parents and Friends of the Disabled, pointed out that Bahrain supports inclusive education in public and private schools and offers rehabilitation and training programmes that improve employment opportunities for individuals with special needs.

But we need to see more private schools embracing the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these children. These days, private schools in Bahrain charge very high fees and boast of fat balance sheets. Surely some of that money can go into making the 21st century classroom a space where children with special needs are welcome?

I strongly urge my MP friends to consider passing a rule that at least 10% of school profits must be used to enable education for children with special needs.

(Captain Mahmood Al Mahmood is the Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Tribune and the President of the Arab-African Unity Organisation for Relief, Human Rights and Counterterrorism)