On the occasion of April being declared as the Autism Awareness Month, Eastern Mediterranean University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation organized a panel titled "A Multidimensional Look at Autism Spectrum Disorder" on Wednesday, 12 April, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at the EMU Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation. Expert speakers shared information about the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during the panel moderated by Prof. Dr. Emine Handan Tüzün. In addition to the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Mehtap Malkoç and the Head of the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Assoc. Prof. Dr. Berkiye Kırmızıgil, academics, specialists, students, special education teachers, families, and individuals who work with people with ASD also attended the event.
The Increasing Prevalence of ASD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr. Ayşe Zeki provided information about risk factors, causes, and symptoms of ASD in her speech titled "ASD from a Doctor's Perspective." Dr. Zeki also mentioned the increasing prevalence of ASD and the importance of early diagnosis and intervention.
Prof. Dr. Berrin Baydık, Head of the Department of Special Education at EMU, talked about "Supporting Communication and Social Interaction in ASD" and discussed communication problems and limitations in social interaction that individuals with ASD experience. Prof. Dr. Baydık suggested solutions, stating that the limited and repetitive behaviors and deficiencies in verbal and non-verbal communication seriously restrict daily participation in life.
Education and Health Problems Addressed
Assist. Prof. Dr. Hatice Bilmez, Head of the Department of Special Education at Lefke European University, addressed the topic of "Approaching Behavioral Problems in Children with ASD." Assist. Prof. Dr. Bilmez shared information about how to control the behavioral problems of these individuals by providing examples from their behavioral problems.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Ünal Değer, academic staff in the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation at EMU Faculty of Health Sciences, discussed the importance of physiotherapy in ASD, explaining the sensory, perception, and motor problems in these individuals, the importance of sensory integration therapy, and the benefits of physiotherapy.
Ceyda Püsküllü, a parent of an 18-year-old individual with ASD and representative of families, also shared her thoughts on the problems and expectations of families with children with ASD. Püsküllü discussed the problems they face in education and health and stated that solutions must be found to address education-related issues in our country to enable children with ASD to be included in society.
