Autism Day Awareness
The Faculty of Pharmacy at Tishk International University held a ceremony on April 2nd to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day as a part of their Autism Care and Awareness Community Service Project. The event was supervised by the Dean of Students Representative and Coordinator of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Dr. Rozhan Arif, as well as other supervisors, including Dr. Saya Ameer, Dr. Ibrahim Khudhair, Dr. Omar Najmaddin, Dr. Mohammed Sultan and Dr. Sarmad Jabbar, together with volunteers from different grades.
The purpose of the event was to raise awareness about autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication, social interaction, and behaviour and aimed to educate attendees about the challenges faced by individuals with autism and to promote acceptance and understanding of those living with the disorder.
A group of volunteer students from the faculty, with their supervisor doctor, went shopping on March 30th to purchase stationery items for autistic children in an autism centre in Erbil. The students and their supervisors packed the bags with the items, prepared sweets, and decorated the centre with balloons and other decorative items before the ceremony on April 2nd.
On April 2nd, a group of nearly 17 volunteer students, along with supervisors and other doctors, including the Dean and Head of Department, visited the Autism Centre, and the ceremony was held in the presence of the children and their families, as well as other guests invited by the admin of the centre.
Following the opening session of the ceremony, sponsor guests, including the Dean of the Pharmacy Faculty, gave speeches emphasizing the importance of raising awareness about autism and promoting a greater understanding of individuals with the disorder. Brochures containing advice on how to take care of autistic children were distributed to parents with the aim of providing them with practical support and guidance.
The event also included various activities organized by the volunteers to engage and entertain the autistic children and their families.These activities included face painting, hand printing, and other interactive experiences, which allowed the children to express themselves creatively and enjoy themselves. The event was a great success, with the children and their families expressing their appreciation for the efforts made by the volunteers and the Faculty of Pharmacy.
