Autism Care and Awareness Community Service Project

ACAP is a community service project initiated on December 1st, 2021 and accomplished on May 31st, 2022, by the Faculty of Pharmacy at Tishk International University. The project was conducted under the supervision of Assistant Lecturer Ms Amani Tahsin and Research Assistant Dr Saya Ameer, and the participation of the Dean of Student’s Representatives, faculty staff members and volunteer students from all grades.

Every year, the organizers of this project plan several activities to raise awareness, understanding, and acceptance of autistic people, which is held over several months and requires a series of gradual steps and arrangements. These activities include meetings, preparations, workshops, concerts, fundraising events, and visits to the autism centre to allow students to interact with tender-heart battlers and witness daily struggles.

Initially, the project began by contacting the centre’s director for permission to commence the project and accessibility administration. The organizers established a communication group with volunteers, listing responsibilities and distributing duties. Meetings with the volunteers were also conducted to design the application, assign them tasks and schedule the activities.

The second phase of the project involved preparations for the Music in the Valley Concert, held in the presence of the Director of Hana Autism Center and more than 120 students and faculty staff members. This concert was arranged to collect donations for the Autism Awareness Project and increase awareness of the disability. During this event around 300 000 ID was collected to support the project.

The project proceeded to prepare for the fundraising event held on February 21st, 2022, designed to gather support and financial aid from TIU students, staff, and external people. With the help of faculty-student volunteers, the organizers collected funds through several activities, including selling homemade foods and handicrafts, drawing henna, competitions, and measuring blood pressure, blood sugar, and body mass index. TIU Presidency, staff members and students toured our stands and significantly contributed to raising funds required. 

On March 30th, 2022, the project supervisors and a group of staff members of the Faculty of Pharmacy paid a second visit to Hana Autism Centre in Erbil. The visit was conducted to follow the work and activity progress that had started after the fundraising event. Prior to this visit, the needs of the autistic centre were examined and discussed, and the fundraising event was held to help raise the funds required to fulfil their needs.

The Pharmacy Faculty arranged the last and the most extensive visit to the centre on May 24th, 2022, to deliver all the gifts prepared for the autistic children and their teachers. The gifts included different specialized toys and exercises, each aimed at improving their skills according to their autism and cognitive impairment level. Students were also given the opportunity to perform several activities with autistic children during that day.

 

On May 30th,2022, the project’s final phase was conducted, and the Faculty of Pharmacy held the 3rd International Workshop titled ‘Autistic Spectrum Disorders’. The workshop aimed to raise awareness of the hurdles that people with autism and others living with autism face every day. The workshop’s keynote speaker was Prof. Dr Azhar Daoud, a Professor and Senior Consultant of Child Neurology with over 30 years of clinical and teaching experience for undergraduate and post graduate students at Jordan University.

We hope that all the goals and objectives of this project were accomplished. This project motivates our students to take care of and raise awareness of autism within our community.

In conclusion, exchanging experiences and further contributions are required to develop the educational demands of autistic children.

1.https://pharmacy.tiu.edu.iq/3rd-international-pharmacy-workshop-on-autistic-spectrum-disorders/

2.https://pharmacy.tiu.edu.iq/autism-care-and-awareness-project-appreciation-ceremony/

3.https://pharmacy.tiu.edu.iq/culminating-autism-care-and-awareness-project/

4.https://pharmacy.tiu.edu.iq/autism-care-and-awareness-project/

5.https://pharmacy.tiu.edu.iq/autism-awareness-care-fundraising-event/

6.https://pharmacy.tiu.edu.iq/community-service-project/

7.https://pharmacy.tiu.edu.iq/music-in-the-valley/