It was 19 years back in the year 2000. Five mothers got together and organized to provide educational facilities to their own five children with autism. Their main objective was to make their own children as well as other individuals with autism become independent and active members of the society by giving them quality autism specific education, training and rehabilitation as there were no schools or services available for them at that time. Even the term autism was vaguely known to professionals and totally unknown to the general public.

It was a big challenge for SWAC to raise awareness and also educate parents and teachers. They struggled to provide adequate educational materials, toys and equipment to the students as the program was quite expensive. Eventually because of their commendable work SWAC earned an excellent reputation and many generous individuals and corporates came forward to support SWAC. Till this day SWAC is in pursuit of rendering best services to individuals with autism without compromise.

SWAC is a non-profit, non-government, non-political and voluntary organization. It is registered with the Department of Social Services under Societies Act of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. An Executive Committee constituting mainly of parents of individuals with autism manages the organization. The Students' fees, personal donations of members, parents, other generous individuals, organizations and corporates fund all activities of SWAC.

SWAC operates a well equipped intervention, education and training centre named SWAC School for Autism which has a highly structured program and places importance on individual caring. Most recent techniques, methods and evidence based practices are applied at SWAC School for Autism. The student teacher ratio during training is 2:1 which is essential for individuals with autism. Emphasis is given on developing communication and social skills, functional education, acceptable behaviour patterns and self help skills.

Each child with autism is an individual; therefore, each child's need is unique. Keeping this in mind an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) is carefully prepared for each student of SWAC based on his interests, talents, skills, abilities, differences and limitations. Each student has his individual schedule.

In January 2009 SWAC organized the Third South Asian Regional Conference on Autism which was the first International Conference on Autism in Bangladesh.

SWAC started to raise awareness on autism across the country organizing number of workshops and trainings on autism conducted in Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet, Chittagong, Bogra, Pabna, Bandarban, Rangamati. SWAC invited experts from UK, USA, German, Switzerland, Finland, Australia, Japan and India to train its teacher and parents. SWAC also conducted training program for the professionals like doctors, professors (Child Health Institute, Institute of Mental Health, Holy family Medical College and Hospital, Institute of Education and Research etc). Awareness Campaigns on autism which was organized by SWAC made positive impact on parents and professionals. All of these initiatives were implemented with SWAC's own efforts.

SWAC was actively involved with the Global Autism Public Health Initiatives Bangladesh. Saima Wazed Hossain was the Chair of Global Autism Public Health Initiatives Bangladesh. Currently SWAC is also one of the members of Neuro Developmental Disability Protection Trust. SWAC Management is also working very closely with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Other Ministries and Jatiya Protibondhi Unnayan Foundation (JPUF).

On 2 April, 2019 - the 12th World Autism Awareness Day - SWAC was awarded by the honourable Prime Minister as a successful organization working with autism, also one of the students Sumaiya Tasnim Karim Arpa was recognised as a successful person with autism.

SWAC hopes this recognition will help them to develop their own Rehabilitation Centre SWAC Village - A dream project of SWAC which is located at Kabirpur, Savar (1 km from BKSP, Savar) The total Area of this project is 1.43 Acre.

The proposed multipurpose SWAC Village will combine a host of facilities and services for children, adolescents and adults with autism under one roof. The current services which will be brought under one roof include school (Special and Inclusive), Adult Work and Activity Centre (Vocational), dormitory for students and teachers, gymnasium, auditorium and much else.

SWAC is hopeful that some of their adult students will find suitable employment in the community outside SWAC one day but for most students the chances are slim due to lack of awareness, acceptance and understanding about autism in the society. Even though there is a 10% job quota for persons with disabilities in the job market the employers are not accommodating, flexible, willing or prepared to implement this.

Day by day it is becoming increasingly difficult to run the program in a rented accommodation due to lack of space, negative attitudes of landlords and neighbours and rising house rents. It is absolutely imperative to set up a purpose built Centre - an ideal centre of excellence of our own in our own land where these adults and would-be-adults can find their vocation, do real income generating work and lead productive and meaningful lives, where they can be creative and constructive according to their own interests, abilities and skills in a safe and secure environment.

The author is Deputy Director, Society for the Welfare of Autistic Children (SWAC)