5 December, 2025, 5:02 pm Central - 28°C Clouds

Parents demand government support for children with autism

Parents demand government support for children with autism

By Iliana Biutu
29/04/2024
Image: Patricia Naisara

Parents of children with autism are urging the government to increase support for vulnerable children who desperately need financial assistance and better services.

Patricia Naisara told fijiVillage News that the government needs to support children and people with autism, starting from early childhood because early intervention is important.

She says the government needs to better support existing services like the one provided by Frank Hilton Organization.

Naisara says being a mother of a child with autism has been a journey, but she feels blessed to come from a family of educators, where her mother in particular played a big part in encouraging her.

She says she noticed early on some key indicators that her son was not meeting the criteria of typical development, such as the lack of eye contact associated with autism.

She further says there is nothing wrong with the children having autism but they just think differently in the process.

Naisara further says a lot of awareness has been done over the years but it needs to be transformed into reality.

Her message to every parent who has children with autism is that they need to reach out for help and be strong.

FEATURE NEWS
Let us not have constitutional consultations merely to tick a box, AG's Office must include the GCC in talks - President
The fact that we have had four Constitutions means that we have tried and failed to establish a foundation that is acceptable to the majority of the p...
4 hours ago
LATEST NEWS
$140,000 renovation project of Empower Pacific Counselling Centre aims to provide improved services
A $140,000 renovation project, funded through a donation by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has soft-launched the Empower Pacific ...
28 minutes ago

Tourism Fiji strengthens its engagement with operators in Vanua Levu and Taveuni
A platform for open discussion on opportunities, constraints, and pathways to improve tourism outcomes in Vanua Levu and Taveuni was the main focus ...
53 minutes ago

Vou makes history as first Fijians to headline major NZ Arts Festival
A proud moment for Fiji’s creative industry is on the horizon, as Vou Dance Company prepares to make history on two of New Zealand’s major arts ...
2 hours ago

Family left homeless after house fire in Navicula Village, Korovou
A family is left homeless after a property fire completely destroyed their one-bedroom home in Navicula Village, Korovou, on Wednesday afternoon.The ...
2 hours ago

Electrical fire in one of the maternity ward rooms at CWM Hospital controlled
An electrical fire occurred in one of the rooms of the Maternity Unit's Ante-Natal Care Department at the CWM Hospital.The fire has been ...
2 hours ago



Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
IN DEPTH
Fiji Law Society Convention 2025
There is a constant struggle that we seem to have in Fiji with upholding and respecting the rule of law, and in my view, I think it starts at the ...
7 hours ago

Tribunal case of suspended Commissioner of Corrections Dr Nakarawa
Tribunal proceedings for suspended Corrections Commissioner Dr Nakarawa are underway, focusing on allegations of misbehaviour during his tenure as ...
7 hours ago

Inspire Pacific Founder Ben Morrison and Peer Mentor Tikiko Tavualevu on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan
Pastor Ben Morrison and Tikiko Tavualevu on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan as they discuss Inspire Pacific’s specialised ...
1 day ago

TOP