The Taiwan Fund for Children and Families, a local NGO that focuses on the children’s welfare, has called on the public to be more supportive and understanding for children with special needs.
Special needs children are children who suffer from one or several disorders. These include speech or language delays, autism, cognitive delays, social and emotional disorders and learning disabilities, among others.
During their press conference on Tuesday, the NGO said among the parents of special needs children who were surveyed, 93.5% believe the society in general does not have adequate understanding. The results also show that about half of these parents think their children have limited option when it comes to toys that fit their needs, and over 60% said their children have experienced unfriendly treatment from other children.
The NGO has called on all parents to educate their children about those with special needs to better promote understanding and equal treatment for those who face different challenges.