Sri Lanka, Sudan First Ladies Arrive In Kuala Lumpur For Autism Seminar

SEPANG, April 21 (Bernama) -- Sri Lanka first lady Shiranti Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa has arrived in Kuala Lumpur to attend the International Autism Seminar 2014 Tuesday. She was met on arrival at the KL International Airport 6.45 am Monday by Education deputy minister Mary Yap Kain Ching. Also expected to arrive Monday, at 2.10 pm, for the two-day seminar at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre is Sudan first lady Fatima Khalid Ahmad Al Bashir. The seminar organised by Program Permata with the cooperation of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and non-governmental organisation, Autism Speaks, would be officiated by Prime Minister Najib Razak. Themed, 'Autism Is Not A Tragedy, Ignorance Is', the seminar would be focusing on quality intervention for autistic children. It would also be the platform for implementation of the Permata Kurnia Programme on early intervention for autistic children, in May next year. Among the speakers at the seminar expected to be attended by about 1,500 participants, are Prof Dr Eric Fomboune from Oregon Health and Science University, Prof Dr Cheryl Dissanayake (La Trobe University, Australia) and Dr Wu Ruth Yu Yu (Taipei Teachers University). -- BERNAMA