Taipei, March 26: A parade will take place near Taipei City Hall Saturday to call for support for families with disabled children, in which, according to the organizers' website, many of the parents have considered suicide.

"There is a physically or intellectually disabled child in about one in 20 families in Taiwan, according to statistics," according to a video on the website of the Taipei-based Angel Heart Family Social Welfare Foundation.

"Fifty percent of the parents of these families have a tendency toward depression," the video says.

"Eighty percent of these parents have thought about taking their own lives," it continues.

There are many organizations in Taiwan for children with autism, hyperactivity or other conditions, but the Angel Heart foundation is aimed at helping their parents, said foundation spokesman Lo Shih-yi.

"These parents do not worry about their children at home, but when they go out, they do worry about how others see them, " he told CNA during a recent telephone interview.

Some people will show anger toward parents of these children when such children -- or "angels, " as the foundation calls them -- behave inappropriately on public transport, Lo noted.

Under these circumstances, most parents will choose not to respond, and some will try to force their children to be quiet, he added.

"Actually, these parents want to explain, but it is very difficult for them to openly say that their children are sick, " Lo went on.

Current studies show that it is often purely a matter of chance for children to have one of these conditions, he noted, adding that it has nothing to do with genes or transmission from parents.

There are no standard rules about how to interact with disabled children, as different children have different reactions, he said.

"For example, some autistic children fear a certain sound and will react emotionally when they hear that sound," he noted.

The foundation has been encouraging the parents of these children to be more open-minded about their situation before seeking the public's support, Lo said.

During Saturday's event, the foundation will give away handouts to raise public awareness of these families' situations, according to Lo.

An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people will take part in the parade, the first of its kind in Taiwan.

Source: http://focustaiwan.tw