RIYADH, 14 October — Social service centers for rehabilitation of autistic children and creating public awareness about their cause through educational programs will be established in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ali Al-Namla announced here yesterday.
The minister was speaking at the inaugural function of a four-day scientific symposium on autism at the Cultural Palace in the Diplomatic Quarter here.
The function was attended by Dr. Awadh Al-Raddadi, deputy minister for social affairs, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Swailem, president of the Saudi Red Crescent Society, and Prof. Abdul Kareem Al-Momen, professor of genetic diseases at King Saud University. An exhibition on products and services for autistic and other handicapped children is being held concurrently with the symposium.
Al-Namla said the proposed centers will work for the welfare of an estimated 42,500 autistic children in the Kingdom. He said the delay in setting up the centers was caused by confusion in deciding the agency that should be given charge of these centers.
The General Presidency of Youth Welfare, the Disabled Children’s Association and some charitable organizations are actively involved in the rehabilitation of handicapped children. Autism, a severe mental illness that prevents children from communicating with others, falls in a different category.
Al-Namla paid tributes to the Mother of Prince Faisal bin Fahd Autism Center for its initiative in organizing the symposium. Later, he presented a memento to Yasser Al-Fahad, father of an autistic child, for the role he played in organizing the symposium and for his efforts in drawing attention to the plight of autistic children.
Experts within the Kingdom and abroad will present papers on the diagnosis, causes and treatment of autism. Professor Paul Shattock of the Autism Research Unit, at the School of Sciences, University of Sunderland, will make the keynote speech on "biomedical approaches to autism." The symposium will conclude on Tuesday with a set of recommendations.
Later, speaking to Arab News, Yasser Al-Fahd said the autism center is the brainchild of Princess Al-Johara bint Faisal Al-Turki, Princess Samira Al-Faisal, Nahla Al-Assaf and himself. He said the government was considering a proposal to set up a Saudi Autism Society for promoting the cause of autistic children.
According to Al-Fahd, an autistic child remains aloof, withdrawn and wired in a world of his own imagination. "No cure has yet been identified for autism, except by way of special education programs and rehabilitation supported by dietary intervention."
He said the diet of an autistic child should be free of dairy products and gluten, a sticky protein substance found in wheat flour.
It was at Al-Fahd’s initiative that the Saudi Arabian Airlines introduced special meals for autistic passengers. The move won the airline the Grand Diamond Award from On-board Service Association in the US for the Year 2000.
