RIYADH, 11 August 2003 — The first international symposium on autism and related development disorders will be held here from Oct. 6 to 9 to educate society on autism.
The symposium is being organized by King Saud University in collaboration with the Special Education Section of the Ministry of Education. The venue is the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh.
Among the topics slated for discussion are the neuro-biology of autism; the epidemiology of autistic disorders; clinical and laboratory evaluation in diagnosing autism; educational programs for autistic children; standardization of the diagnostic scales for autism; and quality of life issues in autism.
Autism is a severe mental illness resulting from several causes including possibly a genetic disorder, though no single factor has been identified as the real source. An autistic child remains aloof, withdrawn and wired in a world of his own imagination.
Their population in the Kingdom, based on the international ratio, is estimated at somewhere between 30,000 and 42,500. The figure represents both autistic children and adults, mostly undiagnosed cases.
Autism was discovered by Loe Kanner in 1943. It has been variously diagnosed as the offshoot of metabolic/genetic disorders, pre- or post-natal brain injury, viral infections or diseases. Findings show that certain viruses and known genetic conditions have been associated with autism.
Whatever the root cause, the behavioral pattern in children are the same. They tend to be anxious, angry, frustrated, confused, withdrawn and aloof. They also exhibit odd behavior such as rocking, flicking their fingers in front of their eyes, staring blankly into the distance, or grinning spontaneously. They communicate by signs or by making noise, and depend mostly on others to perform such rudimentary tasks as opening or closing doors, even if they could do it themselves.
“Autism and its behavioral symptoms occur in approximately up to 16 per 10,000 births. It is four times more common in boys than in girls,” according to Yasser Al-Fahad who, as the father of an autistic child, has done a lot of research on this subject.
He said King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center diagnosed some 300 cases of autism but a large number of cases went unreported. Autistic people, he notes, could be very productive provided high quality training and work opportunities are available to tap their potential. Yasser cites the example of WAWA, the first organization in the world that recruits autistic people.
He said Saudi Arabian Airlines has become the first airline in the world to provide special care for autistic passengers. Thanks to his initiative, it has developed special casein- and gluten-free meals for autistic passengers. Experts feel that much more has to be done in tailoring the curriculum to the special needs of the victims of autism. They cite the cases of the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society, which recommended recently that all children should be screened for autism. They cite the cases of the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society, which recommended recently that all children should be screened for autism.
