The Child Early Intervention Medical Center (CEIMC), in collaboration with Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), hosted the third annual Autism Around the World Conference in Dubai addressing issues facing people, especially children, affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Held from 8-10 December at the Zayed University Convention Center, Academic City, the conference attracted over 450 delegates from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt, Kurdistan, the US and the UK. The Prince Salman Center for Disability Research, the UAE Ministry of Education, the UAE Ministry of Health, the Emirates Medical Association and the Dubai Business Women Council were key partners in delivering the Autism Around the World Conference. Themed 'Healing and Education in Autism‘, the conference focused on inclusive schooling, as well as the health and well-being of ASD patients. Experts from the autism domain in the US, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, and the UAE delivered hands-on workshops in English and Arabic offering families including parents, professionals, teachers and caregivers the necessary skills for the implementation of new strategies at the home, school and the natural environment. Dr. Ayesha Abdullah, Managing Director, Dubai Healthcare City, said: “It was a great pleasure to support the International Autism Around the World conference, which offered significant insights to improving the quality of life for autistic children and their families. “Awareness about the condition enables parents and society to demonstrate more sensitivity and empathy. It is imperative that families, teachers and care-givers are educated on the techniques to better understand the child's situation and aid their physical and cognitive development.” Highlighting the reality that autism is largely underserved throughout the Arab world, the conference pointed out that the medical community and families need to recognize the importance of seeking help at an early stage. Experts reiterated the fact that early intervention and comprehensive behavioral therapy could help individuals attain normal mainstream education. The need for the educational system to establish more inclusive schools to offer mainstream schooling to as many children as possible was also underlined. The conference suggested the setting up of an individual educational plan to assist children learn according to their capabilities and make inclusive schooling a reality. The conference also examined the delivery of specialized services that children diagnosed with ASD may require. The need to raise awareness of best practices and implementation of training to allow for these services to be easily available were key conclusions of the discussions. The panelists additionally underlined the strategic role of governments in funding projects to foster the training and development of relevant services in the Arab world. Dr. Hibah Shata, Chairperson of the conference said: “All stakeholders including healthcare professionals and families were brought up to speed on the autism syndrome landscape. Our ultimate goal is to empower the families of individuals with the spectrum as well as professionals assisting to manage the condition to make informed decisions.” Experts that headlined the three-day conference included Prof Stephen Shore, Special Education teacher at Adelphi University, US; Dr. Melissa Olive, Contributing Methodologist at the Walden University and a Behavioral Consultant, Dr. Chafica Gharbieh, President and Founder of the Autism Learning Institute for Applied Behavioral Analysis in Lebanon, and Clinical Director of the Diagnostic Lebanese Centre for Training, Communication and Behavior Development; Dr. Heidi A. Alaskary, Deputy Executive Director of Research at Prince Salman Center for Disability Research; Jason Garner, Clinical Director of Applied Behavioral Analysis at the Child Early Intervention Medical Center; Rebecca Ryan, Behavioral Consultant at the Johnson Center for Child Health and Development; Dr. William Shaw, Director of the Great Plains Laboratory, Inc. for Health, Nutrition, and Metabolism, and David S. Geslak, an Autism Fitness Specialist. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/hKanG Tags: Autism, Children, Conference Section: Health
