Mohammed Alshoaiby

Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — Every April 2nd, the world is lit up blue – the official color for autism – in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) and the Kingdom is taking part in these activities.



Autism is a developmental disorder that affects one child in every 1,000 children worldwide, according to the US-based National Health Report.



In the Kingdom, there are approximately 250,000 children diagnosed with autism, without factoring in those in rural areas and limited resources who have not been diagnosed.



“Diagnosing the children is the hardest part,” said Amal Al-Rajih, deputy director of rehabilitation at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahad’s Mother Autism Center (PFFMAC).



“However, government entities are now showing interest in supporting autistic children and their families, though the level of cooperation between private centers and government bodies remains modest.”



“Integration is the ultimate goal for all children with special needs, not only those who are autistic,” she added, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and intervention as the cornerstone in the children’s potential to integrate and assimilate with society.



Al-Rajih warned of late diagnosis, stating that professional intervention would also suffer delays as a result and can contribute to greater difficulties in the future.



At PFFMAC, children who have previously been diagnosed visit specialists in behavioral, social, communication and speech therapy, Al-Rajih added.



After which, she continued, the children’s parents sit with specialists in the field to construct a specific and conclusive rehabilitation plan and curriculum, unique to their specific child. “Mothers are also trained on how to cater to their children’s special needs,” said Rajih.



“It was motherly obsession that led us to seek diagnosis,” said Dr. Huda Al-Jaed, the mother of Fahad Al-Fheid, a five-year-old autistic child who is being treated at PFFMAC.



“Fahad is very friendly – he doesn’t fear people and his facial expressions are clear. His smile is beautiful and when he smiles, he means it,” she added.



However, early on, Fahad’s parents noticed abnormalities in his behavior. He would not respond when his name was called, he would stare at the ceiling for prolonged periods of time, laugh at odd times and wouldn’t warm up to other children.



“Fahad wouldn’t reply when we’d call his name, so we were worried he might have had a hearing problem,” Al-Jaed said.



Fahad’s hearing turned out to be normal and he was diagnosed with autism soon after, becoming one of the youngest children to enroll in PFFMAC.



“I’ve always been a firm believer in early intervention,” said Al-Jaed, having enrolled Fahad at a little over a year old. While intervention from specialists at private centers is readily available in the Kingdom’s various non-proft organizations, the stress falls on the public sector to support families and children.



“The public sector is still behind the private sector in dealing with autism,” said Abdullah Al-Fheid, the father of Fahad.



“Most centers were established by privileged families with autistic children.”



“There is pressure from families on decision makers to empathize with them,” he added.



Various ministries do reportedly support autistic children by sending them abroad to specialized boarding schools in Arab countries. However, support within the Kingdom remained limited.



Fahad’s father is also a firm believer in the power social media has on transferring information related to autism, serving as a reference for families in the Kingdom where information is hard to come by.



A 15-minute YouTube video on autism, directed by Abdulrahman Sherbeni, captures the journey of the fictional character Oussama, an autistic child, and his father, who was unaware of his child’s state.



The video concludes with real interviews with shoppers at a Jeddah mall, asking them what they know about autism.



The vast majority knew very little or nothing at all about the disorder.



Better awareness remains the most often cited demand of those who work with autistic children and the families of autistic children.



Autistic children have gone on to perform incredible feats, giving them a popular association with geniuses.



In 2009, an autistic man from London, Stephen Wiltshire, drew a detailed and accurate depiction of the New York City skyline on a 6 meter canvas after only spending 20 minutes in a helicopter over the city.



Wiltshire drew the New York skyline entirely from memory, without the aid of images or videos and his drawing remains one of the most detailed and accurate sketches of the famous skyline.



In the Kingdom last month, Muneera Al-Muheish, a 15-year-old autistic teen based in Riyadh, published her first book with a deep moral message that allegorically condemns violence and racial profiling.



Today, the Kingdom celebrates autism with various organizations at various functions as part of the WAAD celebrations.



In Riyadh, the festivities started yesterday, when PFFMAC escorted dozens of children and their mothers to a location near Prince Sultan University, where they released hundreds of blue balloons to commemorate the occasion.



The PFFMAC building, along with the Kingdom tower and Faisaliah tower, will be illuminated in blue light, the official color of autism, as part of the worldwide campaign “Light It Up Blue.”



The campaign has succeeded in “lighting up blue” some of the most prominent landmarks in the world, including New York’s Empire State Building.



Though campaigns such as these are prevalent in the Kingdom, awareness of autism remains low despite it being one of the most common neural disorders in the world, with 35 million people officially diagnosed worldwide according to the United States Center for Disease Control.

Five-year-old Fahad is one of over 250,000 in the Kingdom diagnosed with autism who are being celebrated today.



His parents have stated that they are looking toward a bright future for Fahad.



"I still haven't heard him speak to me, and I tell my husband every day that I just want to hear his voice," said Fahad’s mother, Dr. Huda Al-Jaed, adding that though progress may be slow, it is steady.



“He’s come a very long way and we’re very proud of him.”