MLSD Minister: A Governmental Specialized Center for Autism Coming Soon

01-04-2020

The Kingdom of Bahrain joins the world in commemorating the annual World Autism Awareness Day, observed on 2 April each year. This commemoration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007, to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life for people with autism, as a category of people with disabilities (People of Determination), so that they can live full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society. On this occasion, His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Supreme Committee for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, emphasised that attention to people with autism spectrum disorder, or any other category of People of Determination, is not limited to one day a year, but rather it is a sustained and cumulative focus built over years of experience, so that this category and other societal groups receive the attention and care they deserve. This is in implementation of the directives of the wise government to overcome all difficulties facing People of Determination and groups unable to fully integrate into society. He pointed out the Kingdom of Bahrain’s commitment to the values of equality, fairness and inclusion, and to promoting the full participation of all people with autism spectrum disorder who have demonstrated creative energies and skills, to ensure they obtain the necessary tools to enjoy their rights and basic freedoms, to become integrated and active members of society. Humaidan announced the allocation of one of the largest buildings of the Comprehensive Disability Complex located in A'ali to be a specialised centre, the first of its kind and largest in size, for the rehabilitation of people with autism spectrum disorders, with a capacity of no fewer than 80 beneficiaries with autism. This comes within the framework of efforts to implement the National Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the plans, programmes and projects of the government work system, which seek to provide services to citizens, especially People of Determination. The Minister explained that the centre, which will be launched this year, will offer a variety of services for people with autism, including the application of the fundamentals of the internationally accredited Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) programme, "Ivar Lovaas," which was derived from the behaviour modification programme. It utilises positive reinforcement, visual communication and imitation skills, in addition to certain sensory integration activities to develop the senses in an integrated manner, among other programmes. Humaidan stated that the Ministry is continuing to support all private rehabilitation centres in the Kingdom that provide specialised services for autism cases. These centres include four specialised centres for autism: Alia Centre for Early Intervention, Al Wafa Centre for Intellectual Disability and Autism, Al Rashad Centre for Autism, and Tafaol Centre for special education. The centres also include the Al Amal Institute for Special Education and the Al Amal Centre for Early Care, which recently added autism rehabilitation services to their provision for children with intellectual disabilities. The Ministry of Labour and Social Development licenses, publicises and supervises private rehabilitation centres for People of Determination, the majority of which provide highly specialised services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder. These centres are constantly expanding, with the number of private centres in Bahrain currently standing at 19, specialising in this specific category. The Ministry also provides financial support to students who benefit from these centres, alleviating the financial burden on their parents and ensuring fairness and equality across all centres. Autism spectrum disorder is considered a human experience that contributes to human diversity and distinction. This requires the adoption of an integrated approach to designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating policies and programmes within social, economic and political frameworks across all ministries and governmental, civil and private institutions. This will achieve the effective integration of all segments of society and foster the spirit of social responsibility across society. He pointed out that the total number of people with autism spectrum disorder registered in the Ministry's system reached 781 as of March 2020.