Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Child Development Center treated a total of 3,580 children with autism in 2017, a senior official said.

“The number of children diagnosed with autism is on the rise with between 30 to 40 new referrals coming every month from primary health centres, either for diagnosis confirmation or because of parents seeking a second opinion,” said Dr Nazim Abdel Aati, paediatric consultant, Child Development Center.

Dr Noof Mohamed al-Siddiqi, a consultant dermatologist at HMC, says early intervention and access to appropriate services and support can lead to significantly improved outcomes for children with autism.

“Each child with autism has unique needs and abilities. Early intervention programmes that are designed to improve the core behavioural symptoms of autism can provide a child with the tools to build on his or her strengths, improve behaviours, and remediate areas of weakness. But it is important for parents to be observant and to know the signs of autism,” said Dr al-Siddiqi.

“Children do not outgrow autism but it is treatable. Studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes. It’s important for parents, especially new parents, to educate themselves and to be aware of the signs. These can include child being unresponsive, lack of or delay in spoken language, repetitive use of language and motor mannerisms such as hand-flapping, persistent fixation on parts of objects, lack of eye contact, lack of interest in peer relationships, lack of make-believe play, and rarely smiling when approached by caregivers,” said Hossam Mehana, senior behavioural psychologist and autism programme co-ordinator at the Child Development Center.

While there is no known cause of autism, a number of circumstances, including environmental, biologic, and genetic factors, seem to contribute to making a child more likely to have the disorder. The condition is also more common among males, with a ratio of about one female for every four males. Certain medical and mental health issues frequently accompany autism, including gastrointestinal disorders, seizures, sleep disturbances, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and phobias, underscoring the need to provide families with ongoing and multi-disciplinary support.

HMC’s Child Development Center, is a comprehensive rehabilitation unit for children with mild to moderate disabilities from birth to 14 years of age and provides a co-ordinated, multi-disciplinary care programme for children, adolescents, and families affected by autism.

In recognition of the eleventh annual World Autism Awareness Day, held on April 2, HMC has organised a full month of events, including public awareness and education stands at a number of its hospitals, a family fun day at Ainza Park, a symposium for clinical teams, and awareness sessions at local businesses.

To access the Child Development Center’s programme, children should be referred from a physician in HMC, primary health centre or Sidra Medicine, or a private healthcare provider in Qatar

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