Minister opens second National Autism Forum

HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim bin Saif al-Sulaiti said that the State of Qatar, under the  leadership of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, was sparing no effort in supporting and promoting initiatives and efforts aimed at building awareness about on the rights of persons with disabilities, including autistic children.
In a speech at the opening of the Second National Autism Forum organised by Mada (Qatar Assistive Technology Centre) of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, under the theme “Challenges & Achievements”, HE al-Sulaiti pointed to HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani’s instructions to extend all possible support for people with disabilities and integrate them into the society.
He stressed the importance of collective efforts by all parties concerned with the persons with disabilities to develop their skills and help them become a key component of the society.
The ministry has many programmes and initiatives aimed at supporting different sections of Qatari society, he said, adding that it was extending its help to the persons with disabilities and their families through the Mada centre, which is making great and commendable efforts to support this important segment, not only in order to integrate them into the society but also to develop their skills for the benefit of our country, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications is aware of the importance of these forums and events to discuss best practices and ways to improve the care and services provided to the people with disabilities and their families, HE al-Sulaiti said, hoping that the forum would come out with recommendations and proposals to enhance support provided to this section of the society.
For his part, HE the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs Dr Issa bin Saad al al-Nuaimi, underlined the importance of the Second National Autism Forum in making recommendations and proposals to support the persons with disabilities.
The three-day forum will discuss the best practices and latest trends in the rehabilitation and support of people living with Autism. These include: debunking myths around Autism; The latest research in genetics and Autism; Approaches to dealing with behavioral issues; Best practices in supporting language skills for Autistic children; Experiences of parents of young people with Autism; and Arabic language symbol based communication.