The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), with the support of Qatar Foundation Recreation Services and Al Shaqab equestrian centre, organised a summer activity programme for autistic children from the Qatar Autism Families Association (QAFA).
The programme, in line with Qatar’s National Autism Plan, enables children with autism to take part in a range of fun and healthy activities in Doha during the summer months and includes swimming classes and horse riding lessons.
The six-week swimming programme, which commenced on July 13, is the first time WISH and QF Recreation Services have collaborated on such a community programme.
The horse riding programme will run throughout August with the support of the Equine Education division at Al Shaqab.
The WISH programme of activities is mindful that Qatar’s National Autism Plan focuses on the need to engage autistic children through activities that take place outside of the classroom.
Since it was established in 2012, WISH has made autism one of its priority areas for evidence-based research, and has produced reports, held expert panels, and led initiatives in this area of healthcare.
Through events, such as its summer programme, WISH is ensuring that Qatari society benefits from the global research work it conducts.
The most recent WISH research report on autism, published in 2016, highlights ways of establishing better support for children with autism and the need to tackle the societal and cultural barriers that autistic children and their families face.
WISH Partnerships and Outreach manager Sultana Afdhal said: “At WISH we consider it vital that wherever possible, the research we participate in results in a direct positive impact in Qatar.
“Our research and the Qatar National Autism Plan have highlighted the need to help address issues such as social isolation by providing activities for children with autism.
“We hope our summer programme will begin to address that need and benefit both families of children with autism and the children themselves.”
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