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The Dubai Autism Center (DAC) has officially launched its Annual Autism Prescreening Campaign for the 2024-2025 academic year under the slogan ‘Schools for All.’ This initiative is part of the DAC's continuous efforts to increase awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and provide early detection services for children in Dubai.
Mohammed Al Emadi, Director General of the Dubai Autism Center, highlightedthat the campaign is aligned with the National Autism Policy and Decree No. (26) of 2021, which established the DAC, reinforcing the emirate's commitment to ensuring the well-being of children with autism.
“The Dubai Autism Center is taking proactive steps to improve early autism detection. A series of weekly workshopswill empower foundation stage and kindergartenheads and teachers in Dubai to recognise the early signs of autism,” Al Emadi said.
Training workshops
“Over 500 Dubai-based early childhood centres, nurseries, and schools are joining forces to empower educators in early ASD detection. These training workshops aim to identify children with autism early on, ensuring they receive timely support and optimal developmental outcomes,” Al Emadisaid.
“Since the start of 2024, the Dubai Autism Center has offered free consultations to 306 children, including 82 Emirati children. Among them, 131 received comprehensive assessment sessions, with 52 Emirati children benefiting at no cost. Additionally, the centre conducted 45 psychological evaluation sessions, underscoring its commitment to accessible autism services,” he added.
Al Emadi emphasised that the extensive assessments and diagnostic evaluations resulted in tailored recommendations for each child. A total of 162 children, including 34 Emiratis, were advised to seek Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) therapy. Speech and language therapy was recommended for 109 children, with 28 Emiratis among them, while another 109 children, including 25 Emiratis, were recommended to undergo occupational therapy to enhance their developmental progress.
Reflecting on the centre’s pivotal role, Al Emadi further noted that 18 children, six of whom are Emiratis, were enrolled in the Dubai Autism Center’s specialised school programme. This brings the total number of children enrolled in both the school and clinical programmes to approximately 150, including 60 Emirati children.
Community awareness is key
Noora Al Saadi, Inclusive Education Specialist at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, highlighted the importance of raising community awareness about the early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. She emphasised the need for clear guidance on effective ways to manage autism symptoms, which can help accelerate children’s learning, growth, and development, ensuring that all young children’s needs are met and that inclusive education services are of high quality.
She said: “We fully support the efforts of our colleagues at the Dubai Autism Center through the 2024-2025 campaign on early autism indicators. We encourage educational institutions to join this campaign, as it plays a vital role in helping teachers at early childhood centres and schools recognise and respond to the early signs of autism, aligning with Dubai’s vision and its goals to be a truly inclusive city for people of determination.”
Dubai Autism Center is a non-profit organisation founded in 2001. The DAC aims to provide specialised services to care for children with autism and provide support for their families and their caregivers as per Decree No. 26 of 2021 issued by the Ruler of Dubai. The DAC services include educational, psychological and rehabilitative programmes for children with autism. The financial resources of the centre consist of subsidies, donations and any charitable endowments for the welfare of the centre.
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