PHCC boosts autism disorder awareness in schools

Dr. Sadriya Al-Kohji, senior community medicine consultant, assistant director of Medicine for Child and Adolescent Health at PHCC and national lead for Health Children and Adolescents Strategy, highlighted PHCC services offered to ASD individuals in the community, on the occasion of World Autism Awareness Day, which is observed every year on April 2.

Dr. Sadriya Al-Kohji indicated that PHCC provides the “EarlyBird” programme in Qatar, specifically designed for parents of preschool-age children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The primary objective of the EarlyBird programme is to support parents in understanding autism in their children, enabling them to facilitate communication methods with their children and improve their behaviour within their natural environment. To date, a total of 932 parents in Qatar have been trained on the Early Bird programme.

PHCC provides ASD screening as part of the well-baby clinic’s services as it is conducted for children at age of 18 months and 30 months in Well-Baby Clinics. In 2023, a total of 25,797 ASD screening tests were administered.

In addition, sensory-friendly rooms are now available in some of PHCC health centres specifically designed for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The aim of these rooms is to create a positive experience for these children during their visits to the health centres and to ensure that they feel calm, comfortable and engaged in an environment that caters to their sensory abilities.

“The fast-track service is launched across all PHCC health centres. This service is designed to streamline and expedite care delivery process at PHCC health centres” she added.

Dr. Sadriya noted that PHCC marked the World Autism Awareness Day by organizing a variety of activities and events. PHCC health centres also marked this day by organizing many awareness-raising activities which encompassed the provision of sensory playrooms available in some health centres for children to enjoy. Moreover, various ASD awareness messages were also shared on PHCC’s social media platforms.

Dr. Sadriya Al-Kohji concluded that the events of the World Autism Awareness Day are organized this year in collaboration with Qatar Foundation and other partners in Shaqab.