Too much screen time can be harmful
Al-Emadi: "Distance education" is innocent of "autism" for children
Autism spectrum disorder accompanies a child from birth, and its symptoms can be noticed early.
From the source
Mohammed Al-Emadi: “(Dubai for Autism) includes 84 students, and it has a capacity of 180 children.”
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The Director General of the Dubai Autism Center, a member of its board of directors, Mohammed Al-Emadi, confirmed that excessive watching TV and staying in front of screens to learn remotely for long periods has a negative impact on children, but it does not afflict the child with "autism", as it is agreed that autism spectrum disorder It accompanies the child from birth, and the symptoms of autism can be noticed early before the child reaches the age of three, which is rare to appear after the age of five, so we completely exclude children suffering from autism due to an external factor after the age of five.
He stated that the center received 84 children in the current academic year, including 24 Emirati children, noting that the center includes integrated facilities on a building area of 166,000 square feet, with a capacity of 180 children, as the center contains 34 classrooms and 22 rooms. For functional and motor therapy, 13 rooms for speech therapy, three rooms for sensory therapy, a suite that simulates the home system to teach living skills, and a number of laboratories, medical clinics and recreational facilities as well, all of which are designed according to the latest international specialized standards to provide an appropriate educational environment for children with autism.
Al-Emadi added to “Emirates Today” that at the beginning of the current academic year, the center witnessed the restructuring of its services into four main departments, namely assessment, intervention, rehabilitation and training, with the aim of enhancing the flexibility of services provided to children with autism and their families, and obtaining them in an organized and integrated manner and more. Accuracy and efficiency, pointing out that a multidisciplinary team supervises these services and provides its specialized programs within the framework of the PEAK curriculum based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs, in addition to a wide range of modern programs that have been adopted in the center's curriculum.
He stated that early intervention is not a cure factor for autism, but it is an important factor for the child's development for the better, because autism is not a disease that can be cured, but a disability that is dealt with by a set of specialized intervention and rehabilitation programs that work to alleviate negative symptoms and empower the child. The person with autism, and its delivery to the highest level of independence, in a way that guarantees a decent life
He pointed out that there is no study indicating a decline in the number of people with autism, and what was revealed by an American study published in 2018, is the increase in cases of autism among children at a rate of one in 54 children, stressing that this does not necessarily mean a sudden increase in the number of people with autism, but rather the reason. In the high numbers discovered is the increased accuracy of diagnostic criteria, as in the case of the Diagnostic Manual (DSM-5), as well as the spread of awareness of the importance of diagnosis and early detection of autism.
Al-Emadi continued: “As an initiative by the Dubai Autism Center to encourage parents to diagnose and early detection of autism, he announced that he would provide free counseling sessions for children suspected of having autism as part of his campaign organized under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, which will continue throughout This April, despite the increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorder, there is still a reluctance of a large segment of parents to request an early diagnosis process.
He pointed out that the cost of treating a child with autism doubles seven times in advanced cases that did not receive early intervention, according to an American study in this regard, explaining that undergoing early treatment reduces the cost of treatment, as it is possible to direct the child's brain with high flexibility at this age. The study also indicated that early intervention contributes to reducing the negative symptoms of autism by up to 50%.
He stressed the importance of parents breaking the barrier of fear that arises among family members as a result of the diagnosis of one of their children with autism spectrum disorder, and the need to be freed from negative feelings that may dominate parents during this period, which may constitute an obstacle towards focusing on developing the child's abilities and enrolling him in early intervention programs. .
He stressed the importance of integrating efforts between centers of people of determination, as well as health care institutions, adding: “This integration prevents a misdiagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, depending on the symptoms recognized by some doctors and non-specialized caregivers in light of the misconceptions and inaccurate concepts prevailing in society, as "Autism spectrum disorder is often confused with learning disabilities".
Al-Emadi said: “Commitment to the objectives of the leadership strategy to empower people of determination is reflected in the extent to which internationally approved standards are followed in the process of diagnosis and evaluation of developmental disorders, which include various disciplines with different scales, including psychology measures, applied behavior analysis measures, language and speech standards, and pedagogy standards. Own, and occupational therapy measures ».
Digital systems and programs
The Director General of the Dubai Autism Center, Mohammed Al-Emadi, stated that during the Corona pandemic, the center managed to adopt a number of smart digital systems and programs, in order to provide the opportunity for students' parents to obtain services through innovative means in a safe educational and rehabilitative environment, whether at the center or at home. In order to ensure the achievement of the desired goals, in addition to the fact that the training programs of the center did not stop despite the circumstances of the pandemic, as the training lectures were organized "remotely" through smart applications and social media, which have achieved positive results that have benefited many parents and professionals. The total number of views of these lectures reached nearly 50 thousand views during the year 2020.
• The center has restructured its services into the assessment, intervention, rehabilitation and training departments.
• Free counseling sessions for children suspected of having autism as part of a campaign that will continue throughout the month of April.
• 24 Emirati children received by the Dubai Autism Center for the current academic year.
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