On Thursday, 9th, April, 2009, Sharjah Center for Autism concludes SCHS's week for autism with psychological evaluation session for the mothers of autism children at Sharjah Ladies Club and 3 lectures at Al Thiqa Club by the tow therapists, Majad Sami & Mahmood Abed Maqsood and the tow teachers Osama Shihabi & Emad Al Dean Yussif. The lectures were attended by number of specialists, therapists, and parents.
The psychological evaluation session for the mothers of autism children is very important because of the stress and pressure caused by their situation. A child with autism needs a lot of attention and care from his parents. Therefore, this session gives relaxation for mothers. It gives them the opportunity to meet each other and talk about their problems freely.
It is considered a relief from the stress caused by daily contact with autism children. Parents should use their advantages when dealing with their children in order to reach the best results possible with the cooperation of the center's specialist.
Mr. Majad Sami started his lecture, which is entitled 'alternate supportive means of communication', by identifying these means. It is a practice to compensate for the deficiency that autism children have caused by verbal disorders. These means join together all the possibilities of communication a child has. Its variation enables the child from communicating properly.
Then, the lecturer mentioned number of ways to communicate with autism children such as communicating via objects, pictures, signs, and devices. Then, he explained in detail how to use each way to get the best results possible. Finally, he displayed a documentary about an autism child. This child has shown a great response for pictures to express his desires and demands. For example, he uses the picture of a cup of water to indicate thirst.
Choosing the proper way to communicate with an autism child depends on his response to this way. Then, the therapist can determine a daily program for this child taking into consideration its different stages. At this point of therapy, positive communication with the child is required.
The second lecture, which is entitled 'Early diagnosis', by Mahmood Abed Maqsood pointed out the percentage of autism around the world. It is 1/1000. The main aspects that can help the therapist in identifying autism are social, behavioral, and repetitive communication. In addition, therapists use a 23 item questionnaire that covers cases from the age of 16 to 30. Basically, the questionnaire focuses on the information provided by parents, which is considered very good in evaluating each case.
The third lecture by the tow teachers Osama Shihabi & Emad Al Dean Yussif demonstrated Sharjah Center for Autism's work mechanism & its services. The center has 3 specialists and seven students aging from 17 to 24.
The center aims at helping any person with learning capabilities and wants to improve him self and develop his skills. It uses visual clarification, effective organization, and integration in order to provide students with highest level of independence possible.
Furthermore, the center carries out group picnics that include parents. In this way, they get to meet each other and exchange experiences. These journeys also serve the process of integration for autism children by attending public places such as museums and restaurants. The center also provides supportive services such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy.